Return of the Children of Hephestus

“Hephestus...” shouted Sophitia, raising her sword in the air. Exhausted she lay her nearly broken body onto the ground of the desecrated temple in which she fought her opponent. Her mission of several years ago was finally complete. She had destroyed the sword that almost consumed the world. But more importantly, she had saved her children from that evil. She had proven to the gods of Olympus that as a mother, she was as strong as they were.

“Rothion,” she uttered the name of her beloved husband as images began to fill her tired mind. Images so familiar that may have happened just a few hours ago; The day they met, the day they were married, the day their children were born. My children, she thought. With that she suddenly began to gain strength.

“Pyrrha... Patroklos.” She stood looking into the distance. A heavenly light surrounded her. Tears filled her eyes and flooded down her cheeks. “I'm going home.” She declared. She looked into her sword hand. A calloused and bruised hand held fast the sword of purity in her hand. Soul Caliber. She held it up to the heavenly light and the small sword and circular Athenian shield floated up into the sky.

Pyrrha, now 13 years old, was sweeping the steps of her grandparents bakery. Patroklos, now 15, was gathering wood for the fire to make the daily quota of bread. A few days after their mother left, their tempers were as unpredictable as tempests, but now, only a few months, they were back to their old sleves. Not only that but the shard that they fought over, had vanished, thus subsiding their bickering. Rothion was greatful for the sudden mysterious change. Only, now he prayed his beloved wife would return.

“By the Grace of Zeus,” he would pray, “Please return her alive and well. My Sophitia. My dear, dear wife.”

All of a sudden, he heard a scream. He got up from his prayers and ran to the entrance. It sounded like Pyrrha. When he reached the entrance, both children stared at the horizon, stunned.

“Daddy, look!” Pyrrha pipped, her voice quivering.

He looked. Rothion couldn't believe his eyes. A young woman came walking over the horizon. It was a familiar as the day he met his wife. She walked over from a sunny horizon and they met. His brown eyes gazed into her blue and they instantly fell in love. This time, staggering, her blue eyes, filled with tears, met his brown.

Pyrrha and Patroklos broke into an insane run. Sophitia, recognizing her own two children, bent down to greet them in her arms. She held them fast and sighed in between sobs “Mommy's here, don't worry. You're safe now. My how you've grown.”

Rothion slowly approached. Sophitia stood up. The only time Sophitia ever saw her husband cry was when her children were born. This time, she saw him, red in the eyes with tears. She loved him even more than when they met. Rothion may have been a strong man, but Sophitia always loved his sensativity. After what seemed like ages, she threw her arms around his broad shoulders and they pressed together in a passionate hug.

“I'm home, I'm home.” She sobbed. “I've missed you all.” She nestled herself right into his shoulder and cried. It had been months since she had, but now was as good as any time for a cry.

“I've missed you, too.” Rothion managed to say.

Then there was a tug at Sophitia's skirt. It was Patroklos with very curious blue eyes. “Where's Auntie?” He asked. In sudden horror and realization, Sophitia drew a blank.

“Cassandra...” She breathed. Then a memory came back. Something she had to remember came through as strong as wind in a field of corn.

“Cassandra,” Sophitia said in a familiar temple of Hephestus. “We'll always be sisters.” Sophitia sat beside her younger sister. Sophitia knew her path and that she had to leave. She didn't know whether she would live or die, but she knew, to save her family, she had to go.

“But what if you die?!” sobbed Cassandra. “What if you never come back?”

“Come what may, Cassy, we'll always be together.”

“Tell me.” Cassandra said standing up. “Will you come back?”

Sophitia thought for a minute, then she stood with her sister. “Let's make a promise.” She said. “If we both live after our adventures, when we're all grown up, let's meet here. That way, we'll always be together.”

“Promise.” declared Cassandra. And then, like all the promises they made, they locked pinkies, sealing the deal.

Cassandra stood in front of the gate where the large statue of the God of Fire and Forge was housed. Cassandra looked down at her hands and feet. She had a strong gut feeling that her sister was dead. But in her heart she knew that she was alive. Whether it was the strength of the childhood promise they made or the fact they were lifelong sisters and lifelong friends.

“I know I may ask for a lot,” She said looking up at the statue. “But my only wish is that Sophi-- Sis is alive.” Cassandra let the tears fall. Since the day she stole the sword and shield on the mantle of the very God that was praying to, she knew she had litereally demanded and not asked for a favor from her family's guardian.

The wind started to pick up behind her. Cassandra took her original pose of the child who had learned a valueble lesson.

“Cassandra...” the sound of her name softly brushed past her ears. It's the wind, she thought. But it suddenly grew louder. “Cassandra,” she jumped at this. “Cassandra!” finally she turned around.

“By the Gods...” Cassandra muttered. She couldn't believe her eyes. Sophitia strutted to her younger sister.

“Sophitia!” She ran and met her sister halfway. They threw their arms around each other. “I knew you'd come back! I knew it, I just knew it!”

“Cassandra.” Whispered the elder sister. “I'm sorry I keep disappearing on you. But this time I'm staying.”

“I'm glad.” Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. Then they looked at each other with disbelief. “Look at how much we've changed.”

“Who would've thought, huh?” She said in a ragged voice from sobbing. They started to laugh tearfully. It was true, they have changed and they have learned a lot.

“So,” Cassandra said. “What's for dinner? I'm starving!” The two sisters burst into laughter and Sophitia gave her sister a squeeze for the horrible thing she said.

In the end, they knew they may be older, but nothing in their friendship had changed. They would always be forever in each other's lives. Their adventures led to many things. But after a long journey, they knew, like they promised, they found each other again. And they made their way back to the one place they knew they would see each other again. Home.