By kirasmommy

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns the Lost souls and the mermaid lore. and others own everything else, only I am insane enough to write this story for no good reason. And of course I make no money off this (who would pay for this?)

Strife awoke with the first ray of light in the morning and looked over at Cupid. He closed his eyes. *Should I wake him before I leave or just leave?* He thought as he got out of the bed. He looked down at his clothes and decided against them immediately instead he concentrated on the Armor that he would need today. When he felt them appear on his body he looked at Cupid again. *I wish we had talked about this last night.* He walked around a little trying to get use to the heavy weight. *Maybe it's not to late to talk to him about today.* He started toward the bed when he heard the noise in the other room.

Cupid stirred and sat up."Strife where are you going?"

Before he could answer a giant man in battle armor stumbled in. "Strife we gotta go man, it's almost time."

Cupid covered himself with the sheet and looked at Strife pointedly.

Strife gestured at the burly man who was obviously suffering from a hangover and said "Cupid I'd like to introduce you to Terror, Terror this is Cupid."

"Cupid ay god of mush or something?" said Terror trying to focus blood shot eyes.

Strife tried not to smile, "Yeah something like that, Try Love pal."

"Whatever, has nothing to do with me, anyway, we gotta go bud. The others are waiting, it's supposed to be bad we got the whole squad out on this one."

"Everyone?" Asked Strife closing his eyes. *Oh no it must be bad if Uncle Ares has called in all of us.*

"Strife what is going on? Where are you going? Talk to me." Asked Cupid as his clothes went in place.

Strife turned to Terror as the big guy was scratching the inside of his ear with his pinky. "How much time do I have?"

"Not much little dude ya better hurry, and hey don't get going on the snugglebunnies okay we don't have the time and you don't need the distraction." He weaved out of the door.

Strife turned back to Cupid who was waiting with his arms crossed, "Well?"

"It's War, I need to go help and from the sound of it, it's going to be a rough one."

"Why do you need to go? You aren't the god of war."

"No, I'm not but I am a part of his army."

"Army? I didn't even realize he had an army, who all is a part of this so called army?" Cupid was getting a little snippy and Strife couldn't help but turn away and smile *If he sees me smiling he's going to go ballistic, but he's so cute when he's mad.*

"Well if you must know there's Ares of course, my mom, me, Enyo she's a minor goddess of war and I think she's related somehow I forget, anyway, there's Terror and don't worry by the time the battle starts he will be fine. Then there is Trembling and Panic."

"Why don't you tell me what all this is about. What war and why do a bunch of immortals need to get involved.?"

Strife took a deep breath and sat down "Ares found out that these guys were planning on starting a war, That's fine with him but the thing was they were planning on using a secret weapon and that he didn't like so he started helping the other side to find out what was going on. Come to find out they are playing with immortality."

"How can that be? Everything that could give immortality is closely guarded."

"Not everything. Have you ever heard of mermaids?"

"A little, weren't they part of an experiment by the sea god?"

"Yeah and the experiment failed...horribly, but the problem is that not only are they immortal, if a mortal eats of their flesh there is a slim possiblity that the mortal will become immortal. The thing is it is a terrible poison if it doesn't make you immortal it kills you or turns you into a monster."

Cupid looked horrified, "Isn't that a terrible risk?"

"For some mortals no risk is too great and besides the ones that are turning into a monster are being used as weapons."

"That's horrible!"

"Yes and that is why we have to get involved, now I really have to go."

"I want to go too."

"NO...no you can't."

"And why not!"

"Listen you are the god of Love you don't have the right disposition to attend this please don't take offense but this kind of thing can ruin someone. Please stay here or go make couples happy and horny."

Cupid smiled. "You better go, Terror is waiting." *I will go where I please*

"You're right see ya dude." *He never promised did he?*

Everyone met before going to the battlefield and they recieved their assignments. Ares noticed that Strife looked distracted and called him to his side.

Terror snickered and elbowed Trembling. "Ay Trembles I told the little dude no snugglebunnies didn't I? Do ya think he will get clobbered."

The much thinner, lanky Trembling rubbed his arm. "How should I know you drunken sot? I don't think he will though."

Panic looked around with a manic look in his eye as he fingered the contents of his bag. "Enough talk," he hissed. "It's time to spread fear amoung our enemies."

Trembling and Terror looked at each other. "Oh yeah I'd say he's lost it," said Terror.

"You owe me 5 dinars," said Trembling with his hand out.

Panic smiled used to the ribbing.

Ares put his arm around Strife's shoulder. "What's up?"

"Cupid, I think he's planning on showing up and I don't want him to see us fight."

