Hi again :)
Thankyou for the reviews :) They are amazing....and in answer to Fishpony: it is :) It's pretty much the only thing i write about :D
Here is chapter 2, I've split it into 2 parts because simply...it was getting too long :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Greek Mythology or "Darkness" - Lord Byron owns that .....
This chapter is mostly character development between Apollo and Artemis so it is quite 'fluffy'
Anyway - here it is :) ....Enjoy :D
and review...but mostly Enjoy :)
Chapter Two: The Olympian Council
All the Gods were seated upon their thrones of power with the exception of Hermes and Artemis. Everyone was sitting in silence. The younger gods glancing nervously at the older, who themselves were focused on the centre of the room where a model of the Earth was hovering above the floor. Ares alone seemed unaffected by the atmosphere as he winked across the room to where Aphrodite was seated. However she was concentrating on the various expressions of the congregation, her eyes darting between the King and Queen in particular. Hephaestus was watching Ares out of the corner of his eye with barely contained fury, nevertheless there were more pressing matters at hand.
It was of course Ares who broke the growing tension in the air, "What is taking them so long?"
As if on cue, Hermes flew in with his winged sandals strapped to his feet. Evidently he was expecting the practically tangible agitation the gathering were emitting as without a word he walked towards his seat, growing with each step until he stood in his Olympian form.
"It's time isn't it?" Hermes said, as he sat down on his throne, a caduceus emblazoned on the back.
No one answered.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Moments later Artemis strode in, "Please excuse my belated arrival, a boy stumbled upon the ca-." she stopped mid-syllable, realising the silence and the atmosphere in the room. It was such a startling contrast to the normal proceedings she was momentarily speechless.
She gazed round at each God in turn. All of them a shadow of their former selves. Even Aphrodite, who often took a blasé attitude to the topics discussed in the council, looked shaken. Dionysus actually appeared sober. Apollo looked by far the worse, as he locked eyes with Artemis for but a moment before he inclined his head. He trembled with an inner anguish greater than Artemis had ever seen. Being twins and of divine blood, they shared an empathic bond which allowed emotions and thoughts to be shared freely between them. Artemis had felt the distress of her brother through the link, yet it was now, standing metres away from him that his true agony was rolling off him in waves.
"Brother…" tears welled up in the goddess' eyes, this time she did not stop them.
"Artemis, we need to commence the council." Zeus spoke, his tone laced in sorrow. He gestured to her golden throne; a wolf's pelt was draped over one arm with a glowing, silver crescent moon adorning the back. Artemis did as her father told her, as she too changed into her Olympian form and took her seat, her eyes still focused on her brother.
"My fellow Gods, my sons, daughters, sisters, brothers… and Aphrodite. Our time has arrived." Zeus paused, as the assembly glanced at each other. Some nodded their heads, as if this statement had confirmed a thought they had, others – chiefly Ares, looked confused at the declaration.
The thunder God continued, "Kronos is awakening, which means it is only a matter of time before the other imprisoned Titans follow suit. A War among the immortals will erupt, a war we cannot win.."
"What proof do you have father? I have felt no such upheaval!" Ares interrupted.
"Apollo has received a vision of the future. And I am sure others of you have felt the signs. " Zeus nodded at the sun god to his right.
"It was earlier today, whilst I was sitting with the muses. Everyone dies-" Seeing Ares about to interrupt again he continued, "- The world ends in chaos, The titans will win." Apollo sighed, unwilling to elaborate- his eyes fixed on his horrified sister.
"Apollo, we are Gods! We cannot die!"
Athena spoke up, "Ares, we can. It's highly improbable but we can. When what we stand for disappears, so do we. We will fade. Cease to exist. We are tied to this world until the very end, this war will be the catalyst to that end. The Titans will focus their attack on what we hold most dear, our centres of power. For instance, Kronus may create a plaque to wipe out every living organism." Athena paused as Demeter gasped. "I am sure they will eventually target Olympus, purely for symbolism."
"We must fight…" Ares muttered, one hand gripping his sword.
"We barely won the first time, if it wasn't for the hundred handed ones, it was a close call." Hera sighed, her hand reached out to hold her husbands', who gave a sad smile.
Poseidon continued, "Though no God died in the Great War, there were heavy losses. The entire mortal world was destroyed; it took centuries to rebuild what had been lost."
Aphrodite who had remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout this discussion, voiced her thoughts, "I'll be the first one to…die won't I? I stand for love, something which I'm sure will be lacking if war does break out."
