Disclaimer: The Xenaverse is owned by Renaissance/Universal, created by Rob Tapert.

No profit is being made from this writing. It is written for the enjoyment of those who wish to smile.

 Summary: Aphrodite tries to cheer up Celesta with a Girls Night.

Rating PG - Humour

Enjoy!

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SLUMBER PARTY

 

A gentle white glow encompassed her, besides the stars, she was the only illumination in this dark moonless night. She floated above the ground, though her spirit felt far from elevated. Her head down, her Eternal Flame feeling a burden rather than a light. A flash of golden pink sparkles caught her attention and she turned to it.

"Someone's not happy."

Celesta tried to smile as she descended slowly. "Aphrodite."

The Goddess of Love took Death's warm hand. "I know just what you need."

Again Celesta tried her luck at a smile, though it didn't work very well. "I can't," she said. "I have duties I must-"

"They can wait. You are in so dire need of a pick-me-up."

This time Celesta managed a small smile.

"There you go. Come with me."

"I can't, Aphrodi-"

Ignoring Celesta's protest, the Goddess of Love clicked. In a shower of white and golden pink sparkles they both vanished.

And appeared in a flash in a warm, well lit Temple.

"This one's my favorite," Aphrodite said, her pink see through mesh gown trailing behind her as she twirled, the golden threads of her pink skin tight costume shimmering in the warm light.

"Aphrodite, I can't, I-"

"Relax, Cel ... The world's not gonna fall apart."

"Hades'll-"

"Your brother's not gonna chuck a wobbly if you take one night off."

Celesta chuckled softly. "You think it'll be all right?"

"Gee, stop worrying! If you were mortal you'd be grey by now! Sure, Darl, It'll be fine, and if he does get mad - hey it was all my fault. Deal?"

Death smiled again. "Deal. Is it all right if I put this-"

"Sure, Hon, it'll be safe here. Closed Temple."

Celesta placed her long candle down and flexed her elegant fingers. "Feels strange ..."

"I don't know how you can hold that all day 'n night long."

Celesta smiled. "It's part of me as I am part of it, though it's nice to set Qui down on occasion."

Aphrodite gave her a look. "You named your candle?"

Celesta nodded. "My life is a lonely one ... If it wasn't for Hades..." Celesta shook her head. "I ... I would have died long ago."

"Hey, don't talk like that."

Celesta gave a sad smile, her chestnut eyes longing, full of pain. "The mortals despise me ... You don't know how hard it is to feel their pain, losing loved ones ... Though I have no choice, and I understand their words of sorrow and anger..."

Aphrodite looked sympathetic. "Gees, Hon, I never knew you had it so hard ... Mortals can be very difficult ... Talk about them gettin' to love each other with Ares gettin' them to hate 'n' kill everything that moves."

"My brother complains that Ares works him too hard..."

Aphrodite giggled.

"I guess we both have it pretty tough," Celesta said, managing a small smile, which didn't survive long.

"They don't hate you, you know. Mortals. Death's a scary thing for them. They like don't understand it like you do and they lash out."

Celesta nodded. "You do understand."

"Hey, I may act like a ditz, doesn't mean I am one."

"I didn't mean it that way, I-"

"Lighten up!" Aphrodite said. "Everything's so serious with you! I mean you've got a serious job and all, but that doesn't mean you don't deserve to have fun."

Celesta managed another small smile.

Aphrodite grinned, Death couldn't help feeling a tad nervous as the Goddess of Love flicked her fingers. A plate appeared in her hand. "Chocolate. Food of the Gods, you know."

Celesta gave an embarrassed smile. "I ... I ... uh ... never tried it."

"**What??!!** My Gods, Girl! You so don't know what you're missin'! Never tried chocolate?" Aphrodite shook her head in disbelief. "Where does Hades keep you?"

Celesta chuckled softly. "It's not his fault, I guess he has other things on his mind."

"Well allow me to enlighten you, Babe. Try some, you'll love it."

Celesta looked at the delicate pieces and began to smile slightly as she nibbled pieces of chocolate. She flinched a little when she bit into the dark piece.

"That one's kinda bitter. Each to her own."

"I like the white and milk," Celesta said.

"Have some more. Which one do you want?"

"Ummmm ... Both?"

"Whoo hoo! Now you're talkin', Girl!"

