Aphrodite's story

Note: This story contains a flashback\*

## Summary

After Alex and the others see a movie, she asks Aphrodite how she became the person she is today. We learn how Aphrodite met Alex, how she and her sisters became part of her team, and how her cousin's attack on the sisters led to them finding out he betrayed them and allied with the fake realm guy. All this unfolds in **Aphrodite's story.**

## Characters

* Alex
* Aphrodite
* Athena
* Demeter
* Anubis
* Aphrodite, Athena, Cleo and Demeter's parents (seen in flashback only)
* Anubis's parents
* Fake realm guy
* Calisto
* Wolfren Army
* Calisto
* Caliato's parents (seen in both flashback and reality)
* Murphy
* Wildflower

## Murphy’s POV

“So did y’all enjoy the horror dramedy *Night of the Nuclear zombie chess pieces*?” I ask.

”We sure did.” Alex replies. The five of us (Me, Alex, Eclipse, Wildflower and Shay) flop onto the couch.

”Ooh the part where Hank pours Fanta soda onto the bigger chess piece and it vomits rainbows is the funny one!” Shay says as her wife hands her her daughter which she cradles in both arms, as the child reaches for her and coos softly. Shay nuzzles her nose against the little Wolfren pup’s face and gently kisses her forehead.

”So Aphrodite...” Shay says. “How did you become who you are now?”

”Well...” she says. “Here’s how it all began...”

## Flashback: Aphrodite's story

#### **Aphrodite’s POV**

**7 years ago**

A long time ago, my family lived somewhat peacefully, where my aunt and uncle along with my cousins lived together in one very big hut-house hybrid. Life was somewhat good aside from a rocky relationship between my cousin Anubis, my fraternal twin sister Athena and younger sister Cleo. Whenever the two of them disagreed or she objected to him pushing her around almost *all the time,* it would spark his anger...and believe me, you *do not want* to be around this guy when he’s angry. Anyone unlucky enough to provoke Anubis would get beaten to a pulp. So whenever Athena wouldn’t listen to Anubis’s ridiculous requests that she do everything for him, it would result in bloody fights where his older sister Artemis would have to break everyone up. Both siblings were treated equally by my aunt and uncle, but both are widely recognised as the greatest artists ever which got them a lot of money. Artemis stayed humble, but unfortunately, all the fame got to her brother’s head. Whereas Artemis chose to create her own works of art and do things benefiting others, Anubis developed a big ego and was spoiled rotten with little (if any) empathy. He considered us lower than him. My aunt noticed this and tried to teach him to treat others the way you want to be treated, but he rudely brushed her off. As for my uncle, whenever Anubis would do something that bothered me and my sisters, or almost injure them, my uncle would ignore it and lecture us about that “Don’t be so sensitive. He’s just a kid. He’ll grow out of it.” or “Don’t be a tattletale.” crap. Every time he did it, thoughts of me finally aiming a bow and arrow at Anubis' disgusting face flashed through my mind. That's how bad he was, and it foreshadowed his descent into the evil entitled a\*\*hole he is today. Even his sister was sick of his antics.

One evening mom and I are cooking dinner when Athena walks in. She’s been acting weird lately. Every time we talk to her about what’s wrong, she brushes it off as nothing. I hear crying at 4AM. She has scratches and bruises on her face, neck, and legs.

Something is up here. I need to know what it is.

That night, I listened closely for signs of distress. I sneak out of my room and use a one way portal to see what’s going on in Anubis’ room, along with a hidden video camera to record evidence. He can’t see me or the portal, but I can see both of them clear as day.

“No...please don’t hurt me, I didn’t *do* anything!” Athena pleads. Anubis ignores her.

“Oh Athena...what a coward you are.” Anubis drawls. “If you hadn’t disagreed with me, I wouldn’t have beat you to a pulp, but here we are…”

“NO!!” Athena screams, but with one snap of Anbuis’ fingers, a tendril of magic appears in the air, curls like a whip, and strikes Athena’s mid back, leaving a bloody gash.

No.

This is not happening.

Anger burns through me. I crash into his room. “TRAITOR!! You DARE hurt my *sister?!”* I growl.

“Oh, but I was simply trying to teach your stupid sister a lesson. I’m the boss here..”

