War-Torn Hearts - An Empires SMP S2 War AU

Chapter 1

"You've got to be joking, right?"

Hermes awoke to the sound of Joel yelling in alarm.

"When has my gossip ever been wrong, Joel?" Sausage asked him, and curiosity got the best of the boy.

Hermes didn't believe that curiosity killed the cat.

If that were to be true, Auntie Lizzie would be long gone.

Well, gone long enough to satisfy the "But the satisfaction brought it back" part of the idiom.

The little demigod quietly wriggled out of bed, clutching his sheriff plush as he tiptoed out the door.

"They're fighting over her heart?" Lizzie said incredulously, as Joel folded his arms across his chest.

Sausage shrugged.

"Joey wants me to ally with him," he answered, and automatically Lizzie and Joel's face contorted into disgust. "Why else would they be in such a scramble?"

Joel sighed.

"You didn't say yes, did you?" Lizzie said worriedly, casting an apprehensive glance towards where Hermes stood, making the little demigod silently leap into the hallway, away from his hiding spot.

"No, I ran off to pester Jimmy. I told him that I would consider it."

Hesitantly, Hermes crept back towards the edge of the doorframe once more, peering from behind it like he was in one of those mortal human spy movies that Grandpa Eddie and Miss Maria watched.

Hermes didn't understand.

The people Thunder Daddy, Auntie Lizzie and Wood Papa were talking about had been nothing but kind to him!

Mr. Joey unexpectedly shared a piece of his gold with Hermes; Miss Shelby let him pet the frogs and wear her witch hat; Oh, and Miss Katherine - Hermes couldn't imagine her being anything less than an angel. She was kind, caring and ever so sweet. And super cool, too - especially when she became a bad-guy buster.

"Well, Joey is nothing but trouble," the God warned, his glare hardening as he thought about the pesky pirate as Lizzie nodded her head in a frantic agreement. "If anything, I'm allying with Shelby - she's already won a battle against him. It couldn't be that hard to win one again, could it?"

"I don't know, Joel," Sausage said unsurely. "Shelby did turn me into a zombie this one time..."

Hermes was confused. What was so bad about that? He thought.

Hermes thought Wood Papa liked that. He had spooked so many people and laughed so many times!

"And I burnt down that bastard's boat," Joel added quietly.

Lizzie looked startled - and as far as Hermes could tell, quite pleased - and when Sausage looked at him with an expectant expression, the God only muttered "That's what you get for messing with my Stratosphere,"

Just then, Bubbles turned the corner and stopped in her tracks, tilting her head at Hermes with a mildly amused expression.

The little demiboy pressed a finger to his lips, urging for Bubbles to be quiet and leave, but it was too late - Sausage had spotted the Yorkshire Terrier peering at something.

"Hermes?"

Sausage's eyes widened in horror and Lizzie's ears pricked up, her mask nearly tumbling off her furry feline face as Joel's expression fell in remorse.

What had he done wrong?

"Papa? What's going on?" he signed, fear starting to bubble inside of him by the looks on his fathers' faces.

"Nothing, buddy," Lizzie reassured, adjusting her mask as her expression forcefully softened into a much calmer smile. The cat-hybrid scooped him up in a flourishing swoop, making Hermes' golden locks of hair whip about, before holding him up in midair so that his lemon yellow winged shoes flapped rhythmically. "Now, how much of that did you hear?"

The ground fell beneath the demiboy's feet as he looked up at Joel.

The eleven foot god sat down cross legged, patting the free space on his lap that Hermes crawled into whilst looking up at Sausage in a gesture for the Protector of Sanctuary to sit down next to him. Lizzie leapt onto the couch, sprawling across it in full luxury when Sausage hesitantly sat down beside Hermes' and his daddy.

"Papa, Daddy, Auntie," he signed, looking at each of his carers in turn. "What is the meaning of that word you used?"

Lizzie and Sausage exchanged anxious glances as Joel looked down at Hermes in confusion.

"Do you mean the word 'war'?"

Hermes nodded.

"What does it mean, and how do I sign it?"

The three adults stayed silent for a minute, contemplating how to respond to such a question.

Finally, Lizzie spoke, pouncing off the couch and tackling Hermes with a hug.

"That's not important, buddy," she exclaimed as Hermes giggled.

"It doesn't matter, okay?"

Hermes nodded, signing "Okay," with his hands.

"Auntie Lizzie is right, Hermes," Sausage piped up, a smile finally appearing on his face. "It doesn't matter, okay? All that matters is that you're here with us. Safe and sound."

~This Chapter was written by Fox

Word Count: 769

Hello my lovelies! Sorry for the wait! It's me, Fox here, and I'm here to bring you the beginnings of our collaborative story between two accounts (minimushr00m and FireFox7895). A little Hermes' POV - there won't be many of those in here I don't think, so do enjoy!

Anyway, as per usual, I hope you're having a great time doing whatever your doing! If you like the content presented, go follow Minnie and I on the accounts linked above.

Well, that's it for now folks!

As always, stay safe, spread the love and of course, have fun!

~FireFox Out!