A/N-So real quick. You guys may have noticed that the story looks different; that's because it is. Same concept, but I'm taking another angle on it. I hope you guys enjoy, please leave a REVIEW of what you think. Thank you

-A big thank you to purplewriter333 for doing the beta for this chapter!

The Life We Never Had

I stood at the top of the hill, watching the trees lining the horizon for as far as the eye could see. The sweet colors of autumn began to bloom as leaves took on different shades of red, yellow, and green. Standing from my vantage point, I felt the entire forces of nature swirling and dancing around me. Birds chirped at full volume, indicating the rise of the morning sun.

Smiling, I whispered a hello and waved at the sun. It had become my customary greeting to my father for the past 3,500 years since joining the Assassins. Ammon, my Lieutenant and second in command, stepped up beside me to admire the view.

"Sure is quite a sight," he observed, I couldn't help but agree. From a distance, one could forget the violence that was hidden behind the beauty of a forest, and for now, we could just soak in the beautiful sight and enjoy the morning.

"Almost makes you forget we're on this stupid mission," I grumbled, and kicked a rock down the hill. I watched it tumble and roll down until it was out of sight. Ammon watched with me carefully, shaking his head.

"So you do agree that it's a stupid mission," he finally said.

"Of course it's a stupid mission." I rolled my eyes. "What kind of person would want to go on these recruiting missions? They're boring."

Ammon threw a sharp glance at me before turning back towards the view. "Apparently you would," he remarked, kicking another rock down the hill. We watched it bounce down the hill again, secretly happy to have the distraction.

"Being the leader means taking the missions that no one else wants," I said. "It helps build morale, show them they can count on me. Besides, it's not like we do this every time- only once in a while." Despite my efforts, Ammon didn't cheer up. Who could blame him? It was a stupid mission.

I had brought him with me to track an Egyptian Magician who had been wandering around for a while. After searching his past, Ammon and I had discovered that both of his parents were killed on vacation in Alaska after a tsunami hit. This boy had been left alone to wander the world, living on nothing but scraps.

I had seen him in visions, and he clearly was in poor state. I had told Ammon it was a recruitment mission, but at this point it seemed more like a rescue mission.

"It didn't mean you had to drag me along," Ammon's voice said, breaking my thoughts. I only laughed, which made him pout even more.

"You're my lieutenant. You have to set an example, too." Once again, it didn't seem to make him feel any better.

"Then I resign."

I looked at Ammon in mock hurt.

"How could you do this to me?" I fell to my knees, forcing tears in my eyes. "I thought we were friends!"

"I should have done this years ago," Ammon laughed, and walked away while dragging me with him. I clung to his leg, and he looked down at me. "Let go!"

"You'll have to fight me to let go," I said craftily.

Without hesitation, he shook me away and drew his sword, as well as his magician wand. I drew my two katanas that I had earned in the 14th century from Masamune (a son of Hephaestus and legacy of Athena.) The sterling silver material glowed in the morning sun, radiating with energy. A flat celestial bronze rod had been morphed and twisted into the katana, giving it a hardened surface. It was nearly indestructible.

We began to circle around each other, feigning attacks. Eventually, we would engage in a full fight, but for now we were content with empty threats.

"Come on, Orthy, let's rid the world of your awful stench," Ammon taunted, spitting my former nickname at me.

I responded with the first insult that came to mind.

"Your mother is a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" I yelled before I could stop myself. I groaned, cursing my father. Being a son of Apollo meant I knew way more about pop culture than I cared for.

Ammon let out a howl of laughter at my reference. "I love that movie!" he cried. "But the funny thing is my mother did turn herself into a hamster once."

I laughed a bit, remembering the first time Ammon had told me the story about his mother accidentally turning herself into a hamster. After multiple fits of laughter and failed spells, Ammon had finally turned her back into a woman. A very ticked off woman.

We shared a quick laugh, then Ammon let loose a battle cry. "I spittith in your general direction!" He charged.

Before we could intercept, all I could think was: Weirdest. Battle-cry. Ever.

We clashed seconds later, sterling silver katanas locked with celestial bronze. Ammon's staff morphed into a secondary sword and he swiped at me. Side-stepping the blow, I tried to get past his defenses but Ammon simply jumped back. We were back where we started.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" he challenged. "It's like fighting a white puffy cloud."