Athena nodded solemnly, "Yes, Aphrodite, I believe you would be."
Zeus motioned for his daughter to continue, "As horrible as what I am about to say may seem, it's the only way I believe we can survive, we must …play on our strengths. I have devised a strategy which will optimise our chances. Myself and Ares are Gods of War, therefore we will have the best chance of survival in the upcoming battle. Apollo, your power lies in the sun.."
"Are you suggesting that Kronos can destroy the sun?" Ares said, eyebrows raised.
"His power is great, I would not be surprised if he found a way to." Athena sighed, "If the sun does get destroyed we would have to focus all of our power in maintaining the earth's orbit, the titans will know this and use it to their advantage. It would leave us not only severely weakened but also incredibly vulnerable to a direct attack .Regardless all our lives and the lives of every mortal on this planet are in danger from the titan threat. From what we know, Kronos has yet to awaken the other Titans. Therefore we are in a superior tactical position than they are, by considering and evading our sources of power we do have a very slight chance of victory."
"How long do we have ?" It was Artemis, who having heard the discussion between her family decided to intervene with a more direct question.
The previous silence returned, no one wanted to answer the question- it would only make their situation more dire, more final.
Indeed her question was answered, but not in the way Artemis expected. A tendril of shadow appeared beside the hovering planet, twisting in the air. In the centre a figure appeared, its features hidden by a black cloud. The cloud dissipated and the shadowy tendril withdrew back into the floor, revealing a visibly distraught Persephone.
Demeter leapt from her throne, returned to human size and embraced her daughter.
"Persephone, why are you here? Where is Hades?" Zeus asked, as the others exchanged wary glances.
Persephone raised her head, tears streaming from her eyes, "Father, Hades-he's -he's trying to stop the Titans-they have escaped-I had to-warn you-" she whimpered, her speech disrupted by grief-ridden sobs.
Everyone froze in shock.
Zeus appeared in denial, shaking his head. The thunder and lightning which had immersed Olympus since the discovery, ceased. Hera and Poseidon locked eyes, seemingly holding a silent conversation with each other.
Aphrodite seemed torn between running to her husband, which would be the socially acceptable action to take and seizing Ares, who by the look on his face was eager to engage in battle.
Dionysus was staring into a goblet of wine and Athena was in an animated discussion with Zeus finalising the strategy. Demeter was holding her daughter against her, whispering words of comfort into her ear. But there were no words which could comfort the agony which now ruled completely in Persephone's body.
It was Hermes that tried- and failed to keep a somewhat braver attitude to the destruction which would be caused.
"To answer your question Artemis, not very long."
Artemis did not acknowledge the messenger God. Her attention was entirely focused on her brother.
I should have seen it sooner, I wasn't paying attention, I …..
Apollo, there was nothing you could do.
I'm your brother, I need to protect you.
I can take care of myself.
I promised mother that I would protect you… we are all going to die.
Enough Apollo! Our destiny is not certain; we will fight and let fate decide who will be victorious.
Apollo became silent, words simply failed him. All he had seen was coming to pass, they could not avoid their destiny. His thoughts drifted to those he cherished, those that would be destroyed. Others that would be considered collateral damage in the upcoming war.. The muses; brave Calliope, knowledgeable Clio, creative Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Urania, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore and sweet Thalia. The thousands of nymphs and satyrs which would fight until the end.
Famine had written Fiend. The world was void,
The populous and the powerful was a lump,
Seasonless, herbless, treeless, manless, lifeless
Apollo gazed round at his family, they too would perish, impossibly, inconceivably. Mighty Zeus, whose will the very sky obeyed. Queen Hera, regal and respected. Demeter and Poseidon, supportive and compassionate.
A lump of death, a chaos of hard clay.
The rivers, lakes, and ocean stood still,
And nothing stirred within their silent depths;
Ships sailorless lay rotting on the sea,
Athena, how many times had he asked for her wise counsel? Fearless Ares. Hephaestus, creative and inventive. Hermes, persistently optimistic and mirthful.
And their masts fell down piecemeal; as they dropp'd
They slept on the abyss without a surge
The waves were dead; the tides were in their grave,
Dionysus, humorous and entertaining. Beautiful Aphrodite, her grace and charm illuminating Olympus. All that would be lost and more. Apollo watched his twin, as she descended from her throne and approached Persephone.
