Day 4

Apollo's POV

Soooooo boooooored.

It's dark, no one's awake, and I have NOTHING to do. Mom's still asleep, with me by her side. I didn't want to wake her up, but I was SO restless. I had to move!

I rocked around, trying to at least do SOMETHING. I rocked sideways, and ended up on my belly. On my belly… I wonder…

I pushed myself up with my arms. I hadn't been able to do this before, but I'm bigger now. Slowly I reached an arm out and dragged myself forwards. Then I moved a leg forwards. Then an arm again. Yeeeesss! I could crawl now!

I crawled forwards, to the edge of the mattress Artemis had set on the floor. This would be a daunting height if I was an ordinary baby.

I was no ordinary baby.

I used the blankets that spilled over the edge of the mattress as a ramp to get to the floor.

I'd done it! I was free!

Now what? What could a baby do?

I recalled something. A vague memory from sometime long ago.

Another baby had crawled away from his mom. He'd marched out in the middle of the night, stolen cows, and even made an instrument before he marched back to his mom and tucked himself back in.

Resolve burned through my soul. If that baby could do all that, then I could to!

…Okay, so I didn't know if any cows were around here, and I didn't really want to steal any, but still! BABY POWER!

I don't think there's much around here… Hm… what can I do…?

I know! I'll play hide-and-seek! It would take soooo long for the rest of my family to count long enough for me to hide. If I hide now, they won't get frustrated and annoyed waiting for me, and I'll know they didn't peek! It's brilliant!

I crawled out into the night. Luckily for me, it was overcast tonight. Artemis couldn't use the moonlight to cheat.

Better find a place to hide that moonlight didn't touch, though. The clouds could always move.

I crawled and crawled across the rocky landscape. There weren't a lot of trees to hide under. Luckily, I was small enough that I didn't NEED a tree.

After crawling around for a while, I found a thick shrub. It was only about two feet tall, but that was big enough for me. I crawled underneath it and promptly fell asleep.

0-/O\\-0

Leto's POV

Apollo lay at my feet, dead.

A rotten stench filled my nostrils. Bugs had chewed out his eyes, leaving empty eye sockets staring up at me. His corpse was bloated and swollen, with a thick, shiny sheen covering the skin… where he had skin left. Rats had chewed their way through some of the skin, leaving flesh exposed to the air.

I nearly threw up. Apollo had died while I was sleeping. I'd always feared for him, since that first week when he took off to fight Python. I'd thought that I'd lose him then, my precious baby boy.

This time, I actually had.

The world broke down around me. I hardly cared. My son was gone.

Oh gods… Artemis. She probably already knew. But if she knew, why wasn't she here?

Was she dead too?

No.

NO.

My daughter, my precious daughter, she MUST be alive. She can't be dead. Not her too.

I stumbled out of there somehow. My head felt like it was stuffed with bees, all buzzing dead gone tortured hurt.

I teleported feverishly around the U.S. But I saw no sign of my daughter, or her Hunters.

I rushed into Olympus. Normally I didn't venture through his halls. Hera had made it quite clear that I wasn't welcome there. I hardly cared now. She couldn't hurt me any worse than I already was.

I tore into Zeus's bedchamber. He sat on his bed, staring at me calmly.

"WHY IS APOLLO DEAD?!" I screamed at him. "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?! WHY! WHY DIDN'T YOU PROTECT THEM!"

He smiled at me, a warm, comforting smile. I wanted to bash his head in. "Didn't I tell you?" he spoke smoothly, "It's all over now."

I sat up, gasping, tears running down my face.

It was just a dream. Apollo was fine. He didn't die while I was sleeping. He's fine. He's not dead. He's right…

I checked the bed. Then I checked again. Apollo isn't here. HE'S NOT HERE.

My breathing got faster and faster. Dead, dead, DEAD. He's DEAD. He won't come back this time.

Have to find Artemis. Have to make sure she's alright.

I stumbled out of my tent. I tripped and fell a few times, but I didn't care. My daughter HAD to be alright. She HAD to be!

I tore open the entrance to Artemis's tent. She sat up, alert. She took one look at my face and sprang out of bed.

"What happened? Where's Apollo?" she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

"I- I went to sleep. I woke up and he was gone! What if he's dead Artemis?! Or- or gone to fight a monster! He's a BABY! I can't lose him again! I- I- I-!" I broke down, sobbing into Artemis's arms.

Artemis stroked my hair. "He can't have gotten far. I'll find him. I'm sure he's fine. Just wait here, in case he comes back. I'll hunt him down," she spoke soothingly.

I nodded. She was right. Artemis could track down anything. She'd find him. It'd be okay.

The image of Apollo's corpse flashed into my mind. No. That wasn't REAL. He's ok. Just wait. Artemis will find him. My children will be okay. They HAVE to be.

But what if Artemis disappeared too? Last time she'd hunted alone…

Noticing the new look of worry that passed over my face, Artemis said, "Don't worry. I won't be alone. I'll bring Meg along with me. You won't lose me."

I relaxed slightly. "Go. Bring your brother back."

She gave me one last look, and then my daughter was gone.

0-/O\\-0

Artemis's POV

I. Am. Going. To. MURDER. My. Baby. Brother.

He ran off AGAIN. I remember when he did this the first time. He ran off in the middle of the night to kill Python, leaving mother and I frantically searching Delos. He had a far enough headstart that time that he was gone from Delos before I even woke up. And even I had trouble finding someone who had crossed the ocean.

He came back a few days later with stories of how he easily slew Python, of how it had been no trouble at all, but I knew better. I saw the bruises peeking out from under his clothing, the way he jumped at every sound, and the fear in his eyes every time he saw a snake.

This time he was a lot more vulnerable. But at least he couldn't have gotten far. He couldn't even walk, he couldn't have gotten off the island.

Unless someone kidnapped him a small voice whispered in my head. Unless the defenses were breached. Then he could be anywhere. Or he could already be dead.

"No, he couldn't." I whispered to myself. "I'd know if he were dead."

"What'd you say?" Meg chimed in next to me.

"Nothing."

I examined the ground. Frustratingly, the moon was covered by clouds, so I couldn't see him from above. He'd also muffled our connection, so I couldn't find his location. I'd have to do this the old-fashioned way.

Luckily, Apollo wasn't very good at covering his tracks.

"It looks like he crawled out of the tent," I sighed, relieved.

"So can you find him?" Meg asked, adjusting her glasses. The rhinestones glowed, acting like miniature flashlights.

"Yes, easily."

I ran, following the trail of bent grasses and shifted pebbles.

A few minutes later, I found him.

There he was, napping peacefully underneath a bush. I didn't know whether I wanted to cry and hug him, or throttle him.

I settled on picking him up.

He blearily opened his eyes and pouted at me. "Bah!" he exclaimed, looking annoyed.

I slowly grinned. "Oh baby bro~ther" I sing-songed, "you are in so~ much trouble."

His look of annoyance changed to nervousness.

He tilted his head to the side and stared at me with big, pleading eyes.

I was unimpressed.

He gave up.

"When you're grown again, remember this," I whispered into his ear, "You made mother cry. I will have my revenge."

A look of dread overcame his face.

I smiled at him again, one that didn't reach my eyes.

"So!" I told Meg, "let's get this little explorer back to bed. I'm sure this will be the last time he sneaks out, won't it?"

Apollo gulped.

I carried him back, humming a joyful tune, lovely thoughts of patricide filling my mind.