The Spirit of Death smiled as she took some more chocolate, as did the Goddess of love.

"This is really lovely," Celesta said. "I wonder if Hades has tried it?"

"Bet he's got a secret stash."

Celesta laughed.

It wasn't long before depression seemed to overcome Death again.

"I know chocolate won't solve all your problems," Aphrodite said, "but it sure as Hades helps."

Celesta smiled.

Another pause followed.

"Aha! I know just what you need!"

Aphrodite flicked her fingers, she and Celesta appeared naked in a warm bath of bubbles.

"Bubble therapy..." The Goddess of Love sat back.

Celesta looked around in wonder. "You know so much about these things..."

"Being Goddess of Love has its perks."

Celesta blew some of the bubbles, and smiled as they flew through the air like tiny angels.

Aphrodite untied her light bouncy hair and shook it free.

"Nothin' like relaxing in a hot tub ..."

"It feels wonderful ..." Celesta relaxed, the warm waters, soothing her body.

Aphrodite poured in a bottle of milk, then used her powers to fill it again and drank some, wiping the white moustache from her lips as she handed the bottle to Celesta. "Goat's milk, fresh as you'll get."

The Spirit of Death took the elegant etched bottle from her, and drank some.

"It's ... delicious ..." She drank some more.

"Don't tell me you've never had milk before."

"Well from my mother, but I can't remember that. Hades doesn't really indulge all that much. He-"

"Tell your brother he has *got* to get out more."

Celesta smiled. "He does on occasion, sometimes just to watch the ocean or the sky, or even the trees." Death sighed. "He's a wonderful person, 'Dite, don't take him the wrong way... He just takes his duties seriously, not that you don't, mind you ... Just that he ... he... Sometimes he has trouble showing his feelings."

The Goddess of Love smiled. "That's so sweet ..." She began to wash Celesta's hair, Death closing her eyes at the gentle touch.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Aphrodite smiled. "De Nada."

When the two Goddesses were sufficiently relaxed and dry, Aphrodite looked Celesta right in the eye. "Mmm ... Aha!"

Death felt a tad nervous.

"Look at me," Aphrodite said, Celesta doing as she was asked. "Uhuh ... Yeh! I c'n make this work. Close your eyes."

Celesta obeyed and felt Aphrodite's hands gently comb through her soft dark brown hair.

"There," she said after a few moments. "Done. If you don't like it, don't kill me, we can change it. Go look in a mirror."

"Do I want to?"

"Hey, be brave, Girl."

Celesta giggled as she turned and stared, looking at her newly blonde straightened hair. "Wow, you work fast..."

"You look good as a blonde. Let's try something else." Glittering light emanated from Aphrodite's fingers.

Celesta looked in the mirror again, and gasped as she stared, though not an unpleasant shock as she looked at her green and purple wavy hair and she giggled. "This is wonderful..." Death excitedly toyed with her hair.

Aphrodite smiled. "Come here a second." She lightly touched Celesta's face. "There ... much better." She held up a small mirror, showing the color in Death's cheeks.

"It does look a lot better, doesn't it ... I ... I never had a ... makeover before..."

Both girls smiled.

"You're a beautiful woman, Cel. You should take better care of yourself..." Aphrodite mock scalded.

Celesta gave a guilty smile. "I should."

Aphrodite made her own hair bright red and smirked. "It's so fun to experiment! Now what else? Oh yeah!"

The fingers snapped again, both girls appearing in pink and gold laced two piece pyjamas. "Hey, slumber party!" Aphrodite exclaimed as she fell back onto the soft bed, Celesta climbed on, joining her. "Thank you, 'Dite. I'm having a wonderful time."

The other smiled. "Hey, my pleasure. I'm glad.

"You're so full of life. I ... I always wished I could be more ... spontaneous, but when I try, it just ... doesn't work."

"That's why. You try too hard, it just happens. Y' know, spur of the moment thing."

Celesta looked around and gave a smirk as she turned half of the flowers in the Temple shades of purple.

"Hey, nice touch! Who says you can't be spontaneous?"

Celesta giggled. "I'll change them back if you don't like-"

"Cel, stop second guessing yourself and besides, I love purple ... So now ..." Aphrodite leaned closer. "Tell me the most embarrassing thing about your brother."

Celesta gasped. "He'll send me to Tartarus!"

