Every eye in the restaurant turned to his supposed mother. The staff went out of their way to be helpful. Every man and woman tripped over themselves and each other to pull out Aphrodite's chair. Nero didn't get it. Sure, she was attractive, but he didn't feel the need to throw himself at her.
When he suggested they eat at I-hop she'd rejected his choice out of hand. It felt like a red flag. They might not get along if he made too many choices. That wasn't what a relationship was about and where he ate didn't matter so long as it was clean.
Then there was the girl goddess herself.
To his eyes she looked the same a 13-year-old girl with dolled up black hair and a pair of striking green eyes. Did he want a Japanese princess? Was that why she took that form when he looked at her? She walked with an arrogance that befitted herself. Nero wanted to know what the others saw when they walked by. Did they see two kids barely in adolescence, a mother and a child, or was he not there at all? Aphrodite hadn't illuminated him when they took their seats. It wasn't her turn to answer questions.
"Where should I start?" He asked. She sipped her margarita and narrowed her eyes.
"From the beginning. How did you become who you are?" Aphrodite said.
"What will they hear?" Nero asked waving to the crowd. He noticed the mist had set in.
"Only what they expect to hear." Aphrodite said.
"A lot of what I know is from the observation of others. In the beginning I was no more intelligent than any other mortal babe. Of those early days all I have left are feelings." Nero was beginning to feel uncomfortable under her gaze.
"Tell me what you can." Aphrodite said.
"Alright, I'll try." Nero took a sip from his drink. Who knew how long it would be before he'd get another?
"They thought I was stillborn. The doctors couldn't get a heartbeat. They were about ready to throw me into the incinerator when my sister told them to wait. I don't know how a four-year-old got in, but she did. She tapped on my chest and I started crying. I wouldn't move my limbs and the doctors couldn't move them." Nero frowned at the faded feeling of claustrophobia. "At the time, I knew that if I moved, I'd explode. Some instinct told me too much movement was death." Nero ordered some crapes with cheesecake filling and a plate of sausage, bacon, and ham before parting with the menu.
"I've heard that mortals gifted with magic are frail but exploding if you move is different." Aphrodite said.
"You don't say and here I thought I was normal." She scowled at him and it was adorable. "Sorry, I'll be good. I forget you Greeks are a bit touchy with banter. Where was I?" Nero muttered.
"You were born, and your sister saved your life." Aphrodite said. Nero let out a sigh. He didn't like this part of the story or any of the rest for that matter.
"Why not stop here you know why I'm so strong I was born with a shit ton of mana?" Nero suggested.
"What you've given me is hardly satisfying." Aphrodite said.
"Fine," Nero grumbled and let out a sigh. "No matter what the doctors did they couldn't get me to move. I barely suckled and rarely moved. It wasn't a pleasant experience for any of my family. Mom thought my sister's father was to blame. Surely, he cursed her for finding another man. My father started to bully my sister. He'd leave her at preschool a little later, lock the door if she stayed out too late, and he never praised her again. My mother often forgot her birthday. Emily finally took her anger out on me."
Nero remembered a crying Emily pounding him with her little fists. He reached out and brushed her cheek and she shattered. Maybe it was because of him that she left.
He blinked and returned to the restaurant. Emily's crying seven year old form was nowhere to be seen.
"I was three at the time. It was my birthday and I hadn't moved much. They had a party with cake, they both took off work, and the day was all about me. On that night my sister punched and kicked me. I wasn't quite fully aware then, but my body has always been durable. Around that time the lights came on and when they did, I saw my sister on the floor exhausted and crying." Nero said.
"What did you do?" Aphrodite asked.
His parents argued and drank nonstop. Emily was gone and neither parent knew peace. They fought and argued. His father lost his job, mother divorced him, and last he heard the man committed suicide. Mother turned to hard drugs last he saw her. She might be dead now.
"I took stock of the situation. My body wasn't in any state to move and even talking could destroy me. That didn't mean there were no options. This isn't my second life, its my third. I began the slow struggle of mastering my mana. In three short years I'd mastered my mana enough to stand and walk. At that time, I was six and my sister was already gone. Mom called the police, there was a big search, but she wasn't found. I could walk but I wasn't yet able to do more than that. It takes time to fully master mana. When I turned eight, I'd mastered it enough and began working on my other abilities. Two nights ago, I found her statue and killed Medusa." Nero said.
"That's all well and good but what was that form you used?" Aphrodite demanded.
"That was white form. It turns my mana into power, and I turn white while I'm using my body to contain it. Then I release that power in a direction. It's a skill I picked up in a previous life." Nero muttered.
"You tracked down your sister and went on a quest to free her from stone. What is your desired outcome?" Nero thought about it. She'd actually tried to kill him on a few occasions.
"I want her to be happy." He also wanted her away from him.
"What will you do if Artemis has already made her a hunter?" Aphrodite asked.
"Maybe it'll teach her how to love herself again. For a long time, she thought it was her fault. She thought it was her father's fault that I was born like this. All the blame for her life can be laid at my feet." Nero said.
"You know she will hate you. If Artemis has gotten to her then your relationship with your sister is over." Aphrodite said.
"I won't know until I see and talk to her face to face." Nero said. He tossed some bills on the table and got up to leave. "Will I see you at the hunter's camp?" Nero asked.
"Sorry, but my presence would only make matters worse. Besides, I need to get the gory details of your prank out of Ares or my husband." She said the last word with distain.
"Good luck." Nero muttered and stepped out of the restaurant.
Slowly, he picked up speed. He aimed for where he sensed the moon. His mana knew it was home. It called to his mana and he answered. The ground shattered around him while his speed continued to climb. He passed into yellow stone national park and then passed the barrier into the virgin wood. Where no mortal should tread, he traveled. Walls of mist parted for him and the moon presence grew larger. When he was close enough, he let himself slow down. Wind picked up behind him sending tumbling spirits through the virgin forest.
