To 8Ball3- Awww! Good kitty! ^_^

To An-Unnamed-Goose- Thank you, thank you! *bows* I'm here all week! XD

To someone- Hello, stranger! Hope you're OK! You read in your own time, no worries! Just make sure you leave a review, OK? I love reviews ^_^

To all now- you know those monoliths? The ones that keep popping up everywhere? Yeah, well, definitely aliens for starters. Was having a chat with 8Ball3 and long story short, should we send Lou to space to blow up the planets because she's the god-killer and the planets are all named after gods anyway, so yay or nay? It would literally just be like WHOOOSH- pew pew!- MWHAHAHA! And Tyson gets a rocket too, 'cos she's a good big sister and keeps her promises :D


"Storm! Storm, where are you?" Louisa called desperately. "Storm! Answer me!"

"Storm!"

"Storm!"

"Here, Storm! Pspspspspsp! There's a good pegasus, come to Raijin!"

They had been looking all afternoon. Whatever that grey vapour thing had been, it had scared Storm damn near out of her wits. She had bolted, charging off without thinking. Louisa's stomach turned over and over, thoughts filling her head- where was she, what was the vapour thing, was she hurt? What if she was hurt? What if they didn't find her in time? What if-?

No. The voice cut through her head, blasting at those thoughts. It was her own voice, stronger and stubborner. We are not losin' anyone else, you hear me? We'll find Storm, we'll deal with that grey whatever-it-was and then we can leave. OK?

"STORM!" Louisa bellowed, startling Raijin out of his latest bout of 'pspspspsp'.

"Lou, look!" Ruby beckoned her over. She had stopped at a bush, its left side tangled with broken twigs. Ruby pointed, indicating a few strands of dark hair. Louisa's fingers curled around the strands, tugging them free. "Are they-?"

"Yep." Tail hairs, Storm's tail hairs. "Nice spot, Rubes." Louisa nodded her thanks, marching forward. Ruby beamed.

"Guys, this way!"

"Me first!" Raijin insisted, grinning and barging Huxley with his shoulder, scampering after Ruby with a wicked giggle. Ruby took his hand, shaking her head. "What? I didn't do anything."

"You're a menace."

"I'm adorable though."

"Still a menace."

Louisa was a little ways ahead of them, finding another broken bush to the right. There were no tail hairs here, but some of the leaves had drying red splashes on. She stuck her fingers in her mouth, whistling sharply.

"STORM!"

"Oooh, oooh! Ghost!" Raijin pointed, spinning on the spot, his pointer finger darting here, there and everywhere. "Stop moving!" He protested. Louisa shook her sword, changing it into her bow. The grey vapour whisked around Huxley with its chattering laughter. Huxley swatted at it with one hand, covering his ear with the other. He turned to ask for help, only to see Louisa aiming an arrow at him. He shook his head, but she fired anyway. He ducked into a crouch, covering his head. The chattering racing around him turned into a startled squeak.

Huxley peeked through his arms, shooting Louisa a floundering look.

"I wasn't gonna hit ya."

"I didn't know that!" He squeaked. She rolled her eyes and pointed behind him. He rose carefully, keeping an eye on her in case she reloaded that bow. She waggled her finger more insistently and he turned. "Oh. Nice shot."

"I know." The grey vapour was wriggling and screeching and pinned to the tree by the arrow's celestial bronze point. It swelled and shrunk, battling to change into a form that would free it. It struck the arrow shaft repeatedly, hardly making it wobble.

"I want to touch it." Raijin whispered, eyes widening. Ruby didn't even bother say anything, crushing his fingers warningly. He blew a raspberry at her, whining in complaint when Louisa walked past him. "If she gets to touch it, then I get to touch it."

"I'm not gonna touch it."

"Boring." Raijin accused. Louisa just ignored him. Huxley fell in step beside her, poking her bow and pushing it away from him.

"Do you think it's really a ghost?"

"Dunno. Oy." She withdrew an arrow, wriggling the arrowhead at the vapour. It hissed and recoiled. "Do you understand us? Where's Storm?" It writhed and folded around the trunk, wriggling frantically to disappear into the lower branches. Her arrow held it in place and it sprang back, darkening in fury. Louisa poked it again. "Where. Is. Storm?"


They found the deer again. Upon seeing it and not Storm, Louisa was all set to throw the biggest rock she could find at it. Luckily, Huxley was on hand and quicker, snatching it away from her with a hissed reprimand.

"What part of sacred did you not understand?"

"I. Don't. Care. I have to find Storm, not- not this!" She gestured furiously at the deer. It stared back at her, head cocked. Its coat gleamed in the midday sun, dappled with the shadows of treetops. Louisa wanted to rip its perfect gold antlers off and beat it with them, just to stop it looking at her.

Ruby touched her arm, brow knit. Louisa turned away from the magical creature, rubbing at her face.

"We'll find her." Ruby assured. "OK? We will find her, I promise." She squeezed Louisa's arm comfortingly. Louisa heaved a sigh, staring at her sidelong. "Right," Ruby turned to the boys, snapping her fingers for their attention, "we need to sort out this deer thing."

"Oh, hold on. I might have Artemis on speed dial." Huxley dead-panned. Ruby narrowed her eyes at him. The sarcasm sailed miles over Raijin's head and he gasped excitedly, swinging on Huxley's arm.

"Can I talk to her? Tell her I said hello! Ask if I can have the deer, it's really cool!"

"Raij, no."

"What? Why?" Raijin wailed. "Ruby, he's being mean again!"