"It's a free world kid you can't stop him and it's no secret what war is like."

"Knowing and seeing is two different things."

"True, very true, but we have a job to do and I need to have you focused, things are bad out there. Tell you what I will take full responsibility for what happens today, If he gets to huffy with you, you send him to me and I will deal with him."

"Unk that's a nice offer but it's my responsibility"

Ares smiled. "Good boy, now we need to go."

They appeared in the middle of a battle that was already being waged and was almost lost. Everyone plunged in. Panic ran ahead of everyone throwing things in front of him, and screaming a death cry all the while. Anyone hit shrieked themselves and either fled or died of fright. Terror towered over all that was fighting and even though he carried a sword would occasionally reach down and tear a human limb from limb with a howl. Then toss the parts over his shoulder, any around him at that time would run as fast as they could. Trembling was making short work of the humans in his area concentrating all his effort into cutting off everyone's head as he had been instructed to. Enyo did as well as did Ares. Eris threw her apples and tried to destroy her new enemies by having them fight one another. Strife held a battle ax in his hands and went about his work methodically keeping the look out all the while for the ones that Ares had termed the 'Lost Souls' the unfortunate people who did not gain immortality as a humun but as a monster.

As the tide was starting to turn they heard a horn in the distance and all of their enemies fled to higher ground and away from the battle scene, The seven gods and goddesses ran up to each other and formed a circle as the monsters were released from their restraints, These creatures would destroy any in their path enemy or former friend.

As the creatures attacked they fought as hard as they could, The creatures were actually trying to eat them, eat them alive, and managed to grab Trembling trying to swallow his arm.

"Trembles NO!" Terror jumped up and grabbed the lanky god and pulled down with all his might. Trembling broke free but his arm was torn to shreds and in places you could see bone. Still he fought on but Terror kept him closer to help protect his back. Strife was cuffed by one of the sharp claws and felt the blood pouring into his eyes. He stumbled back up and slashed with his ax, it struck home, cutting the spinal cord and it was enough to kill that particular lost soul. Ares and Enyo were double teaming another as Panic and Eris kept another unbalanced. There was four in all and Terror and Trembling was keeping one at bay. That left one who decided that Strife was on the menu tonight. He backed up to a wall hoping that would protect him from sneak attack but he was tired and his wounds were getting worse. He monster that was once human cuffed him and Strife was hard put to get up again even as it tried to swallow his leg chewing it and breaking it in many places. *Great this is how I die? Eaten by an overgrown fish monster?*

Whizz whizz pause whizz.

The monster shrieked and dropped the young god and turned around to face his new assailent that stood too far away for an easy grab, as the creature lumbered away. Strife saw arrows sticking out of his back. *Whaat?* He forced himself to get up and before the creature could gain the advantage sliced through it's spinal cord severing his head. As it fell he saw Cupid standing on the other side and in the distance Aphrodite. Ares and Enyo put down their lost soul and went to help Eris and Panic as finally Terror jumped on his opponent's back and ripped his head off with his bare hands.

Strife fell to his knees and Cupid ran up to him and started binding his wounds. Soon the last Lost Soul was dead and they looked around. Everyone was gone, they had escaped during the fight.

Aphrodite came down and wrinkled her nose "EWWW Grody!"

Ares smiled "Well who invited you?"

She said "humfph! Any way Cupid wanted to help so Hep gave him proper armor and weapons and I brought him. It's sure not my idea of fun believe you me."

"You actually brought Cupid to a fight?" Asked Ares amazed.

"Hey it's a learning experience and in case you have forgotten I did show up to a couple of your wars in the past."

"Point taken." Holding his hands up in surrender. Sometimes a lover had to know that the person they love was alright no matter the circumstances.

Cupid helped Strife stand as he walked to Ares and the others.

Ares looked around and said. "I'm sorry to say that this isn't over we won the battle not the war. They escaped with the mermaid's body or at least what is left of it. As you found out these monsters are difficult to destroy and it must be done in a certain way. Otherwise they are immortal. We have to get the mermaid's flesh away from them and destroy any and all immortals that have been made from it. But for tonight go home. Terror, Trembles, Panic you stay with Strife again. We have no idea when we will have our next break."

Strife turned to Cupid. "Thanks for being here, you saved me."

"Do you understand now that I'm not the delicate creature that poetry makes me out to be? That I am not going to wimp out?"

"I never said you were a wimp." He said with a smile. "Umm could you help me home?"

"Sure if it's to my home."

Strife smiled and said "Sure."

THE END

E-mail the author at kira@q-com.com