For the love of the Gods

Modern day

**************

It was falling. It was breathing and dying and being born all at once. There were truly no words to describe the landscape surrounding her.

Buffy stood dead center in the middle of the field, the rolling hills and bright afternoon sun gave her sight of unquestionably the most beautiful valley she had ever seen. To her right there were vast mountains and colorful flowers, to her left the starting of a dense forest that seemed endless. But in front of her…there were women.
Funny, shed always thought heaven would have plenty nude A list actors of the male variety.

“Hello.”

Startled, Buffy turned to the voice, there behind her stood a young girl. But she wasn’t a girl at all; she was some sort of creature. She didn’t sense any hostility as she studied the stranger.

The girl looked about Dawns age, thick ginger colored curls fell around a face that was to strong to be called beautiful, her features were striking, high cheekbones, full lips, and the large brown eyes along with the small brown horns. She looked like a creature she had seen in a book once. The girl looked very human if it wasn’t for those horns and the fact that her legs were covered in a thick coat of fur, the same shade as her hair and instead of feet she had hoofs.

“Hello…where am I?” Buffy asked, the girl smiled sweetly and extended her hand.

“My names Kit, you’re in Artemis’s sacred forests.” Kit said, still smiling. Buffy reached out and took the girls hand. “You must be the one that stopped the portal and the Beast.”

“Yes I am. What…is this heaven?”

“In a sense it’s your heaven. Artemis watches over slayers, when one dies in combat she has an arrangement with Hades that they will spend an eternity here.” Kit now holding her hand began to lead her toward the forest.

“What about Dawn? What about…are my friends okay?” Buffy asked, suddenly remembering the circumstances that brought her here.

“Yes they are. You saved them, you saved the world. That isn’t anything new for the slayer line but the fact that you did all that and defeated Glorificus, our Goddess wants to meet you.” Kit smiled again and led her into the woods; any notion of doing anything but what this girl told her clearly wasn’t present. All there was was an eerie sense of calm all about her.

Buffy tried not to gape at the beauty surrounding her but after what seemed like an hour of walking all pretense was gone in its place was a very open mouthed awe.

When they finally reached a clearing Buffy was once again struck speechless, just in front of her was a gorgeous Grecian temple, large limestone pillars held up a tomb style roof and in the center of the clearing was a fountain with a statue of two entangled women, one could be none other than Artemis, she stood straight and tall her arms around a slightly slumped figure who was leaning into the Goddess, after a moment Buffy realized it was the first slayer, the depiction was nothing like the memory of the one she had seen…but take away the snarled hair and face paint and it was her.

“Were they lovers?” Buffy asked. Kit looked up at her, startled that the slayer was so perceptive.

“Yes, the Goddess has loved only two beings in such a way in all her existence, the first slayer and her twin Apollo. Do not mention it to her; she doesn’t like reminders of the first slayers demise.” Kit said sternly. The satyr…that’s what she was Buffy realized was obviously a servant of some kind to the Goddess.

“What am I supposed to say to her?” Buffy asked when they stopped at the foot of the stairs leading into the temple.

“Nothing, shell addresses you, honestly you will likely never see her again after this, she just wishes to know all that dwell in her forests and the manner that you died…right now your something of a celebrity. You see…you’ve reopened Zeus’s portal to the earth realm…has the Olympians in a bit of a tizzy.” Kit smiled, clearly amused by this thought.

Buffy smiled too; there was something enchanting and damned familiar about the younger woman.

“Do you live here?” Buffy asked. Kit nodded and smiled again.

“Yes, my kind are guardians here, my clan has served the Goddess since the arrangement with Hades was made.” Kit gestured with her arm for Buffy to ascend the stairs and meet this apparent Goddess.

Honestly after her first and only run in with a God Buffy wasn’t stoked about the idea but if this was a one time deal then what harm could it be?

“Thank you Kit, will I see you again?” Buffy asked, when the young Satyr smiled and nodded she smiled in return and began her ascent into the gleaming temple.

************************

Artemis lay on her side, idly twirling her fingers in the still water, staring down at her reflection as Pan sat nearby lightly strumming his lyre. Many things troubled her this day; the portal was reopened if Zeus’s nasty temper and the deafening thunder that had lasted mere seconds as the portal was first opened were any indication. Would she return to earth? No…no point.

Looking up at Pan she smiled at the handsome creature, he was a dear friend and ally, at six foot three all muscle, the mans tawny skin was bronzed from exposure to the sun, his long legs were laden with thick brown fur that extended all the way down into hoofs, his long curled black horns and goatee made him very much every mortal woman’s fantasy of what a satyr would look like, since the wars of power several centuries back Pan had stood at her side and when Bacchus called for his kinds death Artemis fought and took them on herself, now he and his young sister Kit were her most trusted guards.