My eye twitched. I was not going to make another reference. I was not going to fall for his trap again. No more culture references.

No… no…

"Well this cloud is about to bring the thunder!"

…and I failed.

I could swear I felt the sun winking at me. Gee, thanks a lot, Dad. I only rolled my eyes back and charged at Ammon again, katanas held in a position to protect my lower and upper body. We met in the middle again, our weapons colliding at breakneck speed as sparks flew from our weapons.

I swung my right katana at Ammon's legs, hoping to trip him. But he easily blocked my attempt and launched a series of counter-attacks aimed at my torso and lower body. I was forced on my heels as Ammon's attacks picked up speed.

Ammon swiped low towards my feet, but I made quick work in side-stepping it. With his side exposed, I began to engage and put him back on his heels.

Grinning, I was about to finish the fight when I noticed a dark flash out of the corner of my eyes. I glanced at where I had seen the spot, only to find nothing there. Maybe it was only my imagination; I turned back to face Ammon. But while I'd been looking, Ammon had had enough time to recover and charged me.

We engaged again, but the black spot I had seen kept gnawing at my mind.

I pressed on, stretching out Ammon's defenses to try and find another opening. His fighting style perfectly matched my own, a product of training with each other for over three millennia. I tried to trip him again, but this time he jumped over my attempt. Luckily, my other katana managed to meet him while he was in the air and forced him to the ground.

Just as I was about to finish Ammon off once and for all, I saw the black spot again. This time it was larger, and still getting bigger. Staring back at where Ammon had been, I was surprised to see he had vanished. But after a quick look around, I noticed Ammon standing a few yards away, looking amused.

Suddenly, I realized just what the black spot was.

"Hey, no magic!" I shouted.

"What are you talking about?"

I was surprised to see that he looked genuinely confused. I had assumed the black spots must have been his doing, but he just looked as baffled as I did.

That's when I saw it again, even larger.

I looked at the sky, but it was as clear as a day could get. The air was dry and clouds were sparse. The sun was shining brightly, but there was no sign of any darkness. But then there was another spot, this time in both my eyes. I looked Ammon, worried, but the dark spots didn't even seem to register with him.

"Are you seeing these?" I asked, hoping my suspicions were wrong.

"Seeing what?"

Great. Just great. So either I was finally going insane after all these millennia of being surrounded by a bunch of idiots, or I was really seeing black spots.

Just as I was about to accept that I had gone insane, the black spots appeared again. This time though, they didn't disappear. I frantically looked around, trying to find the source, but every time I moved they moved with me.

Moments later, the spots began to pulse, growing larger. And slowly, they began to grow over my eyes. I could faintly hear Ammon calling to me, but it only sounded like he was underwater. I was mesmerized by the dancing black spots all over my eyes. They obstructed all sense of vision and reality. Every part of me was focused on this one phenomenon. I needed to see what happened next. What they were going to do, where they were going to go.

And then everything went black.

The dark silence was deafening, the world forgotten. Suddenly, the spots retreated to welcome an oppressive darkness. I could see for miles in either direction, and yet I saw nothing at the same time. The only evidence that I wasn't trapped in a small room was the light being emitted from my sterling silver katanas. It gave off the light I needed to check my surroundings.

Left with no choice, I began to wander around in hopes of finding an exit. The endless darkness seemed to warp and reshape around me as the light of the sterling silver invaded the area.

It was hard to describe exactly what I was seeing; it was cold, dark, and extremely lonely. The walls of darkness seemed to close in on me, only to retreat when I waved my twin swords. The cold frosty air bit into my skin like knifes, despite the thick cloak the Assassins used for cold weather.

I walked for what felt like hours, the eternal darkness unrelenting. The scene remained unchanged no matter where I turned and regardless of how fast I ran. I couldn't hear a single noise, not even my feet against the dark floor. I felt nothing, yet the nothingness was crushing me. Caging me.

It made no sense. I was a son of Apollo, born for the light. Darkness had always been my enemy. But this… this was something more. This was not some regular darkness; this was advanced darkness.