The moon their mistress had expired before;
The winds were withered in the stagnant air,
And the clouds perish'd; Darkness had no need
Of aid from them. She was the universe.
Artemis, the loss he could not bare. So loyal and brave. So many treasured memories they had shared. Apollo's mind drifted to their childhood, to the first time she held a bow. Gingerly lifting the weapon in her petite arms, and slowly nocking an arrow in place, she lifted it to eye-level and pulled the bow string. Her expression turned to one of determination, as she aimed. She let go, the arrow soared through the air and embedded itself into the bull's eye of the make-shift target.
Over the years she had grown more confident as her hunting skills improved. His amazement as she killed a feral bull with her bare hands when she was 5 years old. The memories came faster; running through the woods hand in hand, laughter filling the air, she pauses- one of her index finger raised to her lips whilst the other points to a stag ahead. Apollo hides behind a tree, as Artemis edges towards the creature. The stag raises its head in the direction of the goddess, who freezes with a look of confusion on her face. The stag walks up to Artemis and very deliberately, bows its head.
The memories jump to when they were 15 years old, still infants compared to the other gods. Artemis is crying, sitting on one of highest branches of an enormous redwood tree. She had just wondered in on one of her father's many affairs. Apollo had been searching for her. Hearing her stifled sobs, he looked up. She too had felt his presence.
"Apollo…" she whispered.
With a wave of his hand, he appeared on the branch and gently sat down. The goddess made a swift movement with her hands, wiping the tears from her eyes.
The sun god peeked at his upset twin, "Artemis, we were worried. Everyone has been looking for you…even Aphrodite and Ares."
Artemis groaned, "Wonderful," sarcasm dripping from her tone. A hunting knife materialized in her palm, and with a quick flick of her wrist sent it directly into the breast of a passing bird.
Apollo smirked, "I thought you protected wild animals." Averting the glare he received, Apollo glanced around. The forest seemed to reflect the mood of its mistress, some of the trees had started to lose their leaves and it was quiet, too quiet for a forest. Evidently the animals were keeping their distance, too bad the bird didn't get the message. It was obvious when Artemis was in a good mood, she would be surrounded by creatures, of every shape and size. But now there was nothing, except of course himself.
This brought a question to his mind, "Where are your hunters?"
"I sent them away." The knife reappeared, and she placed it into a sheath attached to her arm.
"Oh, well ..um…"
"Apollo, just say it." Artemis sighed, focusing her attention on something below.
"Father says he's sorry." He rushed, quickly looking away, taking a sudden interest in a leaf that was blowing in the wind.
Artemis growled, as the temperature in the area dropped dramatically. But she quickly reigned in the anger, aware how much her brother hated the cold.
"Why does he do it Apollo? Does Hera mean so little to him? I mean she isn't among my favoured, but it is simply cruel."
"It's just the way he is. If he hadn't have had an affair with mother we wouldn't be here."
"But that doesn't justify his actions!" Artemis reprimanded.
She turned away, a tear falling from her eye. Apollo slid closer to his sister, and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. She initially flinched at the contact, but immediately relaxed and rested her head against his chest.
"Thank you brother." She mumbled, as they sat there for several moments.
When the sun's light started to fade, Artemis sat up, all traces of her sorrow gone.
"Come on, I'll race you !" she giggled, and with inhuman grace leapt to her feet, unfazed by the 300ft drop below her.
Glad that his sister was feeling better, "You're on!" A smile spreading across his features, as he too stood up on the branch.
Artemis hurled herself off the bough, spinning in the air. Apollo was seconds behind, laughing at his sister's display. They landed at the same time, the ground cracking slightly at the impact. Their glowing chariots were waiting for them, Silver stags pulling Artemis' and golden stallions on Apollo's.
Artemis leapt into hers and pulled on the reigns. Apollo did the same. With a flash of silver and gold light they were gone, as they rocketed across the sky; each undertaking their responsibility- Apollo removed the sun from the sky whilst Artemis positioned the moon in its place.
Another memory, they were 20 years old, they had stopped ageing a year ago- forever frozen in their 19 year old forms. Apollo was on Olympus, awaiting the arrival of Artemis for the annual meeting of the Olympians.
Absentmindedly, Apollo began wandering around the palaces and temples dedicated to the Gods, abiding his time until his sister's appearance.
