A pained wail broke the silence on a remote island of Delos in the Aegean Sea. A man, about 25 years old was sitting on a rock meditating, when he heard the wail. He cocked his head and stood up. The he walked towards the wail.
He walked into a clearing and saw a woman there. He was curious to why she was wailing in pain so he approached. "Stop!" Suddenly the woman gasped. " do not come any nearer!" She yelled while writhing in pain. The man did not stop. "There tears streaming down her face now. "Please!" She tried to back away, but another burst of pain shot through and she howled out. "Are you, you know, in labour?" The woman nodded and writhed again. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked rather awkwardly. The woman a shock her head and gasped. "Yes there is." The man suddenly answers himself. "I can try to ease the pain, just don't be afraid." He snapped his fingers and suddenly a ball of water appeared. The woman gasped. "Poseidon!" He he shook his head. "His son" he answered, as he lowered the ball to her lower regions. And suddenly the ball began to glow in a faint sea-green. The woman gasped and the relaxed a little. Suddenly she stiffened again and closed her eyes. Then a head appeared in the water. "Breath." The man commanded the woman. She concentrated again and the shoulders appeared. The man concentrated and the water flew away. The woman gasped as the baby began screaming. "Come on. You're nearly there!" The woman concentrated one last time and pushed... And the whole baby came out. The man just about managed to catch it before it fell on the hard rock he cradle it in his arms before giving it to its mother. He made new water and healed her, as she looked at her child. "She's beautiful!" She exclaimed. Then she looked at the man. "Who are you?" She asked him. The man chuckled. "I'm the watcher. Now, what is a goddess doing on my island?" The woman was shocked. "How'd you know?" The man chuckled. "That is for me to know and you to find out." He looked at the child, which was looking at him in wonder. "What are you going to name her?" She looked at him. "Artemis." She said softly. "Her name is Artemis." "It's a beautiful name." "What is yours?" He gazed at her confused. "I thought I'd told you! I'm..." She snorted. "I highly doubt your name is watcher." He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah your right. My name is Perseus."
"Moother!" Leto sighed. Who thought that having children was so exhausting. "I'm hungry!" Artemis whined. She looked like a twelve year old, but actually, it was only one week since Leto gave birth. Leto gave her some Ambrosia. Artemis pouted. "More ambrosia? It gets disgusting after a week." Then her eyes brightened. "Can we go hunting?" Leto face-palmed. "What's it with you and hunting?" She asked chuckling. Her daughter smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "Come on we need to ke... Ahh!" She doubled over. "Is it happening?" Artemis asked worried. "Yes! Please help me to my bed..." Artemis swooped her up like a feather and carried her to the bed while she continued to writhe in pain. Then she helped, like Perseus had just a week ago.
An hour later she was holding her younger twin brother Apollo in her arms. "He's so cute!" She gushed. The she gave him to her mother and continued healing her. Afterwards she walked out to leave mother and son to themselves. She walked through the woods on the island. She thought about how much pain her mother had been in and how she couldn't have done it alone!
Suddenly she heard a twig snap behind her. She turned slowly to face a giant hydra! For a few seconds they just stared at each other. Then suddenly an arrow hit the hydra in an eye! It roared in pain and all eight heads turned towards the attacker. Artemis silently thanked him or her as she didn't take the time to look, as she scrambled away and hid in safe distance behind a large uprooted tree. She looked back at the scene behind her. The mysterious person attacking the hydra had switched from his bow to a silver sword and started cutting off its heads. Artemis was about to scream at him him how stupid he is, but then she remembered the position she was in and decided to keep quiet. Suddenly a mass of water appeared and covered the neck stumps, and turned a bright blue! Then the hydras body slumped and dissolved into golden dust. When the body had disappeared the man stood there with his hands in front of him, as if he was holding something. He looked at the new clearing and nodded, apparently pleased of himself. Then he looked around as if searching for something. 'For me! He's searching for me!' She ducked further behind the stump. Every single part of her body screamed 'run!', but she stayed behind the stump, knowing that he could pin her down with that bow in mere seconds. She didn't have time to further think about what to do next, because suddenly the man stood in from of her! "Please don't do anything to me!" She whispered as she backed into the tree. The man chuckled, which confused her greatly. "You sound a lot like your mother, you know..." "How do you know my mother? Have we met?" Artemis asked confused. She was a week old, and the only person she'd met so far was her mother! The man chuckled again. "We have actually. But you were too young to remember." Artemis looked confused. "I'm a week old! How can I be to young?" The man face palmed. "You shouldn't go around telling people your a goddess.. It can get you killed." He looked at her seriously. "Come on! Let's get you home."
