Basic background information: this is in a universe where, in your dreams, you can see the life of your destined-to-be soulmate, what happened or is happening to them that day. This is an idea I got from Jesi_Ki_Kage on ao3, who in turn got it from etanunu from the same site, so this is not my original idea.

Other note: In my stories, I always change Zoë's name when she was a hesperid to Zoetheria. The two are the same person, don't let it confuse you.

Anyways, I've read, like, at least two dozen soulmate AU's in the past few days and I was inspired. Hope you enjoy.

When Zoetheria first got the dream, she was convinced it was wishful thinking.

Growing up having four older sisters, you learned all about this sort of stuff. She could remember Erytheia and Hesperia, the most romantic of her family, sitting her down and telling her stories of people living the lives of their soulmates in their dreams. None of them had ever experienced it, of course, no immortal in the history of time had ever been assigned a soulmate. Living forever, loyalty didn't exist. Love came and went and you just had to go with it.

Zoetheria remembered later in life sitting alongside her sisters and joining in their tales of telling when Calypso was born. Calypso wasn't around all the time, not being tied to the garden like her sisters were, but Calypso was a delight. As she grew, she became even more of a romantic than any of the Hesperides ever were.

Oh, the irony.

In present time, Zoetheria had awoken from her slumber with memories of the most vivid of dreams. She had been looking around at a beautiful wilderness from the height of what seemed to be a small child. An older woman lay on the ground behind her, looking exhausted beyond compare but smiling pleasantly. Small critters stuck their noses out from the grass to look at her and Zoetheria had heard herself giggling, a childish sound of pure innocence that she longed for.

She knew it was impossible, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that this was not just a mere dream.

At three days old, Artemis was already enraptured by the girl in her dreams.

Well, in the technical sense, she was three days old. Physically, she was around nine or ten, and she had the mentality of someone only a couple of years older. As a goddess, that was a given. And she understood enough to know that her dreams were not normal.

After the second night of seeing life from her dream-girl's eyes, she'd excitedly ran to her mother and told her all about the pretty garden and the pretty girls and the pretty golden dragon that would always curl its many heads around her and purr. Her mother had acted like it was nothing, brushing her off, but Artemis was smart. She could see the confusion and worry in her mother's face and carefully tapped her on the knee. "Are dreams not good?"

"No, sweetheart, they're fine. Just dreams." It sounded like she was saying it more to herself than to her daughter.

It had been two weeks since they began, and Zoetheria was beginning to believe that it might just be what she's been desperately denying the possibility of.

It's not that she hates the idea of love. She thought love was a beautiful concept, something that could bring happiness and delight. But she was immortal, her life tied to a tree in a garden that she was forever cursed to stay in. Not to mention the many times she's seen love fail. Soulmate or not.

She wished she had access to more than just her sisters. If she wasn't stuck here, she could actually look for answers. Outside, there were temples, libraries, and more than just the same four people all day, every day. What an adventure that would be.

Perhaps that was the reason she felt so invested in these recurring dreams.

Zoetheria was confused and worried by them, but she looked forward to them. They showed her things she'd never seen before. The young girl, who by now spoke more like a twenty-year-old woman than like a child, was the wildest spirit Zoetheria could imagine. Her name, she learned, was Artemis, and she had a brother named Apollo and a mother named Leto and she lived in a small house on an island called Delos.

Artemis would race the tree nymphs and swim alongside the river nymphs and befriend the wildlife in her time. Her mother had shown her how to carve a bow, which she now used to hunt food for her small family. She killed quickly, each shot always aimed for a clean kill. Her skill at archery was nothing to laugh about and Zoetheria found her restless spirit quite endearing.

She worried, though. If these dreams were what she feared they'd be, then this girl was a goddess, and so was her brother and likely her father. After Calypso had sided with their father Atlas during the Titanomachy, the gods had become fearful of the titan children. The Hesperides were regarded with distrust now more than ever. If Artemis was to ever join the rest of her kind on Olympus, what would she think of her? Would she hate her as all the others do?

She certainly hoped not.

Artemis had an unhealthy obsession with her dream girl.

Zoë. Specifically, Zoetheria, but that sounded too formal. Artemis had watched the days of her life go by, the same thing over and over, but Artemis could see her longing. Beneath her soft demeanor was a reckless heart who longed to go out into the world and forge her own path, but she couldn't. She couldn't leave.

So Artemis told her mother and brother that she wanted to find her dream girl.

Her brother had bust out laughing while her mother had only looked concerned. "Nice joke, Arty," Apollo chuckled. "Never took you for a hopeless romantic."

Mother cuffed him on the back of the head and turned to her. "Artemis, dear, you know you cannot leave the island. It is dangerous."

"I can handle it. I have my bow and the animals will warn me of danger as they always do."

