Title: Raising Mischief - Payment
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #83 And
Word Count: 1003
Rating: PG13
Summary: Its time for payment of Olympic proportions.
Author's Notes: 13th in the series.

The dinner had been a raging success and after desert and warm milk most of the children were piled in Hestia's bed, in various states of sleep. Many a plush to be seen wrapped in the tiny arms.

Their parents and other gods were gathered in Hestia's sitting room wanting to discuss what they had spied in the mirror and how to deal with it.

"I want to rip out that witch's spleen and feel it to her," Actually came from Cupid his eyes flashing darkly.

"Why not her spine?" Aphrodite asked and for the first time some wondered where Cupid really got his temper from.

"We did that already," Apollo said coldly nodding to Ares. Even Artemis shuddered at her twin's tone only barely imagining what he had done to the monstrous goddess.

Hera held her hand up for silence and found it interesting that the real events of Olympus always happened in Hestia's sitting room and never in Zeus' great meeting hall. The so called king of the gods was mostly left out of the loop.

"Eris is currently in a cave, awaiting punishment from all those that seem fit to descend it upon her. Once she has been punished, cursed, or tortured, whatever is your pleasure she will be cast out into the mortal world powerless but immortal until Erin is of age."

"Was that your punishment for her?" Poseidon asked.

"That and she is no longer my daughter, she will never be part of the council of 12. And she is ranked below Erin in the house of war, in whatever position Ares sees fit to give her whenever she returns."

"Camp follower?" Hermes muttered darkly.

"Does everyone wish to apply a punishment on Eris?"

The unanimous roar of yes warmed Hera's heart. Erin had only been around these gods less than a few hours, most of which he spent with Ares and Cupid but he had won everyone over.

"My punishment is simple. I want her in my realm for four months," Hades said. "I will make her wish she never existed."

The gods all turned to Hera knowing that Hades had perfected his torture styles as lord of the dead. Punishing those mortals who had lived horrible lives. And not being able to have any of his own, those who harmed children had an eternity of horrors awaiting them.

Those children in the fields who had parents who were amoral fiends had no memory of them, and all saw him as their Uncle Hades. It was one of his joys in caring for the dead. That and sometimes introducing a child to a mother who had passed in childbirth when the child had lived. It was a setup that worked well for both parties.

"What about Zeus' law?" Athena asked.

"Well if the old goat had been paying attention we would have known much sooner. Besides his ban is on harming a god, there is nothing about harming some stray immortal bastard of his," Ares stated icily.

"I know exactly what her punishment will be," Aphrodite said with grim determination. "Hera, please take me to my supposed half sister."

"We will return shortly," Hera said taking to love goddess hand. They appeared on the outside of the cave and Hera nodded towards the entrance.

Aphrodite noticed the odd look Hera was giving her and smiled. "You can come too, its nothing icky."

Entering the cave Aphrodite spotted Eris laying in the corner on a stone slab her body a mass of bruises and cuts. She looked more horrible then the goddess had ever seen her.

Eris opened her one good eye and let out a rasping laugh. "You? Please."

"Oh don't worry I'm just the first of many," Aphrodite said with a sadistic smile. "Eris, former goddess of discord, future goddess of discord, you will bring Ares his greatest gift. Eternal love and your godhood will have no effect on it whatsoever."

Aphrodite ignored her confused looked and nodded to Hera and they vanished. They did not instantly reappear in Hestia's room instead they were in one of Hera's gardens.

"What was that?" Hera asked.

"She is discord, knowing she brought Ares peace through eternal love will eat her up every time she sees it. It will drive her mad. She drives away all his lovers through her godhood one way or the other. She tried it on me. I know we are not meant to be, but we have such adorable babies. So stop trying to get him to marry. It won't be until after Eris regains her godhood."

"So you're a fate now?" Hera asked with an arched brow.

"Ever wonder about that whole sea foam deal? Direct delivery from chaos, I was hoping to be adopted by that sweetie 'don, but not everything works out that way. I am not a fate, I can't see anything outside of love. I'll let you in on one secret though. Cupie and Erin are going to be adorable."

"Cupid and Erin!"

"Shhhhh…just watch for it, you can see it a little now, let's go back before they start wondering."

They appeared then back in Hestia's sitting room where many of the gods seemed to be in conference with each other discussing their punishments it would seem if the massive amounts of violent gestures were anything to go by.

"Some of us have decided to punish Eris from afar. She can get a few surprises," Demeter said coldly, her anger twofold due to a time Eris had bowled over a strolling Persephone enough that she had to be taken to Apollo and Zeus had ignored her request to punish the goddess.

"That is fine, the rest of you form a line," Hera's eyes widened when she noticed the line was about 15 gods long. Whoever had said the gods couldn't stand united had never seen the power of a common enemy. She now believed that Eris' stay in the mortal realm would be the least of her problems.

Big Damn Table