"No he wont. Spill!"

"Only if you tell me the most embarrassing thing about Hephaestos."

"Oo. You're learning to bargain."

Celesta smiled. "You first."

"Hey! I asked you first."

Death looked at Aphrodite expectantly.

"Ohh... all right, Miss Death, you win..." Love smiled. "Well Hephy... let's see..."

"Hephy?"

"Hey, don't ever tell him I told you that, he'll send *me* to Tartarus!"

Celesta giggled.

"Heph ... You know he's so gentle when he kisses me..."

Celesta looked genuinely surprised. "Hephaestos, gentle? Who would've figured?"

"Well when he's not whirling chains and hurling tomahawks, trying to prove how big it is, that is ... I love it when he lets me play with his dreadlocks..."

"Ohh, that's soooo sweet! ..."

"The way he holds me is just ..." Aphrodite sighed.

Celesta smiled.

"And he forged special goblets just for him and me, etched with the stories of the Gods ... stole ancient purple wine from Dionysos and picked crimson roses from Gaia's Garden..."

"Gaia's Garden ... That's forbidden, even for the Gods..."

Aphrodite looked as though she was in a galaxy far, far away. "I know..."

"Never figured Hephaestos as a romantic."

Aphrodite sighed again. "Only with me."

Death smiled once more.

"Your turn, spill the lima beans."

Celesta looked a tad nervous. "Well ... sometimes Hadie..."

"Hadie?"

"Shh!"

They both shared a quiet giggle.

"I like the way he holds me too.."

"Eww. He's your brother!"

Celesta gently whacked Aphrodite with the nearest veil. "It's not like that," she said with a smile. "I get ... upset sometimes ... and once he just held me for hours, neglecting his duties, his realm, just to comfort me..." Celesta wiped a tear away.

Aphrodite tried not to look moved, but failed. "Shucks ...Never figured Death Boy to be the sentimental type ..."

Celesta smiled. "He's so kind ... I've seen him playing with children in the Elysian Fields..."

"Really? Wow, didn't think he was allowed to do that..."

"He's not, but he does anyway. 'What harm can it do?' he always says. He's such a sweetie. And you should see Snow Crystal..."

Aphrodite gave an inquisitive look.

The Goddess of Death smiled. "Hades' kitten."

"Kitten?" Aphrodite looked excited. "Tell me more."

"Poor thing was run over by a chariot during the Olympic Games ... I'd come to take the soul of one of the contenders, or so I thought, which is so often the case, especially in the fencing tournaments, but I'd felt the spirit of this tiny little kitten, and I saw her die," Celesta looked sad. "Wasn't pretty ... I took her spirit back to the Underworld ... Hades usually sends animals to their own special Underworld. When I brought her to his castle, he tried to scald me, but when he saw the tiny white bundle of fluff and she mewed, he just melted."

Aphrodite giggled. "Awww... Hard to imagine Hade goin' all ga-ga over a little kitty."

Celesta laughed softly. "Oh, but he did, and you should've seen him, letting her bite and lick his fingers ... She has great fun with his crown when he leaves it about."

Aphrodite laughed. "That I gotta see!"

Celesta smiled. "Wish I could show you ... He's so gentle with her, the way he strokes her, she the way she rubs her little head against him ... She's so tiny... She fell asleep in his hand one time."

"Ohhhwwwhhwhhw ... That is sooooo cute!!!" Aphrodite bit her lip trying to imagine it.

"He calls her snowi for short. Even Cerberus likes her."

"I'm seeing Hade in a whole new light."

Death smiled again. "And I never imagined Hephaestos to be lovable."

Both girls laughed.

"Pillow fight?"

Death giggled. "Usually, like my brother, I deplore senseless violence, but hey, what the Hades?"

Aphrodite fell back to her bed and hollered as she clutched an orange pillow.

Celesta grabbed her own defense, a dark purple number.

"Engarde!"

'Dite laughed, as the two clashed, each madly trying to gain the upper hand, neither giving an inch or quarter as pillows relentlessly slammed into one and other, in this colossal battle between the Gods.

Celesta slipped, and lost grip on her weapon, though grabbed it in the nick of time as Aphrodite attacked. Celesta blocked her and almost got the better of her opponent, but the Goddess of Love recovered. Death blocked the next blow, determined not to lose the battle ...

