Are You Willing To Learn [Emilia]

Although it had started out with a rage-fueled argument, it ended up working in the end. Poseidon had brought a Shinigami to Olympus, putting all of them at risk. But he turned, seeing how foolish the Gotei truly were, and instead, opting to join a power that would reform the world. Dionysus had joined their ranks, increasing their overall power tenfold, not only that, he had inside knowledge of the current state of affairs in Soul Society. It all worked out in the end, plus, there were fresh souls at 'ground zero' that would come in handy. As she geared up, strapping her armor to her body, the Oracle entered her chambers and bowed her head. "Athena, a moment, if I may?" Emi nodded. "Your... sightseeing may prove to bear more fruit than previously thought. In my dreams, I have seen a young girl, hair as black as night, foreign. A Quincy. She roams Karakura." Emi stopped, turning to face the girl she had a confused look on her face. "Quincy? I thought they had been wiped out by the Shinigami?" The Oracle shook her head. "It would appear that some still live. Perhaps a few went into hiding, and repopulated. It is unknown." Emi grinned, holding back laughter of joy. "This is perfect! I can use this to my advantage... I will seek her out while I'm in Karakura. Thank you, Oracle. This is good news indeed." She stepped passed the Oracle, grabbing her Zanpakuto and strapping it over her back, while grabbing her shield and sword, and with excited steps, left her own bedroom.

With a small platoon of ten spartan soldiers at her back, she opened her modified Garganta, two large, ancient greek pillars slamming down in front of her, an arch forming at the top. Between the pillars, a portal of pure, blinding white opened before her. It had no effect on her, but to those unused to such a sight, it would more than likely cause them to turn away. Stepping through, she arrived in Karakura town, just on the outside perimeter of the destruction caused by Poseidon and Ares. It was... marvelous. She grinned wide, hardly able to contain her excitement. Gesturing forth her Lieutenant, who stood beside her. "Take the men and round up the souls, they will be transported to Ares. They will provide reinforcement to his Hollow." The spartan nodded. "And you, Athena? Should I leave someone behind to escort you?" She shook her head. "I will be fine. Go, and do not draw attention to yourselves." The Spartan nodded. Slinging her shield over her back and sheathing her sword, she concealed her reiatsu to a miniscule level, a minor blip on the radar of anyone who may be passing.

As she 'toured' the ruins, she made sure to keep her attention on her surroundings. The Oracle only provided her with minor details, but destruction like this would draw any new comer to it. And it had. In the distance she saw a raven haired girl, but only from behind. No reiatsu signature emit from her, and she could not tell her age from here, it was merely a matter of trial and error. Smiling, she stood where she was, and slowly began to release her Shinigami reiatsu, keeping the Hollow side of her compressed. History made these two races out to be mortal enemies, and she had counted on some type of reaction from her. If this was the girl she was looking for.

The reaction she received from the young girl only confirmed that was, indeed, the girl she sought. While a black screen of smoke filled the area occupied by the Quincy, Emi made no effort to move, or even enter a defensive stance. Instead, her eyes darted around, searching for her in case she had merely attempted to flee. She did not. Glancing down she saw four sigils form around her, one on each side. Raising one eyebrow she glanced back up just in time to see a barrage of arrows heading toward her. She was buried in a plume of smoke and dust as the arrows collided into her, and around. There was only silence in the rubble, no movement, and no sign of Emi. Until the smoke had cleared away and she stood there, looking at one of the arrows she had caught between two of her fingers. It hummed slightly as she turned it over and inspected the 'arrow'. It was interesting, an attack made of pure reishi, they literally used the environment to strike their foes. Unfortunately for her, the only outcome of her barrage was a slight dusting over her freshly polished armor. Annoying, but it would be dealt with later. Crushing the arrow between her fingers and forcing the reishi to dissipate, she turned her head in the direction of the Quincy. "That was... disappointing. I expected more from someone who avoided mass genocide." The Oracle had failed to mention that this girl was far below her in terms of strength, in fact, she doubted she could defend herself against a simple Hollow. Though she had to admit, the girl had courage to strike at a foe without first properly gauging them and their level of power.

Still, a lesson had to be taught. A painful one. With a 'swish' she had disappeared, only to reappear in front of the girl, her hand reaching through the smoke and grasping at her neck. With her throat in hand, she would raise her above the ground, only to, rather roughly, toss her towards a large concrete wall within the rubble. "Pitiful. Is that all you have, Quincy? Is this all the power you can muster?" She grinned. She would draw out her anger, and see if this girl had any true potential, or if she would simply be executed for wasting her time.