"Like he's ever nice."

"Hey. I make you lot dinner."

"Ooh, of course!" Ruby tapped herself on the forehead, tutting and rolling her eyes. "Beans."

"ARTEMIS!" Louisa bellowed, making them all jump. "ARTEMIS, WE FOUND YOUR STUPID DEER!"

"IT'S NOT STUPID!" Raijin called out. "IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY PRETTY AND I WOULD LIKE ONE TOO PLEASE!"

"ARTEMIS!"

"You really must learn some patience." Louisa turned, frowning. A girl about Huxley's age stood under a tree. Her skin was beautifully pale, her auburn hair pulled back in two neat braids. She studied Louisa with silvery-yellow eyes and a slight downturn to her mouth. She wore silver camouflage and hunting boots, carried an elegant silver bow that belied how much damage it could truly do.

"Storm's missin'." Louisa retorted hotly.

"I heard." Artemis looked past her, expression softening towards her deer. "It is nice to see you again." The deer bowed its head. "Take care, my friend. Do not be a stranger, OK?" The deer snorted, amused, and then took off, trotting away quite merrily.

"Was that it?" Louisa demanded.

"Yes, that was it." Artemis levelled a cool, carefully arranged glower on her. "I wanted to test your skills."

"I want to find Storm."

"Mm. I figured watching my Hunters would have given you some idea how to traverse the wilderness."

"Hunters?" Louisa echoed. Artemis raised an eyebrow at her. Louisa reconsidered her get-up, the memories trickling back into place. "Silvery girls. Zoë. Phoebe. Naomi."

"Who?" Ruby, Huxley and Raijin asked blankly.

"Yes." Artemis inclined her head. "They are my Hunters, not silvery girls." Louisa stared at her, pressing her lips together. This was wasting time. Storm was gods knew where and in gods knew what condition. "You did not meet my expectations finding my deer, little cousin. It was a job for you alone, but…" Artemis shrugged a shoulder. "Perhaps you'll prove yourself looking for your pegasus."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I do."

"You ain't gonna tell me?"

"No."

"What was that grey ghost thing?"

"It's called a taraxippi. A ghost that frightens horses."

"Storm's not a horse."

"She is still horse-like. Therefore, she is still affected by it."

"Are there more of them?"

"No. They often work alone." Artemis looked at her pointedly. Louisa's hands curled into fists, nails cutting into her palms. "Your friend there found some tracks, did she not? The tail hairs and broken bushes. Perhaps you should listen to her." Artemis turned to Ruby, offering a kindly smile. "We could use someone like you in our ranks."

"What?" Ruby asked, stunned. She hurriedly bowed, rosiness creeping over her cheeks. Louisa tugged on the back of her jacket, making her stand up again.

"The Hunters are an immortal band of maidens, working under my orders. Should you wish to join, you need only take my oath."

"Can I join?" Raijin gasped, bouncing on the soles of his feet.

"I'm afraid not, little warrior. The Hunters are all-women."

"Oh." Raijin stopped bouncing, shoulders slumping. He pursed his lips, thoughts whirling. "What if I said I was a girl?"

"If that is who you are, there will always be room for you. However," Artemis considered him, part-bemused, part-stern, "it is not a duty to be taken lightly. Once you are sworn in, I expect your services for eternity."

"Um…" Raijin held up a finger, but he couldn't think of the question he wanted to say.

"Swearing into my Hunters will make you near-immortal. You shall live forever, unless you die in combat."

"Oh. Cool."

"OK, are we done now?" Louisa butted in, anger shaking her voice. "Storm still needs to be found, remember her?"

"Right, right." Raijin put a finger to his lips, wincing apologetically. Louisa glared at Artemis. The goddess simply smiled, no warmth behind it. Just a cold sense of amusement.

"Prove your worth, cousin. Your life depends on it."


"My life depends on it?" Louisa repeated, ten minutes later. Artemis had vanished in a flash of bright light- Louisa had to warn the others to cover their eyes.

"She kept calling you 'cousin'. Are you really cousins? That's so cool!" Raijin grinned. Louisa rubbed at her forehead. Her father was Neptune. Artemis was… well, truth be told, she didn't really know what a cousin was.

"A cousin is a child of your parent's sibling." Huxley provided. Louisa stared at him. Can he read minds? "No, I can't." Huxley smirked. "You just looked really confused and it was kind of obvious." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Artemis is Zeus's daughter. Zeus is Poseidon's brother. So, she's your cousin on your dad's side. Apollo too, he and Artemis are twins."

"Twins?"

"Siblings born by the same parents on the same day." Louisa blinked at him. "There's two of them. But you can get triplets and quadruplets and quintuplets and-"

"Headache." Louisa cut across.

"Fair enough."

"Why did you call them silvery girls?" Ruby asked from somewhere behind her. She had been trailing behind, still a bit mystified that the goddess had personally invited her to join her immortal group of huntresses.

"Mm?" Louisa looked over her shoulder.

"The Hunters." Ruby pressed. "You know them?"

"Sort of. Kind of spied on them for a while." She shrugged a shoulder, facing forward again. Her eyes scanned the surrounding trees, fingers digging into her forearm. "Storm? Storm! You hear me?"

"Pspspspspsp!"

"Don't start that again!"

"It could work!"

"It won't work!"

"PSPSPSPSPSP!"

"Ugh, I don't know why I bother…"

"You love me."

"Yeah, yeah, if it makes you feel better."

"STORM!"

"My ears!"