"Mmm. So he had to return the game. Ah well." - Said Lucas, shrugging as she quietly - having made sure no one would notice it - sent the stuff Ricky had given Julian back to Ricky's room.
"Somehow I don't think a game will be high on Ricky's priorities at the moment." - Said Venus.
"Yeah, yeah. I wonder if Ricky and Anne will hit it off?" - Said Lucas.
"The angel wants to play cupid, now? These are my domains..." - Said Venus, smirking - "And I'm not telling you if they will get together."
"Eh, what the hell. I can't really do much for THAT one thing. Maybe if Anne changes, but that's neither here nor there."
Selene appeared, looking as if a huge weight had been pulled off of her shoulders.
"They're okay... The girls are okay." - She smiled, looking glad, but very tired.
"Neruite, if you were this worried, I could have tried to..." - Lucas began.
"Lucas, you were supposed to rest. And don't think I don't know you went around dealing with other stuff after Venus showed you the nature of your sword..." - Said Neruite.
"My fault on that one, sister. I got her involved..." - Said Venus.
"Plus it was... mostly fun... The Julian thing, at least, is a blast. Jeff... I'll see what happens." - Said Lucas.
"Yes, well, I still got Hermes to get the laurel leaves needed to save Lilly so as to allow Lucas to take some time off." - Said Selene - "Here they are." - She produced a small pouch - "Burn them at the time of the battle, so as to allow others to see the Enemy."
Lucas nodded. - "Right, Hermes told me as much. So, Shi's help, the leaves, my own help and Tiffany's... That should solve it. Tomorrow I'll go make the last moves..."
"Don't get cocky." - Said Venus - "You made her fate flexible. If you get careless it might be for naught."
"Relax. I'm also preparing some of my own stuff for when the battle does come..." - Said Lucas, smiling - "I gotta go now... I'll talk to Max about something..." - Lucas blushed.
"About your sword." - Said Venus.
Lucas nodded.
"I'll be back soonish." - She left.
"Hey, Maxwell..." - Said Lucas, blushing.
"Why, child, hello... What troubles you?" - Said Maxwell, gently.
"I, er... Found out more about my sword. It's not troublesome, it's just... Uhm, first of all, and please don't take this as mockery, it isn't, you believe that, two thousand years ago, the Son of God came down to the Earth, got killed and resurrected, right?"
Maxwell chuckled.
"You glazed over some bits, child, but, essentially, yes. What is it that you want to tell me that you find so unbelievable?"
"Well... You know Venus, right? Tall, beautiful, goddess of all women, also a planet with major greenhouse effect issues..."
"I met her at your party, child. As I also talked to Celine, or Selene, or, per your choice of names, Neruite..." - Said Maxwell, patiently - "Do go on."
"Well... She's the Lady of the Lake... In... Arthurian legend." - Said Lucas.
"You mean to say your sword is Excalibur." - Said Maxwell.
Lucas blushed crimson and nodded. Maxwell went on
"And you somehow assumed that I would be in a position to disbelieve you? Lucas, quite frankly, it makes perfect sense. If your sword is one with power over fate, a king that wielded it would naturally use it to improve its kingdom..."
"There's more." - Said Lucas - "Venus showed me how it was created... Venus showed me the element that made it... The... The way life on Earth was created, too. I will tell you..." - Said Lucas - "I will tell you all about it... Maxwell... You know what is one of my worst fears?"
"Aside from losing your freedom, I assume..." - Said Maxwell.
Lucas nodded.
"Waking up one day in a cushioned room and finding out that these events were just a psychotic episode."
