#imperative for everyone here to know this was not pallas' idea. odypen are crazy on their own.

[zarnzarn]

It is only after that Athena realizes what was wrong.

"Apollo," She says, quiet. The other god looks terrified at her sudden reappearance, confirming the answer before she even has to ask. Still, she stomps over to the bed, brushes aside the curtain that holds-

No one. The bed is empty.

"-DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" She realises she's shouting, throat hurting from however long it's been. "Damn you, Apollo, why didn't you-"

Artemis is holding her back, even though they all know now that Athena would never be her father, no longer would raise a hand any of them.

"Why-" Tears catch in her throat. "Why would you not let me say goodbye to her?"

"She told me not to," Apollo says quietly. His cheeks are also wet, and he's cowering back but his stance is strong. "And you- you were happy, Athena. With all your warriors, with your Ithaka. I could not spoil that too, not when it would not last as long as your grief would."

"Damn you," She chokes out again, voice defeated, then turns to the bed. "Let me see her."

"That's not a good-"

"Artemis, please!" Athena snaps. "Let me see her, Apollo. One last time."

Apollo inhales shakily and raises a hand, turning back the time of his realm. Athena keeps her eyes trained on the bed, until-

"Pallas," She breathes, kneeling by the bed. Pallas lies unmoving, still bleeding all these decades later. She coughs suddenly, making Athena's heart ache. She knows that pain now- of the Aegis striking you down- but she still cannot bring forth regret for the latent hope that one day she might be saved.

"Pallas!" Apollo from the past exclaims, putting his pots down to stand by her side. "Oh- you're awake!"

"Not for long," She croaks out, and Athena sobs at the sound of that beloved voice. At what is coming. "Don't tell her. She won't reach me in time."

"But," Apollo wavers. "You're awake! Surely-"

"I'm only awake because someone is speaking my story," Pallas smiles faintly. "My essence will not survive the ending." Then she frowns. Realizes something and gives a small, wondrous smile. "But maybe-"

Athena reaches out to her, even though she knows it won't touch.

Pallas looks straight at her.

She gasps, and the other shoots her a familiar grin, before abruptly dissolving into mist with a horrid ripping sound, two colored lights floating in the air for a moment, then disappearing entirely.

"Let me see that again," Athena snaps hoarsely, pale.

"Sister-"

"NOW!"

Once more, she watches the soul of her first friend tear into half. Then again and again, until-

"Wait," Artemis holds out a hand to stop the movement, catching the split moment where it coalesces into her last storyteller and the last listener- a familiar shoddy prince and a familiar princess dripping with water, knobbly-kneed and grinning at each other- "Is- is that..."

Athena doesn't reply, still staring. Of course, it makes sense, she was the one who whispered the story to Odysseus under the stars after a training session gone wrong, but why would Pallas-

Why would she-

Unless-

Athena! Oh, wow, your hair is beautiful, she remembers both Odysseus and Pallas saying.

Athena! Come in, the water is lovely, she remembers both Penelope and Pallas saying.

"I have to go," She says hoarsely.

"GO!" Apollo and Artemis shout in unison, wild hope entering their eyes, and push her into-

Ithaka's palace bedroom. It is night. The olive tree in the middle of the room swishes.

Odysseus is sitting upright, Penelope in his lap as he strokes her hair. Jarringly full grown and speckled with grey, from the vision from a few seconds ago. But not old enough, not old as they should be, because-

When he turns to her, his grin is both his and hers, and when Penelope slits open one nymph-blue eye, the mischief is both hers and hers.

"We were wondering-" Odysseus laughs, a feminine lilt to the sound that isn't his, predator-playful expression the same as it was from all those centuries ago.

"-when you'd finally notice," Penelope finishes, the rough curl of the nymph language the queen does not know shaping her letters, quiet glee at a successful scheme the same as it was from all those centuries ago.

"It is you," Athena breathes, dropping her spear. Her helmet, her armour, walking closer like a soldier finally home from war. "It has been- you've been here the whole time."

