AN: Thanks for all good reviews, or bad reviews. Here is Chapter Two! Hope you enjoy, it is a bit longer (about 400) than the last chapter. Enjoy, my little biscuits! :AN
It was getting stuffy in the cave a young Perseus called home.
The seven year old god was yearning for a better view than the same forest he had been staring at since birth. And he definitely needed more people to talk to than his mother and sister.
"Hey! Perseus!" a joyful voice rang through the cave, echoing to the very back where the young god sat in his cot and sharpened his wooden pike. "What is it Thetis?" he replied, with a tone more bored than annoyed at his sister.
A little girl, the same age as Perseus, skipped into the cave wearing a glittering green summer dress, and had pink and green flowers decorated into a tiara on her head. Much like his sister, Perseus wore a green tunic that had small emeralds encrusted into the cloth.
"I saw the girl again!" she said, still joyous as ever. Perseus sighed and stood, the pike put to the side with five others. "Listen Thetis. Mother said that no one else lived out here. There isn't a girl, okay? You probably saw your reflection in the lake." he said tiredly, like this was a common occurrence.
Thetis crossed her arms and pouted. "Nu-uh! This time I really did see her. She even talked to me!"
"I'm sure she did, Sis." Perseus picked up his pikes and loaded them into a leather cylinder, and then used a strap on the side to carry it on his back. "I'm going to go get dinner." he said, sliding green leather sandals on and walking out of the cave.
Thetis blinked once, before running after her brother. "Hey, wait up!"
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The duo strode into a clearing with a lake.
"I swear to gods Thetis if you dragged me here for nothing, I'm gonna skin you for making me miss that boar." an angered Perseus followed and ecstatic Thetis.
"Oh shush. You are the best huntsman in the forest."
"I'm the only huntsman in the forest!"
Thetis spun with eyes wide. "Shhhhhh! Don't say that! She'll hear!" she whisper yelled.
"Hear what? I'm the only hunter in this forest! We are the only people in this forest!" a thud behind him made him turn fast, a pike in his hand and thrown before his sister could stop him.
The wooden projectile was stopped by about ten arrows, all a glowing silver, shredding it to the splinters. Perseus stood, mouth agape, as he saw the only other person besides his sister and mother in the past seven years.
And she was pissed.
"What the hell do you think you are doing? Stomping around this forest like you own it? Who do you think you are?" the ten year old screamed, clutching a silver bow in her small hands. Perseus could only stare, so shocked and bewildered that another person was here.
"Who…" was all he could get out.
"I told you! I told you, and you didn't believe me!" Thetis cackled, jumping up and down with seemingly limitless energy. The girl wore a silver toga, much like Perseus', except hers had a dark grey belt with a crescent moon.
"What is your name? Who are you? Why are you here?" the questions spewed from the young gods mouth like gunfire. Or, arrow-fire.
"Well, my name is Phoebe Artemis. I am the daughter of Leto and Zeus, and sister of Phoebus Apollo. As to why I am here," she looked at Thetis. "I came to visit a friend." the sea goddess beamed.
"But, wait." Perseus held up a hand, as if trying to conjure the answers to his questions. "Leto and Zeus? You're a goddess?" Artemis rolled her eyes. "Obviously." Thetis giggled as her usually calm and collected brother was reduced to a confused mess.
The three of them were unaware of the pure white eyes staring at them with panic. "No. It's too soon." she muttered, trying to get away from the scene. Only to step on a twig. The children turned in her direction and she cursed.
No use now. She stepped out into the clearing, painting a confused smile across her face.
"Mom!"
"Mother?"
"Children!"
Artemis watched as the family hugged and held a mini reunion. "Who is your new friend?" the older woman asked.
"This is Artemis. She is a goddess like me!" Thetis exclaimed excitedly. She smiled at her daughter as fear gripped her heart. "Hello ma'am. It is nice to meet you." Artemis said politely, holding out a hand. "Please, no need to be so formal." she shook nonetheless.
"Call me Ananke."
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Later that night, when Artemis had left her home of Delos and the family of three had gone back to their home, Ananke stared at the night sky with a sullen look.
"Mother? Is everything alright?" a tired Perseus walked to his mother with confused green eyes.
"Everything is fine, my love." she assured, ruffling his hair. The young god whined and swatted her hand away. "Go to sleep now, Perseus." Ananke laughed. Perseus looked into her eyes, deep and long. He may have been only seven years old, but he had the knowledge of a fully grown man due to his godly heritage.
He knew his mother was distressed, he didn't know why, but he could see the veiled sadness in her milky eyes. He went to bed anyway, knowing that asking again would get him nowhere. As he walked away, Ananke frowned at her 'son's' retreating back.
"He will be of the age soon, Ananke." a voice whispered in her ear. She shuddered and turned, looking straight into the gray eyes of one of her true daughters.
"Please Atropos. I just wanted a family again." the fate of death narrowed her eyes. "I am truly sorry, mother." the sarcasm hurt, but Ananke put aside her pride. In fact, she got on her knees and looked into her daughter's eyes again.
"Please, daughter. Don't make him go through this." The fate frowned, looking into her mother's pleading eyes. "He cannot escape his fate. It is as set as anything." Ananke's gaze fell.
"But," she looked up hopefully. "It can be postponed, maybe he will be more ready than." Ananke stood fast, hugging her child close.
"Oh thank you so much, daughter." she was pushed away. "This is not a gift, mother." the word was spit out of her mouth, as if poison. "I could postpone his fate, but it comes at a price." Ananke grasped her hands together.
"Anything." Atropos smirked, finally able to get her revenge at last.
She leaned in and whispered, but as she did she pulled a pair of scissors out of her cloak and stabbed it into her mother's heart. A gasp was ripped from the primordials throat, as betrayal flashed in her eyes.
"This is the only price I require. Your death." Ananke choked back a sob, clenching her jaw as she sunk to the ground.
"Keep your word, daughter." Atropos rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. "It is done. The Artemis girl has no recollection of your...children." she sneered. "As a bonus, I have set forth events to keep those pesky Olympians in their mountain and those godlings on their island." Ananke fell to the ground, light slowly lessening from her eyes.
"I hope it was worth it, mother." and with that, the fate of death was gone.
Ananke looked at her cavern home, remembering the way her children ran and played in the front. She could almost hear their joyous laughter and the calls of their wanting her to join.
With a watery smile she took out two boxes, one silver and one black. She set them next to her head, eyes glued to the cave entrance.
"It was. It was worth it. Everything." she looked at the stars one last time, before closing her eyes for the last time.
AN: So, I know its pretty soon to start killing off people. Especially after dropping that bombshell of a name there. Anyone catch that House of Hades reference type deal? Anyway, I am putting up a poll for all you avid readers. For the pairing, I'm all for whatever you want: Slash, Pertemis, anything you guys want. I am an artist of the people! Look at it if you want, ill probably cut it off by the next update, in lets say, five or six days. Until then, see you later my little biscuits!