He walked through the mutual temple of Zeus and Hera, a majestic creation of marble and gold- it dominated the mountain. The throne room of the Olympians was the only other structure which matched its size and presence. Various minor gods and goddesses were in the temple, bowing in veneration to the immense statues of his father and step-mother.
The worshippers did not notice the sun god as he crept behind the enormous pillars, staring at the congregation. The high priest preached of his father's greatness, his queen's mercy and benevolence. The interior was draped in red and gold silk of the finest quality and torches lined the walls giving the temple a radiant glow. The statues of Hera and Zeus were sitting upon gold and ivory thrones, with an air of raw power and superiority.
In his father's upturned palm was a floating orb of pure white light, illuminating his stern features. In his left hand he held a lightning bolt- its energy permeated the surrounding air.
Hera's statue also depicted her holding an orb of light, however, instead of a lightning bolt she held a small peacock in the palm of her hand- its head held high and proud.
Apollo watched as the preach ended and several corpulent sows were dragged before the altar. An honorary sacrifice to the King and Queen. The sun god walked on, unwilling to witness the slaughter of the distressed animals. He strolled through his own temple, (hiding his presence from the assembly) and into Artemis' which was bathed in silver light as a result of the full moon hanging solitary in the sky. He dismissed the gathering of minor goddesses who were inside, as he gazed around at the monument.
The interior was much darker than his own, the only sources of light coming from the pulsating spheres hovering at regular intervals. Silver silk was hanging across arches and around columns. Constellations adorned the walls and ceiling creating an ethereal atmosphere. A place of mystery. At the far end of the cavernous sanctuary , bathed in moonlight was the statue of Artemis herself, her silver bow raised. A hawk was perched on her shoulder.
Apollo sat down, staring at the constellations; Gemini, Cancer, Aries and Taurus among them, having been immortalised in the stars. Ursa Major was present, it represented yet another poignant memory in his past, yet another failure in his role as brother.
"I'd thought I'd find you here" a voice cooed behind him.
He turned round, to come face to face with Aphrodite.
The goddess smirked a little at the expression on Apollo's face as she glanced sparingly around the shrine. Her eyes met the statue briefly, as she raised one eyebrow and returned her glare to Apollo.
"What are you doing here?" Apollo demanded.
"Well it's urgent, otherwise, believe me I wouldn't go anywhere near this place." She paused and gestured around her, "I mean would a little natural light hurt? It's so dark in here."
Apollo sighed, his temper rising, "What do you want Aphrodite?"
Aphrodite raised her eyebrows, "It's about Artemis, and it's something which you might find interesting."
"What? Is she in trouble?"
"No, but I think she will be." Apollo folded his arms across his chest, and glowered at the love goddess.
Evidently she was enjoying the prolongation of the anecdote, as she continued, "Well a few weeks ago I received this feeling…" Aphrodite waved her hand in circles, trying to find the correct word, "-an impulse, which wouldn't be unusual, as I get them all the time. But this one felt different, like it wasn't supposed to happen- or something which wasn't allowed to happen." She stopped, giggling as Apollo's expression turned from annoyance to confusion to finally.. shock.
"No….." Apollo was speechless as the enormity of the situation hit him.
"So I, being naturally curious, investigated this impulse. It was Artemis."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I'd thought you would want to know. Apollo, she's in love …" she again paused, revelling in the drama of the final piece of information she had to deliver, "- she's in love with a mortal."
Aphrodite laughed, "The unwavering virgin goddess is in love. Finally! I can't believe it… now only Athena and Hestia to go."
"Where is she Aphrodite?" Apollo spoke through gritted teeth.
"In her forests, of course. Where she always is-"
"Answer me this Aphrodite; did you make her fall in love?" his temper was almost too much to control, if he hadn't been standing in her temple, he would have most definitely exercised his anger on the ecstatic goddess in front of him.
"Not initially of course I wouldn't, you know I can't- my powers don't..didn't affect her"
"They still don't…she wouldn't break her vow-"
"It's only a matter of time-"
Apollo had started to glow, causing Aphrodite to stop her elated mutterings.
"I'd better leave –"giving the surroundings another brief observation, she span round and stormed out the door.
Apollo disappeared in a flash of gold light and reappeared in Artemis' sacred forest. Sure enough there was the mortal, alone. The only man, apart from himself to ever enter this forest. The mortal was seated on a cliff's edge, gazing out at the moon. The sun god's anger rose. How dare he touch his sister? A mortal! Obviously Artemis was delusional, acting on impulse- influenced by Aphrodite herself.