The difference in power was clear, and yet this girl still continued to fight, to struggle against impossible odds. It was refreshing, most would have just accepted their fate, rolled over and died. This one had spunk. Instead of allowing herself to be thrown into the rubble, she threw a fist, which connected with Emi's jaw, but failed to phase her. She stood, unmoving, a slight 'tch' escaping her lips. She struggled like a fly caught in a web, doing what she could to avoid being killed by her. Still, she was curious, which is why she made no attempt to stop her when she dropped a new items onto the ground, one that would cover the area in a blinding light. She smiled, closed her eyes, and allowed her to 'slip' from her grasp. She had feigned injury, allowing her to set up for her next attack. Which she did. Another arrow ripped through the air and slammed into her armor, but failed to penetrate. Glancing down towards the arrow, and then back to the Quincy, she opened her mouth to speak when the arrow exploded, catching her by surprise, though still failing to injure her.

"Better than before, but still, you fail to cause injury. Expected. You stand in the presence of a God, after all." She smiled, cocking her head to the side slightly. Slowly, she allowed her Hollow reiatsu to leak from her being, without donning the mask, and only enough to allow the Quincy to sense where it was coming from, but not enough to draw any unwanted attention to herself. "I am Athena. I would have your name, Quincy." Perhaps the Oracle was right. She was weak, but that was easily remedied. You could, however, not replicate a warriors spirit, and if the fire in her burned strongly enough, then perhaps she could be of some use after all.

It was the girls naivete that had kept her from simply ending this little exchange and carrying about her business. Either she was new to this world and its spiritual inhabitants, knowing only of the Shinigami and Hollow, or she was simply ignorant. Still, it could work to her advantage, and she could play to the ignorance. Sighing, her gaze never left the young Quincy, who identified herself as Annabelle. "Were you not listening? I told you, you stand in the presence of a God. I am neither Shinigami, nor Hollow, but something much greater." She turned away from her now, bending down and plucking a stray flower that had somehow managed to survive within the crumbling ruins, spinning it between thumb and forefinger before crushing it. "I could see the hate in your eyes, you know. When you thought me a mere Shinigami, the burning hatred, the raw fury." She smiled now. "Its the same hate and fury I hold for the Soul Society, for those who call themselves Death Gods, and yet fail to protect a world they swore themselves to." She gestured to the ruins around them, straying off topic slightly. "Impressive, isn't it? Would you believe that one single Hollow caused this with but a flick of his wrist? All this while fending off several Shinigami. A Hollow who stands a God like myself." With a swish, she appeared in front of the Quincy, leaning in slightly. "I hold the key to power unimaginable. I can turn mortal beings into Gods, like I have with so many others. All you have to do is ask." She smiled, pulling away from the girl. She was weak, but she could change that. It was up to the girl if she wanted to reach new heights, or forever be the prey of the Shinigami.

It was a question she had asked many times, often getting the same answer, one that only led to more questions. Though as time went on, she had discovered the answer for herself, even if it was one that she did not desire. "Power will always have a cost. Some will envy you for it, while others will despise you. It matters little who you fight for, the good guys or the bad, you will have enemies." She merely smiled, there was no getting around it. Power was what everyone sought, for different reasons, but those who could not achieve it would grow jealous, and some would be consumed by it. "Even power itself can consume you, if you're not strong enough to handle it. I have seen many consumed by it, destroyed by their own greed." Reaching for a level you were not prepared for often led to disastrous results. "My price, however, is cheap. I care little about how you live your life, so long as you answer when I call upon you. If you can do that, I can introduce you to a world you never thought possible. Those who stand against you will cower in fear at your very name, you will become a God standing above all else." The smile never left her face, becoming more and more sincere as she spoke. "The decision is yours. Forever stay a mortal, hunted by the Shinigami who would rather see you extinct than to thrive, or become what they fear the most, and have them begging for your mercy."

Another had joined her cause, and while she had much training to do, eventually she would stand above the Shinigami, and she would kill in Olympus' name. She would guide the young girl to become a huntress, and when the time came, she would be crowned Artemis. But only when she had reached a power worthy of such a skilled deity. "I can only guide you, you must put in the work required to grow. If you falter, if you have any self doubt, I will not be able to help you." Just as she had finished speaking, two of her Spartan warriors had re-appeared as if from thin air. "The souls have been gathered and taken to Hueco Mundo as per your orders." They saluted as she nodded. "Excellent. I have a new task for you. The Quincy has joined our cause, however, she requires some... assistance. Go with her, teach her, she must learn our style of combat." She turned her attention back to Annabelle. "When you are ready, I will return, and you will be granted passage to Olympus. I leave my Spartans with you, they will prove to be excellent teachers, and you will learn much from our style of combat." She said nothing else, only turned as two large pillars erupted from the ground, and opened a portal. Without another word, she disappeared through the blinding white, and returned to Olympus.