I groaned again. Even with my life potentially on the line, my stupid Apollo-born brain had to come up with another culture reference. Perfect.

Then came the noise.

It was silent at first, playing just below the maximum pitch my ears could pick up. The ringing sound remained oddly constant, refusing to get louder or lower. I just stood in one place, unable to tune it out as it rang throughout my head.

After an unspecified yet agonizing amount of time, the sound left and I was alone in silence again. Had the noise really gone away, or had I just gone deaf? I didn't want to find out.

Slowly, I filled my lungs with air and prepared for the inevitable.

"Hello?" a voice came from deep within my body, but it was not my own. All relief of still having my hearing was washed away by the voice I heard. The voice clearly belonged to someone else, someone I prayed to every god in existence I would never have to hear again.

"It's been so long."

A gust of wind caressed my cheek, drying the tears that were already beginning to form so easily.

"Don't be shy," the voice taunted me with my own body. Every word felt like my own, but it wasn't.

"Come to the light," it coaxed.

But there was no light.

"Oh don't give up so easily," the voice mocked disappointment. "You just have to-"

"Look."

The voice was no longer coming from my own body, but from far away. It was only a whisper, but it echoed throughout the entire area, invading my ears and hammering into my mind. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to shut out the voice, his voice.

Salty tears began to escape from my eyes, and pure terror gripped every muscle in my body, holding me hostage. The voice had been long gone, but it still remained in my mind. The source was left behind, tormenting me.

Then a light.

In the darkness, it was blinding. A tiny light, nothing more, but it meant everything.

'Come to the light,' the voice whispered in my mind. Like a clock with only one purpose, I forced myself towards the tiny light. That light had now become my sole purpose, and I had to do what it said. Everything else was meaningless.

I inched closer to the growing light, every part of me now screaming to stop. Still, I moved forward. And the closer I got, the more my body began to tremble. Tears ran down my cheeks. The only thing controlling me now was fear. A fear I had known but once before.

By the time I reached the light, it was searing into my eyes. My entire body was drenched in sweat, my muscles refused to move another inch, and my brain had all but shut off. A part of me wanted to die.

I wanted to die.

End the suffering. End the pain.

Forget the world.

"Let it die," the voice came from nowhere, yet everywhere. Every inch was filled with it. It was oppressive, but only a whisper.

The light.

I looked at the light, the source of everything I loved. The darkness surrounded it, but the light remained firm. When I looked, I saw what I had always wanted. I reached for it, desperately trying to grab what had so easily slipped through my fingers. But just when I was about to touch it, it slipped just out of reach.

I stepped forward again to try to catch it, but it still slipped away.

Try after try, fail after fail, and I still couldn't catch it.

"Silly boy," the voice laughed, mocking me. "Always chasing what you desire, but knowing you will never have it."

My eyes remained on the light, refusing to look anywhere else. It now become my only hope in the wall of darkness closing in on me.

But then the light got bigger, until I could finally see what was inside.

I gazed at the light, curious as to what I may see. Perhaps the Assassins and I on a mission together, or sparring with Ammon in our free time.

Instead, I saw an image.

"Atalanta," I breathed, and the walls collapsed.

I was in an open field, but it was no longer the hill on a forest where Ammon and I had fought. I looked around me, trying to make sense of my new surroundings, but saw nothing but trees for miles.

It was a beautiful sight. The sun was peaking just over the horizon like a shy child, and bands of light were colliding with puffy clouds to create a pink hue. The pink eventually gave way to a brilliant blue and a dusty gray, creating the colors of dawn. Three colors in harmony, painted across the sky like a canvas.

"Ortheus?"

I turned towards the source of the voice and held back a gasp. It was my mother.

She stood on the raised dais in front of our house, the sun shining on her chocolate brown hair. I had always thought she looked most beautiful from that angle, and this only confirmed it.

Mom looked at me with her warm brown eyes, and I found myself melting. I knew those eyes meant safety, comfort, and happiness. When I saw those eyes, I knew I wasn't alone anymore. There were still things to fight for.

As I ran towards her, a wooden structure began to appear behind her; my home.