The enraged immortal observed the creature for some time under the guise of a crow, reading his thoughts for any clue of the relationship between him and Artemis. They had first met under the light of the full moon, Artemis disguised as one of her hunters, carrying a young buck across her shoulder. The mortal, who Apollo learned was called Orion, had fallen immediately in love. Completely oblivious to her superior status, he had continued to meet her in utterly unintended encounters. His thoughts were clouded, his raw emotion had overwhelmed everything else- constant reflection of her beauty and grace, her poise, her skill and her majesty. Apollo shook his head in disgust. However, as he delved deeper and deeper into the beings thoughts, a plan formed – gradually at first but the more he learnt the more he was sure it would end this…whatever it was before Artemis decided on something rash, like breaking her vow. His sister would be angry, but over time he was sure that she would forgive him, when she finally realised the potential disaster this relationship would have caused.
If his plan was to succeed Apollo had to act swiftly, even now he could feel his sister's presence. He changed from his crow form into that of an elderly man and walked slowly up to Orion.
"Excuse me young sir, could you do a favour for me? Can you retrieve my quiver from over there." Apollo pointed out into the open sea, where he had positioned his quiver only moments before.
Orion seemed confused, as he frowned out at the place the man was gesturing, "How did your quiver get out there?"
"A bird stole it off me and dropped it."
Orion nodded, apparently satisfied with the explanation, "I'll be right back." And with that he dove off the cliff into the water.
Apollo smiled sadly to himself as he reverted back to his normal form, watching as Orion swam towards the quiver, which was a fair distance away on the horizon.
Moments later, Artemis appeared – a silver blur which stopped by Apollo's side.
"Brother! What are you doing here?" she questioned, glancing around for Orion.
"I came to find you-the council is supposed to have started, and you weren't there."
Artemis groaned. "I'm so sorry Apollo, I got distracted. Shall we leave?"
"Not yet, while I was waiting, I devised a challenge- one which I have already completed. And seeing you are always trying to find ways of demonstrating your skills with a bow and arrow, I thought you might like to humour me in this small request."
Artemis frowned, her interest piqued, "A challenge?"
Apollo nodded, "You see that object over there…" he gestured to Orion who was still swimming, roughly 8 miles from the coast, "I challenge you to hit it."
Artemis could indeed see the object, "Is it some sort of animal? It seems to be flailing around -"
"Yes, it's flailing because I already hit it.." Apollo improvised, hoping that Artemis did not see the flaws in his justification.
"Is that all you want me to do?" Artemis scoffed.
"Yes."
"Fine, watch and learn little brother." The huntress smiled and raised her bow, an arrow in place. Briefly aiming the bow, she let go of the string. The arrow soared through the air and out over the sea, until it met its mark-a direct hit to Orion's head.
Hearing a faint scream from the dying man, Artemis looked closer at her target.
Her eyes narrowed, focusing her eyesight on the prone being. Meanwhile Apollo was praying to every single member of his extended family in a small hope that Artemis would not discover who exactly she had just shot. He had been betting on the fact that she would not observe her target too closely and that she would remain oblivious to the tragedy.
Apollo was never that lucky.
Through the empathic link he could feel the intense fury and grief build to a crescendo- only once before had he felt this degree of emotion from his sister and that incident had not ended pleasantly.
Suddenly, she wheeled round into the face of a very regretful brother.
"You! How could you?!?"Her eyes became pools of enraged light as Apollo started to back away.
His hands rose in an apologetic gesture, "I'm sorry! It was for your own good!"
"How could you Apollo? My own brother!" she yelled, her aura turned into an inferno around her. She advanced on the petrified God.
"Can you even comprehend what you've done?"
"Sister be reasonable, I was trying to protect you!"
Artemis sneered, "Protect me from him?!?", her temper had rendered he speechless, it was clear to Apollo she was now beyond reason. Silver flames were licking at her clenched fists , whilst the air became filled with the cries of countless animals.
"We all know what would've happened if you broke your vow!"
The huntress snarled, as mist spread around their feet and dozens of grey wolves emerged from the forest – encircling Apollo, their maws dripping with saliva.
The sun god was now very worried, he did not relish the prospect of being a wolf's chew toy.
"Sister… sister I had your interests at heart- he wasn't good enough for you!"
If it was possible, Artemis appeared to have reached an entirely new level of rage.