"That is not enough." Leto grasped her daughter's shoulders. "I have told you of the gods. If they discover you are alive, Hera will attempt to murder you, and others would try to do the same just because they could. You cannot face them. I promise you will one day be able to walk among the gods freely, but not yet. Not now."

"Mother, she isn't a god. She wouldn't hurt me."

"I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about your journey to find her. If she does exist, you do not know where she is. The gods would find you. You cannot."

"She does exist."

Leto sighed. "If you truly believe so, I will trust you. But promise me to not leave until it is time."

Artemis promised.

'I promise you will one day be able to walk among the gods freely.'

Leto did not lie.

Zoetheria felt pain rock her heart as she watched the young goddess stare wistfully at the skies, praying for her moment to meet the gods of Olympus. She knew it was natural for her to be curious, after all, they were her kind, but Zoetheria wasn't. She wanted Artemis to stay far, far away from the corrupted gods and keep her innocent soul from their terrible customs, but that was not possible. Zoetheria could not leave the garden, let alone find the huntress.

Artemis had grown into a fine woman. She had strength to rival Ares, speed to rival Hermes, and wit to best even the most elite fighters, though she was not aware of her skill. Her only rival was her own brother, who could tie her at archery but in a battle would not stand a chance. Apollo was . . . something, to say the least. He found no need to hone any skills the way his sister did, instead keeping up with archery if only to be able to best her. Artemis was the hunter. Why should he waste his time learning the same skills if he did not need them?
Artemis was constantly annoyed by him. Zoetheria could not blame her. He was a very irritating person.

The twins had explored everything that was to be found on the island, and she was, as always, carried along in her dreams. The beauty of land unpolluted by the careless gods and mortals was a sight to behold. Zoetheria yearned to one day see these things from her own eyes instead of from someone else's.

She was content. Happy. Her garden life was tame, her dream life was extraordinary.

For the time being.

And then godsdamned Hermes had to show up.

Artemis decided Hermes was acceptable.

Zeus, on the other hand, was not.

The messenger god had shown up not an hour ago to inform Leto that at the sun's peak tomorrow her children would be requested to meet with the council and establish their domains. Apollo was ecstatic. Artemis was not.

Not after what her mother just told her. Apparently, Zeus, king of the gods, was her father, and not by choice of Leto. Artemis immediately knew she wanted nothing to do with him.

"The gods do not care for the opinions of others," Leto warned. "They take what they want because they can, whether they be taking merely a trinket or an entire city. Nobody has ever dared tell them 'no.' You cannot become this. Be better than they are, if not for my sake then for yours."

Artemis agreed. For her mother's sake and for her own sake, but also for Zoë.

From what she had garnered, Zoë was not fond of the Olympians. It was their fault she was stuck in the cursed garden and she didn't like it. It made sense. Being stuck in one place for all your life isn't fun. If anything, that was the only reason she was excited for their trip. New places to see. New adventures. She couldn't wait for that.

And so, the next day, Artemis walked side by side with her brother into the vast throne room of the Olympian gods.

Zoetheria was scared to her wit's end.

She watched her friend - she didn't want to call her a soulmate just yet - step before the gods and into the light of her judgement. She could feel Artemis's crushing anxiety as well as jittery excitement looking upon her brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and a flash of hatred as she looked at her father and his wife. Zeus was watching her with what looked like a caring gaze, but he did that to each of his children and look where it got him. Hera was eyeing her with scrutiny, her lip twitching up in a scowl.

"My son and daughter," Zeus began. "Today you come forward to claim your place as a god of Olympus. State your titles."
As new gods, the twins had the ability to choose their own domains as long as they did not conflict with another god and fit the personality of the bearer. Zoetheria had watched Artemis fretting over her choice of domains all day yesterday and knew that she would do well despite her nervousness. Artemis took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I, Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto, claim the domains of the hunt, wilderness, moon, archery, childbirth and virginity." She said it without a single waver and Zoetheria felt a rush of pride for the girl.

Apollo went after her claiming a good many domains including archery, something his sister had claimed just a minute ago. Irritation swept through her but she said nothing and let her brother continue his spiel.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, sealing the powers to their owners. Artemis gasped as energy flooded into her, filling her up to the brim and making her feel fuller than she'd ever been. It was an exhilarating feeling and left adrenaline pumping through her godly veins. An aura of silver now shone around her.

Zeus stood from his seat. "As two of my most powerful children, both of you will take your place among our council. With the other's agreement, of course." Most other gods glowered at him but knew to speak up would be pointless no matter what he said. He clasped his hands together. "Then it is unanimous! Hail Lord Apollo and Lady Artemis."

Zoetheria felt crushed. If there was any hope before, that was all gone now. Such power would corrupt even the best of people. The sorrow she felt for the loss of her friend was worse than she'd ever felt before.

Artemis was now an all-powerful goddess.

And gods hated her.