AN: Hello and welcome to my first attempt at fiction writing. Constructive criticism is most certainly welcome. I promise only that my update schedule will be completely random. The pairing and the majority of the storyline are set. Strap in and pray that this isn't a train wreck, because that's what I'm going to be doing!
Disclaimer: Although I am from Texas, I'm pretty sure I do not currently have a career as a successful writer. Accordingly, it is with great regret that I must inform you that I am not Rick Riordan, nor do I own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and stacks of fat cash are most certainly not being made off of this story.
A New Light
The woman's face was shielded by her dark brown hair as she shot through the forest. Clothed in a tattered white tunic, she traveled recklessly through the brush and over the uneven ground at an astonishing pace. But with her every step, she could feel the pain growing while her hope dwindled. Even the trees of the forest seemed to be conspiring against her, their branches swaying and spreading in the wind to allow light through unhampered. Twists and turns in her path were futile, the shadows themselves fled her presence.
Suddenly, her foot caught on an unseen root, and the world seemed to spin as she tumbled roughly to the ground in the center of a clearing. In agony, she dragged herself across the forest floor to the base of a nearby tree, welcoming the darkness of the shadows it cast. A shocking realization hit the woman, 'The light, it's gone! Am I free?' just before her body was wracked with pain.
As the convulsions came closer and closer together, her body began to glow brighter. Although of no use in combating the pain, the woman drew solace from the shadows that had surrounded her. Against the brutal light from overhead, the pulsing glow from the very core of her body was comforting and welcoming, providing a sense of security to the young woman. With the final pulse, the pain spiked and the light flared, her body arching, before slowly fading away.
As the cool shadows returned, she opened her eyes, gasping at the sight of the same golden glow that had just surrounded her coming from the radiant eyes of the infant now in her arms. "Perseus," she mumbled, before allowing herself to fall back against the base of the tree, dark brown hair falling around her face. The woman began to laugh uncontrollably, repeating the name in her melodic voice. Tears of joy streamed down from her golden eyes as relief hit her. She clutched her son to her chest and began to murmur, "We're safe Perseus, we're safe! I can protect you now. I will always watch over you."
As the last word left her mouth, she heard a laugh that made her blood run cold pierce the silence of the clearing. A burst of light from the center of the clearing forced her to shield her eyes. In place of the light stood a man clad in brilliant golden armor. The new figure stood tall, projecting a regal and fearsome presence. His armor gave off a sharp glare; light itself seemed to radiate outwards from the man. Blonde hair framed the aristocratic features of his face. With a well-set jaw and high cheekbones, his appearance screamed royalty, even as his eyes promised endless pain. The harsh golden fire of his orbs held a gaze impossibly cold.
"Now Asteria, you shouldn't make promises you can't keep." His voice shattered the remnants of the young woman's hope as he casually walked towards her.
The despair was visible in her eyes as she pleaded, "Please, Hyperion, leave us be. Haven't you taken enough from me already?"
Letting out a short, biting laugh, he shifted his gaze to the boy that Asteria clutched tightly to herself. He crouched, bringing his hand up to trace the side of her face, locking eyes with her. "You thought you could run from me."
"Please Hyperion, please! Don't take him, please!" came the fearful response as she flinched away from his hand, turning to shield the boy with her body.
Hyperion straightened to his full height, holding Asteria's gaze the entire time. "The light is my domain, and I see everything in my domain. You were foolish to think you could escape me, and for that you shall suffer. But for now, I have come only for that which is rightfully mine."
Asteria trembled with fear, pulling her child closer in a feeble attempt to keep him away from the Titan standing before her. Without warning, the light that radiated from Hyperion shot forward, wrapping the boy in a cocoon of light before disappearing, leaving Asteria grasping nothing but air. She let out a heart-wrenching cry and began sobbing uncontrollably as the sense of emptiness struck her. Devastated at the loss of her son, she could not bring herself to care as the same light that had ripped Perseus away began to wrap around her. His voice was the last thing she heard before the slipping into unconsciousness.
"I hope you will enjoy watching him grow as much as I will. I have such great plans for our son's future."
The light flared once and she was gone from the clearing, leaving Hyperion standing alone. "Such great plans indeed." A final flash signaled the Titan's departure as the shadows reclaimed the forest floor from the unnatural light.