“You’re no boss.” I hiss. “You are a *despicable monster* for treating me and my sisters the way you are.”

He flicks his wrist, attempting to hurt me, but I tear gas him before he can do more damage. I run over to Athena and lift up her weakened body. I feel for a pulse. It’s there, but irregular.

“Call the guardians.” She says weakly. “Call our parents. Call Alex’s parents. Alex herself. Sunset, Griff and Mabel. Maybe Calisto of the Wolfren tribe. We need all the help we can get before Anubis does more damage...and possibly kills someone. And I...need a medic. Perhaps ask mom for a healing potion...quickly…” She passes out in my arms.

I have to warn them before everything gets bad.

I sneak into the living room, grab my phone and call Alex’s parents. The first to answer are both Alex and her mom. When I speak, I stutter.

“H-Hello...I-I have a problem here….”

“We’re here Aphrodite. What is it?” Alex asks.

The sound of her voice gives me confidence and hope, and I spill the beans. Tell them *everything.*

“M-my cousin Anubis...you know him, right?”

“Yep.” Mae replies. “He causes so much trouble.”

“He...He attacked my sister Athena. Hurt her badly enough to the point where her injuries caused significant blood loss...He said he wanted to teach her a ‘lesson’. He called her a freak. Whipped her. Said she...was never meant to...e-exist.”

My voice breaks. I cry in mom’s arms.

“Hestia…” Alex says. “Anubis...is allied with the fake realm guy. I dunno if you knew, but he’s already close to evil, judging by the way your sister and her partner, his parents treat him.”

“I have to warn them.” I say. “It’s the only way to protect all of us…”

I wake Anubis’ and Artemis’ parents and show them the video footage. Both are outraged. Once they find Anubis, he has already woken from the combination of tear gas and sleeping gas.

My voice breaks. I cry in mom’s arms.

“Hestia…” Alex says. “Anubis...is allied with the fake realm guy. I dunno if you knew, but he’s already close to evil, judging by the way your sister and her partner, his parents treat him.”

I wake Anubis’ and Artemis’ parents and show them the video footage. Both are outraged. Once they find Anubis, he has already woken from the combination of tear gas and sleeping gas.

“Hey!” he says weakly. He attempts to strangle me but I shove him off. “You drugged me!”

“And *you* nearly *killed* Athena.” mom says.

“How could you *do* such a thing. Anubis??” my aunt says. “And we thought I could teach you to treat others kindly and you do *this?!”*

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, well you can’t change me.” he says. “So bow down to me or the realm guy or--”

“You *betrayed us.”* Alex says, teleporting into the room with her parents. “Mother, what is the verdict for this?”

“The only logical solution here is to kick him out of the realm, but not before we strip him of his magic and gem so he won’t be a danger to other worlds.” Mae says.

“You may only be 9 years old, but let’s see how well you can open the portal and kick him out.”

Some time later, as the sky turns the color of a dying phoenix, Alex and I drag Anubis across the bridge to the portal entrance as he tries to plead with us.

We ignore him. “Honestly, this is just going to make my aunt and uncle become known as the family of the realm’s second most dangerous criminal, but it’s on them that they didn’t prevent this from happening.”

“No no noooooooooo don’t do this to me!” Anubis screeches. Alex snaps her fingers. His body glows in a blinding flash, and after the light dissipates, his gem is gone. He flicks his wrist, but nothing happens.

“Alex.” I say. “You did it.”

“Now it’s time to kick him out...*forever.”* she says.

“Hey.” I say. “Alex, Mae, thanks for saving my life...and my sister’s and potentially my entire family.”

“No problem.” they both reply.

End

**Back to reality: Alex’s POV**

“So you’ve been saving people’s lives since you were a kid?” Murphy says. “That’s amazing.”

“That’s because my parents believed in me. They knew I had the heart to be a guardian.” I say.

“Also I’m sorry your family had to live with so much trouble.” Murphy says, facing Aphrodite. “They should’ve known who they were dealing with, but you saved them. Both you and Alex.”

“It was worth it.” Aphrodite says. “If we hadn’t kicked him out, our world would’ve been a completely different place.”

"Thank you." Murphy says, hugging both of us. "Without you guys, we wouldn't be who we are today."

The End (of the story)