Odysseus and Penelope cackle and Athena breaks out into a run and Pallas, grinning, raises their arms to welcome Athena back home.

[zarnzarn]

It is only later that Athena realizes what had been wrong.

"Apollo," She says quietly. He stiffens with fright at her sudden presence, guilt passing over his face. It is answer enough, but she still stops over to the bed, thinking no, no, no, ignoring his calls as she pulls back the curtain of the bed to-

No one. The bed is empty.

"-DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!" She comes to roaring, held back by Artemis, throat hurting from however long it has been. Apollo is cowering at her rage, despite her promise to never hurt any Olympian, to be better than her father, but his eyes are firm and it enrages her again. "Damn you, Apollo, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because she told me not to," He says, with quiet grief, for her, for both of them. "And you were- happy, Athena, after so long; with your warriors, with your Ithaka. I could not spoil that for you too, not when they would not last as long as your grief would."

"Damn you," She chokes out bitterly, voice defeated. "Let me see her."

"Sister, I don't think-"

"Artemis!" Athena snaps, pushing her hands off so she can approach the bed. "Let me see her. One last time, Apollo."

He exhales shakily, then raises his hands to turn back the time of his realm. Athena keeps her eyes on the bed, until-

"Pallas," She breathes, kneeling down beside her first friend. Pallas coughs, and Athena's heart aches- she knows what it is to take the full strength of the Aegis, now- but still cannot make herself regret the latent hope that one day she will heal somehow.

"Pallas!" Past Apollo exclaims, setting down his pots hurriedly to stand by her. "Oh- you're awake!"

"Not for long," She croaks, and Athena sobs at the sound of that beloved voice. At what is to come. "Do not call her. She will not make it in time."

"But you are awake, surely-" Apollo protests.

"I am only awake because someone is telling my story," She smiles wanly. "My essence will not survive the ending." Then she frowns, a look of wonder suddenly passing over her face. "Unless-"

Athena reaches out to her, even though she knows she will not be able to touch.

Pallas looks straight at her.

Athena gasps, and Pallas shoots her a familiar grin before dissolving abruptly with a loud tearing sound- two spots of light erupting from the mist before disappearing with a large crack.

"Let me see that again," Athena demands as she stands up, pale.

"Sister-"

"NOW!"

She watches Pallas' essence tear in two again. Then again and again, until-

"Wait," Artemis says slowly. She holds a hand to stop the movement, as the two lights coalesce for the briefest of moments into the last storyteller and the last listener- a familiar shoddy prince and a familiar princess dripping with water, knobbly-kneed and grinning. "Is- is that..."

It makes sense. She had told Odysseus the story after a training session gone wrong, quietly, under the stars, as she'd bandaged him up.

But why would Pallas-

Unless-

Athena! Come in, the water is lovely! Both Penelope and Pallas had told her, the first time they'd met.

Athena! Wow, your hair looks beautiful today! Both Odysseus and Pallas had told her, when she had come back from Olympus, when he had called her that first time to Sparta.

"I have to go," She says hoarsely.

"GO!" Artemis and Apollo both shout, wild hope in their eyes as they push her into-

Ithaka's palace bedroom. It is night. The olive trees swish in the breeze.

Odysseus is sitting upright, Penelope in his lap, stoking her hair. When he turns, his grin is both his and hers, and when Penelope slits open one nymph-blue eye, the mischief is both hers and hers.

"We were wondering-" Odysseus laughs, a feminine lilt to the sound that isn't his, predator-playful expression the same as it was all those centuries ago.

"-when you'd finally notice," Penelope giggles, the rough curl of the nymph language that the queen does not know shaping her letters, quiet glee the same as it was all those centuries ago.

"It is you," Athena breathes, dropping her spear. Her helmet, her armour, staggers forward like a soldier returning from war. "It has been- you've been here the whole time."

Odysseus and Penelope cackle at her and Athena breaks out into a run and Pallas opens their arms to welcome Athena back home.