Where he stood was a land untrampled by any mortal before him. It was a place cut off from the world of man and protected by the mist. Nero felt unwelcome here. It wasn't like the uncomfortable peace he'd felt before. An aura of contempt passed over him and he welcomed it. A smile tugged at his lips. He was the first mortal to trample upon Artemis's virgin woods.
Silver arrows flew from cover. They were arrows with celestial bronze tips and powered by yew bows with such pull back strength that arrows approached the sound barrier. Nero snatched them each out of the air in turn. With speed beyond any mortal he plucked the dangerous arrows before they could pose a threat to him. His arm needed only to use cling to force the arrows to stick. The arrows stuck to him like flies in amber.
"Come on girls come get your arrows. Don't worry you can always try again another time. Its ok you're only doing your best and that is the best you can do." Nero said in a cheerful voice. He rummaged into his pocket and pulled out a golden apple. "Hey Arte asked me to get her a golden apple is she around." They fired more arrows at him, and he continued to catch them with cling. The monstrous pile of arrows in his hand grew larger with every volley.
"Enough, Nero this isn't the meeting place we established." Artemis said. "Give my hunters back their arrows they won't fire upon you again unless you deserve it."
"We didn't establish one. You were busy and it was the night of the full moon." Nero said. He removed cling and the arrow mess fell apart. He tossed her the apple.
"I didn't even have to hold up the sky. You owe me a coke." Nero said.
"We never established a bet on a soda to begin with. Their bad for you anyway. I'll give you spring water." The apple vanished in silver light. "We can discuss the state of your sister in my tent." Nero nodded his head.
"My'lady why invite a boy into our camp." One of the hunters asked.
"Zoe, he just finished a quest for me, I'll allow him the honor just this once." Artemis said.
"Thank you Arte it's been a long two days." Nero muttered. Once his sister was safe and not stone and whatever happened between them happened. He'd take some time to rest before he went looking for more trouble.
"You stink of Aphrodite. Did she help you on your quest?" Artemis asked.
"It's more like cheered from the sidelines while I fought the Landon. That's the last time I fight in Hera's garden. The whole place gave me a bad feeling. It was peaceful." Nero shook his head at the thought.
"What do you think of my forest?" The unwelcoming feeling had dissipated but another feeling took over. The hunt was an interesting feeling. It filled him with a desire to learn the trade. Nero could get used to it.
"If I stay much longer then I'll never want to leave." Nero said with a sigh. He drank deeply of the offered spring water and felt refreshed from the long run.
"I could always turn you into a girl and this would become your home." Artemis said. Nero shook his head.
"It wouldn't work I'd change back eventually. I've grown some resistances against that sort of tampering." She shrugged her shoulders.
"You stink of blood and poison you should bathe before seeing your sister. There is a stream nearby you can use." Nero nodded.
After getting clean and making his way back to camp he met a girl his age with golden hair, brown eyes that bordered on golden, and a look of uncertainty. Artemis stood against a tree nearby. A pit opened up in his stomach and he hoped it would swallow him up. He didn't want to deal with this, but it was time. A million thoughts came to mind, but none seemed right.
"Why didn't you let me die?" Emily asked. It was the last one he expected, and it struck him harder than Landon managed to.
"How could I when your cheeks were scared with tears? It was my fault. My weakness took your childhood." Nero growled.
"It would have been better to forget it all." Emily said.
"Death isn't the end. The memories may fade, or they may be erased but the scars are left on the soul. Why don't you join the hunters of Artemis? You'd have new sisters and I'm sure they can help you heal." Nero suggested.
"I knew it. Not even you want me." Nero moved without thinking and scooped her up in his arms.
"No never that. I'm dangerous Emily. I'll make enemies and they'll come after you. I'm mean and battle hungry. If I'm not careful I could destroy everything around me." Nero said.
"Then be careful and stay with me. Don't leave me in silence and ignore me." Emily said.
"I'm dangerous, I can't stay in one place for very long, and I love to fight. This is your only chance to back out little sister." He felt tears soak his shirt. "Alright then, I'll find someplace for us to stay and a place for you to go to school. Don't worry about monsters if any come around, I'll kill them." Nero said.
"Do you want to see mom again?" Nero asked. She shook her head. Nero felt relieved, he didn't want to see what she became after he left.
He turned his attention to the girl with the red hair and the silver eyes. There was a strange wistful expression on her face.
"Go ahead Emily I'll join you soon." She nodded and walked towards the path out. When she was out of earshot he turned back to Artemis.
"She's your niece, isn't she?" Nero asked.
"Yes, another niece abused by a man. You better be good to her Nero. If you aren't, I'll come for you." Artemis promised.
"Arte when I was defenseless, she took her anger out on me. I'm sure she didn't know what she was doing but I won't forget. She is a victim but that doesn't make her innocent. I love my sister but she's going to need a lot of time and therapy to work through her issues. Did she tell you she hates her father?" Nero reached out and took her hand. Artemis's eyes widened and her eyes flashed with anger.
"This is a promise. I'll do what a can to help her." Nero flashed her a winning smile. Once again, her cheeks lit golden. He ruled out a godly sign for making deals. "
You can visit anytime. My door is always be open to you. Maybe talking with you could give her some closure. Do you think I could get your brother to visit her?" Nero asked.
"There are rules. Gods can't raise their children. We can't have anything to do with our demigods after they're born." Artemis said.
"I understand, I don't like it, but I understand." Nero muttered. "Until next time Arte." He turned his back on her and left to join his sister.