How This Happened?!

Chapter 13 - Eureka!

Athena was no stranger to spend days and days inside a library. After all, it was his favorite activity and everyone knew that.

But, a week had passed and still no signs on the god of Wisdom. Half of the gods and goddesses (not to mention almost everyone) never understood what could drive Athena into spending his time in a library. What did he research all the time? Why researching? Questions like those always were present on their minds when in came to Athena.

"There must be something here that could help us..." Lately, that's been his most recurrent phrase. It was obvious he was passionated on whatever he was researching, but now he sounded almost desperate about it.

"Athena, you should take a break..." Hestia recommended his nephew, looking on the state he had submerged himself "The books won't go anywhere... You even brought a book to a Council meeting!"

"I can't! I need to find a solution!" he grumbled, pulling back the books in front of him, especially when Hestia tried to take them away. Hestia recognized the symptoms and took matters into his own hands.

"That's it, Athena. You're leaving the library for a few hours for sleep or to walk around or to interact with someone..." Hestia began to number activities, moving his hands around, trying to get the message around "The point being you're not staying another minutes into this library!" That last phrase definitely caught Athena's attention.

"What?!" was all he could manage out, before Hestia grabbed his arm and started to drag him outside. Obviously, Athena began making efforts into going back, but Hestia was stubborn and strong when she set her mind into something. In the end, Hestia dragged Athena outside and, practically, shoved him off the stairs.

"You better not come back here in the next five hours or you'll regret it!" Athena was surprised by the vindictive nature of Hestia, since he was always a pacific and gentle soul. Not wanting to answer to his anger self, Athena walked down the stairs of his own library (he actually couldn't believe that that was happening to him!) facing Hestia's frown before walking away to a safe distance.

He walked around the gardens, watching the plants and other beings interact with each other. Mot that he was bad interacting, but he prefered the company of books and information over to people. People usually lied to you. The written word would never guide you wrong.

"Hello, Athena" Athena heard behind him, making him turn around to face Hecate. He looked tired and solitary, not to mention he was pale like ice.

"You look like crap" he bluntly answered to his greeting, earning a dry chuckle from him.

"Yeah, well... You'd look like this too if you were ambushed by every single minor god and goddess in this place because of a prank that Apollo and Hermes..." he explained, sitting in a nearby wall "They don't even care that you weren't responsible for it, but they blame you anyway, because you misspell on trick" he groaned, looking tired.

"Haven't find a cure yet..." Athena admitted, resting next to him "And Hestia dragged me out of the library" he made emphasis on the word 'dragged', like he wanted him to know that wasn't on his own will.

"Yeah, well... Now that Hera managed that his petition was heard, I think that it's gonna be even harder" Hecate pointed out.

"Is it wrong that I want think back to normal?"

"It's not wrong you want to go back to what you call 'normal'..." Hecate answered him, thoughtful.

"I shouldn't care about this..." Athena recognized "Maybe for the knowledge, but not for another reason..." he played with his hands as if he was nervous.

"Your reasons are personal... I just wish this whole mess could only be focus on Aphrodite..." Hecate scowled, apparently still mad of the main trigger of this event "I just wanted her ugly! Not change the gender of all the rest of the gods!" Just like a lighting that strikes in the right place at the right time, one could see the lighting bulb lighting up above his head.

"Wait, say that again" he demanded, looking less stress by the second.

"I said 'I just wish this whole mess-'"

"Not that part, you dumb!" Athena scolded him, but he didn't look as remotely as mad as the sentence "The part were want you wanted Aphrodite to suffer"

"Ah, that part" Athena rolled his eyes, as if saying 'no, really?' "I just wanted her ugly..."

"Exactly!" Hecate got startled by Athena's enthusiastic remark "I was looking for information about how to change the gender, when I should had been looking for how to reverse an ugly spell!!" he celebrated, leaving a very confused Hecate "Don't you stand there! Celebrate with me!" Athena pulled Hecate up and they began twirling around, like a couple of kids.

"Athena, wait! I'm getting dizzy!" Hecate chuckled and stopped turning around "That's some nice thinking, but..."

"But, what?" Athena placed his hands on his hips, serious.

"I created the spell. I didn't use any normal ingredients nor I followed a text book!" Well, that was a disappointment... Athena refused to discouraged himself and shook his head.

"That doesn't matter!" he announced, with renew spirit and energies "You just have to remember the words you mentioned and I'll deal with the research... That way, we'll cover more ground faster and end up by the end of the week!"

"You're very optimistic about this, Athena..." Hecate noticed, earning a smirk from his partner.

"Of course I am!" he confessed "They've been teasing me merciless about not having found the cure about this since the last Council meeting... Once we find the cure, I'm gonna enjoy watching those ungrateful to beg for the cure..." Only remaining that he rubbed his hands in a very malefic way, Hecate did agreed on one thing.

You never ever wanted to be on Athena's bad side.

~oOo~

Question of the Day: I fell off the bed today! Literally! Have something like this ever happened to you?

Question of the Chapter: What you guys think it's going to happen? How will Hecate and Athena turn the spell around?