That was the wrong thing to say
The goddess lunged, arching through the air in the form of an unusually large white tiger and pinned Apollo to the forest floor.
Artemis roared, her fangs bared. Undoubtedly she could literally smell the fear that was gradually building in his body. Granted he wouldn't be permanently damaged, in fact his wounds would heal quickly but Apollo could still feel pain, a factor Artemis was no doubt relying on.
"Artemis- come now, Father is waiting for us"
I don't care
Apollo squirmed under the weight of his sister, "Please get off me," he pleaded; however Artemis did not move, instead she lifted one padded paw onto his chest and pressed down- hard.
She steadily increased the pressure, until she felt several of his ribs shatter under the immense force she was exerting. An injury which if he had been mortal, would've surely killed him.
Apollo cried out, "Art-Artemis!"
Artemis grudgingly lifted the paw and placed it back down onto one of Apollo's arms, watching as his chest was enveloped in golden light - his destroyed ribs reformed.
Apollo groaned, "Enough Artemis-let me go."
No
Apollo recognised that Artemis was almost urging-almost daring him to fight her. The sun god knew that even if he responded to the attack he wouldn't stand a chance. The odds were insurmountably against him. They would be fighting under a full moon, in a forest (which was entirely her domain), surrounded by animals, the sun would not rise for several more hours- meaning he was at his weakest, plus the fact that Artemis was definitely in no mood to as the saying goes, go easy on him. With no hindrance to either party they were evenly matched, their tutelage had been exactly the same. That was not the case here.
He realised he would have to force her hand- it would be better if she exhausted her anger on him now than to continue her resentment for several decades. After all she was infamous for holding a grudge.
Apollo concentrated his will, feeling the familiar pull on his body as he began to teleport to Olympus. His essence pulsated with power and he started to disappear.
Don't you dare! She yelled into Apollo's mind.
Artemis shifted back into her original form and brutally thrust her hand out, grabbing Apollo's neck in a vice-like grip.
In a single movement she lifted the sun god by his neck into the air. Apollo gave no resistance; he would take all the physical punishment she would certainly give him.
It's the least I deserve, Apollo thought grimly.
The moon goddess hurled her brother into the dense forest with enough force that he flew through several tree-trunks, each impact accentuated with a sickening crack.
Finally he skidded to a halt and rolled onto his back, the full moon looming over him. For several moments he lay there, feeling his body heal from the horrendous injuries (one of which, by the way he suddenly regained the feeling in his legs was a broken spine.)
Apollo lifted his head at the sound of shattering trees and foliage. The god groaned and placed his head back onto the floor.
It was Artemis walking towards the clearing in her Olympian form, knocking down trees in her path. Apollo slowly stood up and braced himself for the oncoming pain.
She bent down and hauled Apollo up to her eye-level, her body trembling with primal rage.
"Artemis-I'm sorry."
Said Goddess shook her head in response, tears falling freely from her eyes. "No …you're not Apollo."
She continued to squeeze her brother, ignoring his fervent protests.
The things I do for her, Apollo mused, although… this is probably the most painful.
His deliberations were cut off as he felt a probing sensation in his mind, it seemed Artemis was not satisfied with her brothers reasoning- or for that matter, the seemingly inadequate amount of pain she was causing him. The goddess forced her will to enter Apollo's mind, causing him as much mental pain as possible while she searched through the recent events before her arrival. Including the discussion with Aphrodite.
Artemis gasped and, in shock released her grip on Apollo- who from sheer chance managed to maintain a hold on his sister's hand. It seemed he was not the only one who would feel her vengeance this night.
"NO!" She thundered as she kicked an innocent silver birch, cleaving it in two.
"Artemis-Please put me down…" Apparently she had only just realised the sun god was indeed still clutching her hand.
Unwillingly she bent down and dropped Apollo onto the floor, "Aphrodite…."
Another wave of fury erupted from Artemis, making Apollo collapse onto his knees "Artemis… please control your emotions.."
The goddess looked down upon her brother who was clutching his head at the intense sensations being projected into his mind. A flood of remorse rushed over herand her anger subsided considerably.
Apollo's not entirely to blame -
Aphrodite is.
After all she was the personification of love; this alien feeling was the result of her manipulation. The huntress' anger would be better served if it was aimed at the goddess of love. If she had not developed feelings towards the hunter, Artemis would not be in the state of barely controlled emotion she was currently in.
Aphrodite is to blame.
