The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of dreams

Now, Apollo had experienced his fair share of weird and interesting council meetings. However, after millenia of the same meetings, you start to have experienced everything and just get bored. Of course, that didn't mean he could just ignore them without a valid reason. Unlike his sister, if Apollo skipped a meeting, Zeus would be angry at him for a good five or so months, and an angry Father wasn't something Apollo was fond of. So, when he got today's signal for a council meeting, Apollo bid farewell to the farmer he'd been playing poker with, and flashed straight into the throne room. Oh, the things he had witnessed in this room over the eons! He had seen all the shocking things it had to offer - from Zeus and Demeter making out (they were both drunk), to Athena barfing all over the floor (he would never let her live that down.) Yet, even with his experience, nothing could have prepared Apollo for what he was about to witness today. As he materialised in the hall, he couldn't believe his eyes. There, right in the middle of the room, stood his 'younger' sister, Artemis, standing in the middle of the hall, a wild, excited gleam in her eyes.

See, when Percy… disappeared… It shook quite a lot of us. No one had been expecting it, least of all Artemis. She was more than distraught… devastated. Therefore, it wasn't much of a surprise that after a while, she stopped attending these meetings, and father being the favourtiser he is, didn't say anything to her, letting her retreat into the depths of her grief. He could still hear the final words she screamed as she left this room, promising never to come back, and yet here she was.

"Ar-Artemis, is that you?" Zeus asked, rubbing his eyes. Apollo looked around, noticing that everyone was just as shocked and confused.

"It's me!" she declared with an air of delight.

"But… you said you wouldn't come back until-" Zeus began, struggling to find the right words.

"I know," she interjected, "but something amazing happened, and for the first time in years, there's hope in me." His sister turned to face him, and with a big grin said, "It's happening."
"What is happening, sister?" Athena sighed. "You come here for the first time in centuries, just because your boyfriend ditched you, and now you're speaking so cryptically." Artemis's eyes flashed with a hint of annoyance.
"Silence, Athena!" Zeus commanded, his deep voice rumbling through the throne room like a divine thunderclap. Athena threw her hands in exasperation.

"What is this favouritism!?" she muttered. "None of us were ever allowed to skip council meetings. Why does she get this privilege just because she got dumped." Athena had a sharp edge to her words.

"Shut up," Aphrodite glared, momentarily stopping her makeup. "No one could ever fall in love with someone as heartless as you, so you definitely don't have any right to talk about heartbreak. Artemis had to go through something none of us gods have ever gone through. Even when our mortal loves died, we had some solace knowing they were safe in the Underworld. At least we knew where they were. Poor, poor Artemis hasn't heard from Percy in five hundred years, and still she's here trying for a smile on her face, so shut up or get out of here, you good-for-nothing Olympian." Aphrodite had a valid point, it didn't stop Athena from seething, a glaring look on her face.

"Hey," Ares suddenly interjected. "You aren't getting all angry with my Aphrodite, are you?" The war god glared at his sibling, starting to stand up. "Because if you are, I'm more than happy to take this outside and pulverise you in the arena." The air crackled with an electrifying charge as the gods locked gazes. It was a rare sight to witness two of the Olympians on the brink of confrontation. Even Zeus was taken aback by the intensity of the situation.

"What happened, Artemis," Poseidon asked, ignoring the bickering siblings. "Have you heard about…" the god faltered, "about my son?"

"Not… not exactly," she said sadly, before suddenly brightening up, "but I have good news! Apollo, remember that prophecy you told me all those years ago?" For a second, the god didn't realise she was talking about him.

"Apollo?" Poseidon asked with a frown. All of a sudden, snapping back to reality, he looked up.

"Yeah, prophecy? Which one are we talking about?"
"The Seeker prophecy," Artemis said gently, causing him to vaguely nod.

"Ah, you mean the one you wouldn't stop pestering me about," he asked with a wry smile.

"You still remember?" The god snorted.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. Never have I ever seen you so distraught before." She gave him a small smile, before turning back to Poseidon and Zeus.

"The Seeker has been found," she affirmed. "As we speak, her and some hunters are getting ready to leave for the quest. The Oracle has issued a new prophecy for their quest."
"Care to tell us about it?" Zeus asked. Artemis nodded, taking a deep breath before reciting it. There were a few remarks, especially at the phrase, his heart's lament decree, but no one said much. When she finished, Apollo was left confused, mulling over the possible meanings. The line about keys didn't make any sense to him, and judging from the expression on the rest of the council, no one else understood it, Athena included.