It was a simple structure. A few logs built into a rectangle with a regular roof to keep the rain out. The cabin had two rooms: one for my mother, and another for Atalanta and me. Smoke was billowing out of the chimney, where my mom was likely cooking her famous pork stew.

"Coming, Mom!" I yelled, rushing towards her waiting arms. As I sprinted past a puddle, I suddenly stopped, looking at my reflection. When I looked at my eyes, I saw the same brilliant blue sparkle I had seen 3,000 years ago, instead of the whirlpools of red and white that had replaced them. My hair was no longer a fiery orange, but a shining blonde that reflected the golden sun. I was normal again.

Oddly, I started to get lost in my own reflection, caressing the hair that I had lost so many years ago and admiring my nearly perfect face.

"Stop checking yourself out and get inside, Ortheus," my mother's laugh cut in. I blushed, feeling like my vain father.

I ran towards my mother and when I got there, she pulled me into a hug. For that one moment, nothing else mattered. It had been over 3,000 years since I felt her embrace, but I only cared that it was now. The colors washes away, the cabin faded into the background, and the sweet aroma of pork stew lost its hold on my senses. There was only her, my mother's arms. So sweet and caring and something I'd always taken for granted.

I buried my head inside her, refusing to leave the comfort I had lost for so long. I knew this couldn't be real, but I couldn't help but feeling like it was. Everything was exactly as it would have been.

But something kept nagging at my mind, telling me it was just a dream. I didn't want to listen. I had finally found my home again, and nothing could take this away.

With difficulty, I finally broke from my mom's embrace and forced myself to look up into her eyes. In them I saw the same loving warmth I had seen so long ago, when she looked at me for the last time.

My heart shattered.

Nothing could touch me now. Nothing could hurt me. I looked into those eyes and I knew I was protected from any evil. The pain of the world was washed away in the eternal depths of her eyes, pulling me closer to safety.

"Come on inside, it's time for breakfast," she smiled, waving me in. My stomach growled at the idea of food. After a hard morning of work, I was certainly ready for it. She laughed again. "Hungry are we?"

I blushed, mentally yelling at my stomach to stop being so loud.

She didn't wait for an answer, though, before dragging me to the breakfast table. There I saw my sister, Atalanta, the same seven-year-old girl I had left all those millennia ago, sitting at the table. As soon as I entered, she ran up and jumped on me; I had just enough time to catch her before she fell over. Swinging her around a few times before setting her down, grins started to plaster on both of our forces.

"Ortheus, guess what?" She was jumping up and down with joy, bubbling like a boiling kettle. "Come on! Guess what? Guess what? Guess what?"

"Alright, what is it, Sunshine?" I laughed, ruffling her hair.

"You have to guess!" she whined, stomping her foot. When she did that, I knew there was no way of working around this, or we would be standing here for a very long time.

Mom apparently was afraid of that too, and answered for me. "Our little angel made breakfast," she said, and Atalanta groaned. My mom just laughed, giving me a knowing look.

"You weren't supposed to tell him!" I barely heard it, as I was too happy to comprehend anything else; I turned to her with surprise and pride.

"You made breakfast for us?" I asked incredulously.

"Mmhmm! But Momma helped me!" My sister grinned, clearly proud of her big accomplishment.

"I'm so proud of you," I whispered, because I truly was. "You're getting so big. Making breakfast!"

I didn't think her smile could possibly get wider, but it did. Her mouth was stretched from ear to ear. I couldn't help it; I bent over and brought her in for a hug.

Just like with my mother, I didn't want to leave. Holding my sister in my arms, I felt like a big brother again, one who was able to protect his little sunshine.

Everything was as it should have been. I had my family again, my home, my normal life. The Assassins were but a distant memory, an old wise tale that was given no more than a second thought. The only thing that mattered was this... right here, right now.

The dawn painted sky, my mother's warm eyes, the sweet aroma of stew, Atalanta's brilliant smile, the amazing breakfast she had made… I couldn't think of anything else even coming close. I wanted to give into it, to put my soul to rest and remain in this surreal world.

Only, something kept nagging at me. It was telling me this was all wrong, that I shouldn't be here, that I needed to leave. I ignored it. This was the life I was meant to live, the person I was meant to be. A boring son of Apollo, forgotten by the entire world. No danger, no adventure, but with the family I had always wanted. Born to die.

