Snap 21: Spar.

Aleks, after falling out of the ceiling, explained the whole situation. He explained that Jupiter met his father Howard and they had a son, Aleks. But the curse the Queen of the Heavens put on all Gods made Jupiter almost kill Aleks and turned her into her smaller form. It was a tragic story, I couldn't believe how much pain they were in for all this time.

"It's... been a tough time without a complete family." Aleks said.

"Didn't your Father remarry?" I asked.

Jupiter looked over with interest. It seems she didn't know her one love had carried on.

"Yeah, but only recently. He got married 6 months ago in late June. To a great woman. It took him a long time to find the right one, and much longer to move on."

He looked at Jupiter.

"He hid all the pain he felt to raise me the best he could, the best any Dad could ever be."

Jupiter did her best to hide her sadness.

Venus nudged at Mars.

"Ugh..." Mars said. "I'm sorry."

Aleks looked a little surprised at what she said.

"It's fine. I'm just surprised you would actually say sorry." How...frank.

"Why you... Don't make hit you again!"

Aleks chuckled. I got a little warm inside hearing it. What's up with me? Mom and Dad always made me avoid boys, so I never really got used to them...

"Ai? Ai, you there?" Aleks said.

"Eep!" I squeaked. I must've been out of it for a good minute, as Aleks' face was up close to mine.

"Whoa!" He said. "You alright?"

"Uhh... yeah," I said "What was the question?"

"You wanna spar?" He pointed to the arena in the room. "For practice?"

"Uhm...sure I guess." What's wrong with me?

We took our battle stances. He bent his knees a little, one arm pulled back on his side, the other hanging low, fist clenched. I also bent my knees, hand open arm down and the other arm up. We waited a moment.

"3!" Mars shouted

"2!"

"1!"

"FIGHT!"

He lept at me.

"HRAGH!" He shouted as he attacked with a lightning punch. Luckily I saw it coming, and ducked at the right time.

He smirked as he snapped twice, teleporting behind me. It was all a feint! He kicked me in the legs.

"Gugh!" I grunted.

"You gotta consider everything your opponent can do. If they can do something like that, assume they will, and work around it, and in such a way that, even if you're wrong, the attack will still work."

"Now, how I am I supposed to think all of that so quickly?"

"You're not." He said chuckling, "Always have it at the back of your mind, so your instincts take care of it. Thinking too much is worse than not at all. The less you think, the better you can get at fighting the way were always meant to"

"So that's why you're so good at it?" I joked.

"Veeeeery funny." He smirked.

"Hup!" I started powering up. A purple aura covered me as I prepared my armor.

"My Queen!" The Faeries said.

"I'm gonna need your help for this, guys!" I said.

"No issue O' Queen mine!"

"Shall we smite this fool where he stands?" Another said.

"What?! No!" I Said.

"He jests, O' Queen mine," One says, "We know you are smitten with the male"

"HUH?!" I turned red in the face.

Luckily, I'm the only one who can hear them. I noticed he was also powering up.

He looked to be in pain. His eyes were tight, teeth clenched, arms trembling, veins popping.

"GRAGH!"

"What're you doing?! You're obviously in pain!"

"It's fine! Powering up takes a lot outa me!" He grunted.

I finished powering up and my armor materialized.

"RAGH!" Aleks shouted finishing his power up. Not much actually changed about him, his eyes became a brighter blue and his hair spiked up.

"So you get that cool armor, and I just get a bad hair day?" He joked.

"Perks of being a demigod I guess." I said.

"What perks? I'd rather have that neat-o armor."

"Perks of being a Queen, then."

"Queen? You're gonna have to explain that once I win."

"You're assuming a lot of things here!" I charged at him.

*He teleported again!* I thought.

But he didn't. He used my expectations against me. He was just so fast it looked like he was teleporting.

He circled me and punched me in the chest.

"Grgh!" I grunted.

I hit him back.

"Tch!"

We grinned at each other. We then jumped back and rested for a moment. Then we jumped at each other again. We exchanged blow after blow after blow. We hit each others faces.

"Hmph!"

"I think it's time we end this, yeah?"

He flew back and pulled his arms behind his head charging up an attack. I responded in kind. On the ground, long and thin cannons quite literally sprouted out of my back.

"My Queen!"

"Heed the incantations!"

We both started our incantations

"O'Light of mine, O' heed my call..." We both said.

"O' greatest Lightning, O' Strongest of all," Aleks said.

"O' Subjects mine, O' worthier than all," I said.

"Smite mine enemy, who displays the greatest gall..." He continued.

"Empower mine body, thine vessel protecting you all..." I followed.

"TO DEFY MINE POWER, THE GREATEST SIN OF ALL!" He said.

"TO DEFY MINE MAJESTY, THE WORST FOOLISHNESS OF ALL!"

"HEED MINE CALL, MAKE MINE ENEMY FALL! LIGHT OF THE DIVINE!" He shouted.

"HEED MINE CALL, MAKE MINE ENEMY FALL! WILL OF THE WILD!" I shouted.

Our blasts clashed.

"HNGG!" I grunted. We were even in strength.

"Lightning Clad...times..." Aleks said, "TIMES THREE!!!"

His strength doubled! His attack overtook mine.

"GRGH..." I grunted.

"My Queen! We can't do anything more, your vessel is not tempered enough!"

His attack engulfed my body.

"AAHH!" I shouted.

Everything went black for a moment. I opened my eyes.

"Huh?" I said. My armor was gone, and someone was holding me?

"You alright?" Aleks said. He was the one holding me, grin on his face.

I got extremely red.

"Something wrong? Sick?"

I almost fell out of his arms.

"Woah! Careful there. You can't move right now, used too much power."

Oh man. This guy...

"Oop." He collapsed.

We both fell.

"Ouch!" I said.

"Too... much power, huh?" He fell unconscious.

"Um...anyone there?"

"It's fine, I got it." Jupiter said.

Since his family was, apparently, not home, we had to go to my home. How do I explain this?