“What troubles you Goddess?” Pan asked without looking up as he adjusted a string on his lyre.

“Many things, I am anxious to meet this slayer, the Powers that Be tell me she’s arguably the greatest that has lived since…since the first slayer.” Artemis fought down the pathetic emotion that threatened to roil inside her.

Pan glanced at his friend and inwardly sighed, the Goddess was but a shell of what she had once been, the once vibrant albeit arrogant child Goddess had grown into a ruthless, wounded woman…unknown to her she was now called ‘Ice Queen’ on Olympus, none opposed her for fear of her wrath, or worse, her overly protective twin.

“After you have met her, will you return to Olympus?” Pan asked softly, smiling when he saw that he had found the right tune for his instrument.

“I don’t know, I tire of the politics and power struggle, plus I hear Hera has found out Zeus latest dalliance with some water nymph. I don’t know about you but I am thinking of staying here until that blows over.”

“Yes my lady.” Pan murmured intent on his playing. Artemis scowled sharply at the forest creature.

“I told you not to call me that Pan. Now play something, I’m getting bored.” Artemis snapped. Pan smiled, as brissly as she was he knew she would never harm him or his family.

Getting into position he began lightly strumming the lyre when half way through the first song a nymph walked in and lightly cleared her throat.

“Yes…”Artemis said clearly without looking up from the reflection in the pool.

“The new slayer is here Goddess.” The nymph said, her voice was sensual and warm, Pan made a mental note to find her when the Goddess was better occupied.

“Then send her in Clarissa.” Artemis said sternly, sitting up Pan noticed she adopted her designated ‘Goddess pose’.

“Would you like me to leave Goddess?” Pan asked, staring at the exit where Larissa had disappeared too.

“Yes, go have your fun Pan, ill summon you later when its time to hunt.” Artemis gave a careless toss of her hand and he stood and left without another word.

Artemis looked down at the pool again, watching as the multi colored koi swam through, and when she sensed the slayer she looked up and was startled at what she saw.

She had seen every slayer to exist and many had been beautiful, more so than this blonde girl but when the slight female stood before her Artemis was angered at her loss of words.

The mortal was obviously non religious especially if the way she refused to lower her eyes was any indication. Artemis was both angered and intrigued.

“Is that any way to stare at your goddess slayer?” Artemis snapped, sitting up fully and lightly dipping her feet into the still pool.

“I didn’t mean to offend you. My names Buffy.” Buffy hadn’t the slightest clue how to address this Goddess, she was surprised at the intimidation she felt in the presence of this woman and that made her all the more eager to get it over with.

“You can call me Goddess unless I tell you otherwise. What land do you come from?”

Artemis had a vague recollection that the world had been more thoroughly discovered since the last time the Gods had roamed its lands so when the slayer said something called ‘California’ she wasn’t surprised to find she didn’t know it.

“I am told your death was a particularly honorable one. You’ve done your destiny proud and you’re free to dwell here for as long as it suits you. Tell me, do you enjoy wine?”

Buffy blinked in surprise, she had been around this Goddess for less than ten minutes and was bouncing back and forth between hate and resentment, the Goddess was definitely a far cry from Glory but she still obviously had some superior beliefs of her own worth if those calm, arrogant looks were any indication.

“Yes I do like wine. I would like to know something Goddess.” Buffy said softly.

“What is that?” Artemis found herself distracted by the gently swaying golden hair that fell freely and the odd modern clothes that seemed to cover everything but at the same time hid nothing of the girls figure.

Startled when she realized what she was feeling was attraction Artemis stiffened.

“Why…when I was alive, I was never told that you were patron to slayers?” The mortals expression was nothing but curious but something in it thoroughly enraged Artemis.

“Get out…you know who I am and I know you….now I am generous so take a bottle of wine but be gone from here.” Artemis spat, somewhere in her mind she knew it was foolish to be so angry at a mere human that had done nothing outright to mock her but all she could make out was anger, anger that the blonde could tempt her after eons of celibacy.

Startled Buffy nodded and turned and left, the constant feeling of calm was waning and she quickly decided if heaven was going to stay heavenly she would have to avoid the copper headed goddess with a vengeance.

**************************

Smiling from where he was hidden Apollo looked through the trees to where his sister sat stiffly; looking over at his companion he smiled. “Thank you Cupid, this will work?”
Cupid nodded, his bouncy blonde curls gleaming slightly in the sunlight.

“That is the slayer the oracle spoke of, my arrow wont make her throw herself over in love with the girl, Artemis would notice that but all this will do is…fire up the potential feelings.”

“Thank you nephew.” Apollo smiled at the younger God. Cupid nodded and stepped back.

“Just doing my part, we all want the old Artemis back as much as you do Apollo.”

Apollo wordlessly nodded; secretly he highly doubted that they wanted it as strongly as he did.

TBC
Comments?