When they arrived at the small hut, Leto was sitting on the porch, cradling little Apollo. "Artemis! You're back! Good gods, I was so worried! And... Perseus!" She said surprised. "You sound surprised." He chuckled. "That's because, well, I am! I thought you would've left the island by now." The man shook his head. "No. This island was given to me by my father. This is where I have my freedom.""From whom?" Leto asked perplexed. "Your lover." The Titaness gasped. "Zeus would never hurt someone like you, who protects people!" Perseus' face darkened. "Yes he would. Just for who who my father is and who I am to him. He is a paranoid bastard." Leto face was agape. "How are you not blasted yet?" She asked after he finished his little rant. Perseus smirked. "This island is protected by my father. Zeus has absolutely no powers here." There was a long silence.
"Who is your father?" Artemis suddenly asked. Both adults jumped as they had forgotten she was with them. "Poseidon." Perseus said after a while. "My father is Poseidon." "Isn't he married though?" The man only chuckled. "First off, I was born long before Poseidons marriage. Secondly, marriages of gods are doomed to fail. Look at Zeus, the king of gods himself! He is married to his own sister and can't keep it in his pants!" He glanced at Leto, who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, no offence." She chuckled. "Non taken." Artemis was confused. "Why would you be offended?" She asked. "Unless..." Her eyes lit in realisation. "Oh gods I'm a daughter of Zeus, am I?" Leto sighed. "Yes you are. By birth anyway." Artemis looked confused. "Why only by birth?" Leto's eyes flared dangerously. "What has he ever done for us? Nothing. What did he do when his vengeful wife cursed me to not find a land I could give to you in? He was probably with the next woman! I don't think he even knows you or your brother exist!" Her eyes filled with tears. "What would happen if a monster found its way on the island? He is not here to help." Artemis and Perseus looked at each other. Then back at Leto, who noticed the exchange and gasped. "It already happened, didn't it?" Perseus nodded. "That's how we met. A hydra had snuck up behind her, but I killed it before it could do any damage." Leto suddenly hugged him gratefully, before scolding Artemis. "That was very unresponsable. Running of without any form of protection."
Perseus looked at her softly. "I can teach you how to protect yourself if you want to." Artemis smiled at him. "I'd love to."
Suddenly a small cry from Apollo made them all jump. From his cradle he reached up, as if to say: hold me?! Leto laughed and scooped him up. "Mama!" He gurgled, visibly pleasures. Then he turned to Perseus. "Dada!" Perseus did a double take. "Wha... What?" Artemis was nearly on the floor, clutching her stomach in laughter. "Did... Did he just..."Percy asked flabbergasted. "I believe he did." Leto smirked at him. Artemis tugged on his cape. "Can you teach me how to shoot a bow?" She asked with her best puppy seal eyes. Then she quietly added "dad?". Perseus eyes grew in surprise. A daughter of Zeus calling him dad? Now that was definitely not something you live to tell about. He looked at Leto, who was looking at him curiously, but he could see she was trying hard not to laugh. He sighed. "All right, Arty." Her was widened to the size plates before she began pouting. A smile tugged Perseus face. "Come on! Your brother will join us when he has reached the right physical age."