Exhausted, covered in white feathers, Death and Love flopped down on the bed, their deflated defences lying rumpled on the floor as they caught their breath, laughing, an abundance of feathers covering themselves, the bed and the floor.

Although the two girls tried desperately, for the love of Hades, could not stop laughing.

Aphrodite giggled as she ruffled her blonde again hair, expelling wayward feathers.

Finally, Celesta caught her breath. "That was invigorating! ...Thanks..." she said smiling, as Aphrodite plucked some fathers from her colorful hair.

"Hey, my pleasure, Girlfriend. And thank *you.* I haven't had so much fun since Eros stole Cupid's arrows ..."

Celesta smiled, sprinkling some feathers about. "Who ... whoever thought wanton violence could be so much fun..." She began to laugh again. "Who won?"

"I ... I think we both did."

The girls squealed with laughter, cut short by a bright flash appearing in the Temple.

Aphrodite looked cranky. "Ares, this is a girls night. You're not invited. Get lo..." She turned. "Oh ... hi ...Hades..."

Celesta's smile faded as she turned to face her brother, her stomach tightening.

"I've been looking for you." Hades glanced at Celesta, then glared at Aphrodite. "And the meaning of this?" He gestured to blankets, pillows, feathers, water, bottles and jars of all sorts and colors, strewn, wayward all over the floor.

"Oh, is that all? You're here to ask me to tidy my room? Sure, done, Babe." Aphrodite flicked her fingers, all was in place once more and Celesta, clad in her pristine white dress, her hair, rich chocolate brown.

"There, happy? Nice and tidy." Aphrodite smiled. "No harm, no foul, right?"

"You and I both know that's not what I meant. My sister has obligations. She must-"

"Obligations, schmobilgatons ... I know, I know ... Just one night, geez!" Aphrodite pouted.

"Aphrodite ..." Hades' voice sounded strained.

"Lighten up, Bro. Cel was feelin' under the weather... thought, well maybe I could, y'know, cheer her up some."

Hades turned away from Celesta and winked at Aphrodite.

The Goddess of Love gave a small smile. "Promise it won't happen again."

Hades eyed her. "Ever?"

"Next time I promise to have her back before midnight."

Celesta giggled, then stopped abruptly as Hades turned to her.

"Gather your candle. You know you shouldn't-"

"Qui's safe here," Celesta said, picking up the pristine white shard, resting within the black metal stand.

Hades stifled a smile, then spoke. "I must speak with Aphrodite."

"Please don't be hard on her, Hades, she was only-"

"Relax, I'm going to thank her."

Celesta smiled.

Aphrodite placed her hands on her hips and looked at Hades.

"Y'know, I should invite you over for a slumber party, you handsome thing you."

Hades smiled. "Careful, 'Dite, Persephone might get jealous... And you better not make me wear those - " He pointed to her pink pyjamas.

The Goddess of Love grinned and flexed her fingers.

Hades looked scared. "Don't you dare."

"Be a change from all that black leather, Hade."

The Lord of the Dead grabbed his sister's arm, albeit gently.

"We're going ..."

Celesta giggled softly as she and Hades left the warm temple.

Smiling, Aphrodite waved and watched them leave.

Outside now, Qui twinkling under the stars, Hades turned to his sister. "I was worried about you, Cellie."

Celesta gave a warm smile. "I'm sorry, My Brother ... I-"

Gently, Hades embraced her. "I know it isn't easy for you. It's an enormous burden on your gentle soul, but-"

"It must be done."

Hades smiled and softly touched her smooth face. "Have fun tonight?"

"Yeah ..." Celesta smiled. "Not the sorts of things I'd usually do, but that's what made it so ... so much fun."

Hades smiled warmly, seeing color in his sister's cheeks.

"Loved that green and purple hair. So what you guys talk about?"

"Stuff."

"What sort of stuff?"

"Girl stuff." Celesta giggled. "Race you back to the Underworld?" Death started running.

"Sis?"

"C'mon, Hadie!"

The Lord of the Dead shook his head and laughed as he tried to catch up to her, Celesta's Eternal Flame dancing all the way to the Underworld.

 

*

Disclaimer:

 

Hades' outfit is really made from mock -

**BLAMMMM!!!**

Uhh... really expensive leather

 

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