My sister dragged me over to the breakfast table, pulling up a chair where I could sit down. Still grinning, she fetched the barley bread from our cellar and scooped some pancakes onto my plate.

My mouth watered, and a new aroma permeated the air that was coming from the pancakes which were still fresh. Atalanta poured honey over my plate and hovered at my side to see what I thought.

Looking over the food, I found nothing to be suspicious of. I knew they had all the right ingredients and the pancakes themselves seemed to look okay. Not too black but not too battery; just right. I picked one up with my bare hands and took a bite. It was soft and sweet, melting in my warm mouth.

They tasted just like the ones my mother had always made for us: soft and chewy with honey on the side, and just a hint of olive oil to enrich the flavor. A little taste of heaven.

I smiled in gratification, and Atalanta lit up like a Christmas tree. "Do you like them?" she blurted out, and for a moment I feared she'd burst from anticipation.

"I love them," I said. Smiling, she pulled me into a bear hug and I happily accepted, holding her like that for as long as I could.

Everything was as it should be. My mother stood off to the side, smiling as we continued to embrace. My sister stood in my arms, holding me even tighter than I was if that was possible. For once in a long time, my entire mind and body was at peace. No pain, no fear, no threats. Just a happy family enjoying breakfast.

"Ortheus." My mother broke us from our embrace. "Why don't you take Atalanta with you to practice archery?"

Without even waiting for me to respond, Atalanta jumped with joy and ran to retrieve her bow.

It was a gift I had given to her for her seventh birthday. A simple wooden recurve bow made from the trees that surrounded our house. A horse hair string kept the two ends of the bow in place, and the curves at the end gave it a respectable amount of power without requiring too much strength. It was perfect for her.

"I wish she would stay this way forever," I sighed, smiling sadly at the thought of when my sister would hit puberty and lose her youthful energy. I never wanted that day to come, but I was prepared to make the most of every minute that came before it.

"Then how about we make sure she does?" Mom asked, answering my previous statement.

That was my first hint that something was wrong about this place. I looked into her eyes, but still all I saw was the endless warmth inside, no sign of the cold voice that had just spoken only moments ago.

Shaking my head, I thought nothing of it, chalking it up to my imagination.

A few moments later, the tiny frame of Atalanta limped out of our room, bow in hand. Behind her, she dragged my bow with her, pulling it until she finally reached me and I picked it up. Like Atalanta's, mine was a simple bow, but a regular one. Mine did not have the curves at the end, allowing a greater draw weight, and consequentially more power.

"Do you want me to take that for you?" I extended my empty hand, referring to her own bow. Atalanta shook her head vigorously, tightening her grip on her own bow. A true daughter of Apollo, I mused. One who never wants to let go of her bow. "Follow me, then," I said, turning to the door to go to our training area.

I led her on the short walk to the archery range; it was a mostly private area, with only a few of those closest to me knowing of its location. Until today, even Atalanta did not know of its location. We had a bit of hiking to do, but she handled it well and within a few short minutes we were there.

"Welcome to the archery range, Atalanta," I said, and held my hands out gesturing to the clearing that had become my sanctuary. Atalanta's eyes widened, looking around in awe. She sprinted off, exploring all the different nooks and crannies of my little hideout.

It was just the way I had found it. A quiver laid horizontally on my work table, unfinished arrows scattered all around it- some in need of feathering or a new head. My second bow lazily leaned on the side of the table, having been unused for some time.

The end of a fallen tree stuck out on the other side of the range, holes visible from where it had been hit by countless arrows. A few stray marks riddled the trunks around it from missed shots. Next to the trees were six wooden staffs lined up in a way that they created an 'X' when viewed from the front. Each one stood three yards behind the one in front.

"This place is amazing!" my sister yelled, joyfully throwing her hands up in the air as she ran. I just laughed, grinning at my little sunshine who seemed to be an endless ball of energy.

"What could have been."

I jerked and immediately looked around for the voice, but saw nothing. A part of me told me I had just been hearing things, but there was still a feeling that told me I should investigate. Unfortunately, Atalanta broke me from my thoughts before I could investigate any further.