Without the overwhelming fury to cloud her sense of reason, the grief and anguish came in earnest and Artemis herself was brought to her knees, head in her hands. She slowly returned back to human height – Apollo took this as an indication that the worst was over and he could approach without his wellbeing being in jeopardy.
"Artemis, I'm so sorry." Seeing his sister in so much pain was having an acute effect on him, he felt the intrinsic need to make everything right.
Artemis lifted her head; golden tears ran down her face, "I need to- I-" she stuttered, " Orion- I need to -do something."
The goddess started to stand up, but Apollo held her shoulders down, "I'll go."
Apollo worked his way through the destroyed forest until he was at the cliff edge.
The sun god gazed out at the tumultuous ocean trying to find the body of the hunter, who had obviously sunk to its depths. After a quick prayer to his uncle he located the body and raising his hand over the water he proceeded to lift the carcass out of the domain belonging to Poseidon. The corpse hovered towards the cliff and onto solid land whereupon Apollo released his hold on the remains.
Apollo diffidently cradled the hunter against him as he teleported to the clearing where Artemis was situated. The sudden flash of golden light announced Apollo's arrival, and Artemis looked up from her bowed position. Upon seeing the remains of Orion her tears started with renewed vigour and her chest heaved from anguished sobs. Thankfully Apollo had had the foresight of removing the incriminating silver arrow from the head, as this might have exceeded her current limited control of her powers. As it was Artemis pulsed with silver light and Apollo recognised the signs of a god about to reveal their true form. The pulsing increased whilst the sun god gingerly placed Orion next to Artemis, setting his head in her lap.
Apollo receded to the edge of the clearing as Artemis was engulfed entirely in silver light, releasing a small shockwave through the forest which caused the leaves to quiver as if disturbed by a sudden gust.
"Orion..I'm so sorry." Artemis moaned into the hunter's hair.
The goddess held her hand over the fatal wound and channelled her exposed energy into the appendage until the injury was completely healed.
She then raised her head to the heavens, her silver eyes scanning the sky. Artemis whispered a quick prayer to Hades and her father, her voice travelling on the wind.
"You shall be remembered…." She lowered her head and placed a palm over the hunter's chest where the glow concentrated for but a moment before returning to its original intensity.
At first nothing happened.
Suddenly, Orion's body began to fade- his physical form deteriorated; his soul no longer had a need for it. There was an explosion of light as Orion's spirit was transformed into nine radiant orbs of pure energy. The spheres remained in front of Artemis in a ring of throbbing power.
Artemis watched the orbs with a conflicting expression, reluctant to say a final goodbye to the hunter's remains yet knowing his soul was in a constant flux and therefore unable to travel to the underworld in its current state.
"Artemis…."
The goddess sighed and looked up at Apollo. Their eyes met briefly as unspoken messages passed between them. Apollo bowed his head and knelt down beside his sister, placing a hand on top of hers in a sign of comfort.
"Thank you Apollo." She muttered, her eyes once again brimming with tears.
Simultaneously they lifted their hands towards the twirling spheres, their fingertips glowing as they contacted the hunter's divided soul. The orbs rocketed upwards towards the sky in a vortex of raw energy, spinning and swirling around their counterparts in a celestial dance.
"Good bye Orion…" Artemis whispered, as she gazed at the orb's journey into the heavens.
A pulse of luminescence cloaked the horizon in a blinding display, signalling the journey had been completed. When the light faded, the nine orbs etched out the figure of a hunter- Orion, forever engraved in the sky. An eternal memorial to the great hunter who had taken the heart of the virgin goddess entirely.
"….you will be remembered."
Artemis looked up at the constellations which decorated the sky.
How many of them are now up their because of my actions?
She shook her head, she knew the answer; Too many.
Apollo felt the depression once again start to overwhelm his sister and so decided to say the one word which would be the immediate priority- "Aphrodite."
Artemis spun round, her eyes displaying her inner need for revenge "Let's go to Olympus brother."
Apollo laughed, as an almost sadistic smile spread across the huntress' face. "I'm right behind you sister."
The sun god walked away from the clearing, briefly glancing at the solitary figure of Artemis who had taken a final glimpse at the sky.
Her eyes settled on Orion sparkling in the clear night, and her smile faltered, "You will never be forgotten my hunter…"
I don't know it seems too 'wordy' to me ..
Please bear with me ...the next chapter will be up as soon as humanely possible :)
RedFluffyBanana :)
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