"What's wrong, Ortheus?" She stared at me with her wide, brilliant blue eyes. I stared at her and lost all resolve, I couldn't tell her.

"Nothing," I lied. "Let's just get to work on your shooting." I guided my sister to the closest marked point to the tree. It was simply a line dug up in the dirt, marking ten yards from the tree I used as a target.

I handed Atalanta a small arrow; the one I had personalized for her bow ahead of time in case this day ever came. She took it in her hand and nocked it in the string. I double checked to make sure she was holding it correctly before nodding. And when I looked at her feet, I saw that her stance was good.

Taking her index and middle finger, she pulled the string back until a finger rested below the chin; the perfect stance. She released the arrow.

It hit just outside of the center. A few centimeters to the left and it would have been a perfect shot. "You're a natural!" I congratulated. Clearly she had gotten archery from Apollo, as I had. She smiled gleefully, obviously proud she had managed to impress me.

We practiced for the rest of the morning, which passed too quickly for my taste. She managed to land a few bulls-eyes, but most of her shots landed just outside center. When I moved her back to the fifteen yard line, she continued to hit outside center, but her shots were slightly more sporadic and a few landed further out. After a few hours of watching her shoot, she begged me to show her. After hesitation, I relented, moving to the furthest point, which was fifty yards.

"You ready?" I grinned, ready to impress her. She nodded, rocking side to side in expectation. I took an arrow from my quiver, nocked it, and examined the tree: it was about five feet wide, but at this distance it looked smaller than a foot. I trained my eyes on the target, envisioning the shot hitting dead center over and over again. All my concentration was focused on this one thing, and nothing could break it.

Drawing the strings back, I finally released it. I had known it was a good shot before it had even left the bow, and I was proven correct when the arrow hit dead center, not a millimeter to spare. Atalanta clapped feverishly, jumping up in down. "That was amazing, Ortheus!"

I smiled and gave her a wink. "That will be you one day."

"No, I'll be better!"

I laughed and ruffled her hair. Apollo's children did carry a certain edge of competitiveness.

"You most certainly will be," I promised, and knelt down to meet her eyes. I reached out and pulled her in for a hug. I didn't know why, but it just felt right. Almost like I would never get to do this again. I knew I had to treasure every single moment I had left with her, always believing it would be my last.

The rest of the day carried on uneventfully. I tended to the field and groomed the animals we held, and then we ate lunch. I finally got to have the pork stew that had been watering my mouth all day.

After the sun went down and Apollo's chariot had long since retired for the night, I finally fell into my bed where I was instantly whisked off into a dream. Life was as it should be.

...For now.

My eyes snapped open.

Moonlight filled my eyes, and the cold autumn wind rustled the trees as crickets called to the night sky. I blinked. I was no longer in the dream, but I remembered it as if it were real. It had certainly felt real. How long had I been stuck in there?

When I looked up, I saw Ammon standing over me. At a first glance he looked natural, but then I noticed he was shaking uncontrollably. Had he seen what I had seen?

"Ammon." I couldn't bring my voice above a murmur, more fearful of what I'd hear instead.

"Yes, Ortheus…" The fact that he spoke barely seemed to spark any recognition in him. His eyes were stuck on the horizon, frozen in place. I could almost hear this thudding heartbeat piercing the silence that gripped us.

Growing concerned, I sat up and snapped my fingers in front of his eyes, hoping it would register with him. But his eyes remained fixated on the horizon.

I sucked in a breath. "Gods. He's back," I whispered, almost choking on my own words. I didn't want it to be true, but deep within, I knew it was. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to run and hide from what was coming.

"He's back."

Ammon's eyes finally shifted towards me, brown eyes gripped with fear. The same fear I had seen once before... the fear that had taken everything from me…

…3,000 years ago

A/N-And that's a wrap on chapter two. Villain will be revealed in chapter three, though if you've read this story before I started changing it up then you already know who it is. Again, please remember to REVIEW with your thoughts and then FOLLOW an FAVORITE if you enjoyed. Time is money people, and these chapters don't come free. I need encouragement to know my efforts aren't in vain.

gv nrgy pls

~dawsonj26