"So does this mean I can finally see young Perseus again?" Hephaestus rumbled.

"Not so young anymore," Aphrodite said with a musing smile, "but I certainly hope so."
"And why do you hope so," Artemis turned to her. "You should be the first to know what I'll do if anyone ever tries to get with my Percy."
"Oooh, possessive are we?" Aphrodite teased. "But don't worry. Sometimes, people are looking out for you purely because they want to see what could've been. There's no need to over exaggerate." Athena huffed, looking at her sister.

"Even though I'm still angry at how lenient Father is with you as opposed to the rest of us," she began, "I was hoping to see some real action between you and Perseus." Artemis gave her a small timid nod.

"And I hope to see my son once more," Poseidon said in a wistful tone. "When do they leave?"

"At sunrise," she said. "Jason doesn't want to wait any longer."
"And for good reason," Poseidon mumbled. "Thank you, Artemis, for telling me this. Brother, I need to visit Atlantis. Triton will certainly be happy to hear this news." Without waiting for a response, Poseidon flashed out of the throne room, causing Zeus to frown.

"Does anyone have anything else to say?" he asked, looking around the room. When no one said anything, Zeus sighed.

"The prophecy has been spoken, and for now, we can only hope for the best. I hope I don't need to remind you that interfering with the quest is a transgression of the divine laws, and the sinner will be punished. Council dismissed." With that, he rose from his imposing throne, stretching his legs and flashing out dramatically. Slowly, the rest of the council members followed suit, some offering smiles and reassurance to the moon goddess in front of them.

"Artemis, a word please," Apollo said to his sister as she just finished talking to Hermes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Listen, sis," he began quietly. "You know as well as I do that prophecies can be quite misleading. I would hate to see you break your heart again in case the prophecy had an ulterior meaning." He watched as Artemis's joyful smile slowly faded, replaced with a concerned frown.
"What are you trying to say?" she asked after a long pause, as if she could sense something was wrong.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt anymore," he explained with a hint of sorrow in his eyes. "You're my sister, and regardless of our arguments, it pains me to see you so broken."
"But the prophecy said he'll come back." Apollo could hear the agitation slowly creeping into her voice. "Is there something you're not telling me?" she demanded.

"Of course not," Apollo lied. Artemis only narrowed her eyes.

"You were never a good liar, spill the beans."
"Artemis," Hermes began gently, "you may be good at telling whether or not Apollo is lying, but you're not the god of lies. I can assure you Apollo's telling the truth. He's just trying to see what's best for you." The goddess frowned, trying to process her conflicting emotions, before finally sighing.

"Thank you Apollo," she muttered under her breath. "I need to go now and make sure my hunters are ready for the quest. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Artemis," Apollo replied softly, watching her flash away. He turned slowly to face Hermes.

"Apollo," Hermes began. "Cut to the chase. We both know you're lying." Apollo paused for a moment, before turning to face Hermes, his expression torn between canting to confide in his fellow god, and wanting to keep his secrets as they were, just secrets.

"Hermes, what you have to understand is that all those years ago, there was a reason I didn't want to tell Artemis the prophecy."

"And why is that? What visions are you having this time?" Apollo swallowed.
"Just one vision. But it's a vision of black and white… And a lonely, lonely man watching everything unfold from up above from an island."
"That could have many meanings though?" Hermes tried for optimism. "Surely it doesn't mean that Percy isn't coming back." Apollo's shoulders sagged with the weight of his premonition.
"Maybe," he shrugged. "But that's why I want Artemis to accept the possibility that he might not be coming back. Remember Hermes, his heart's lament decree. There's a sorrowful undercurrent to this whole situation, and I fear that the truth may be harder to bear than any of us can imagine." With that, the sun god turned on his heels, walking out of the stuffy throne room to get a breath of fresh air. The memory of Artemis asking him for The Seeker prophecy ran on replay in his mind as he inhaled deeply.

"Apollo, please, I am begging you!" Artemis cried, her voice breaking with raw emotion. "Please, just help me." He could see the pain and hurt etched deeply in his sister's eyes.

"A-Artemis," he stammered, trying to find the right words. "You just have to wait, please." For a brief moment, the goddess stopped her water-works, and Apollo got a good look at her. Her eyes were red, bloodshot red, and she looked like she hadn't slept in a week. Her once beautiful hair now resembled a tangled rat's nest, with some parts looking torn out, and she had dark, grey bags under her eyes. The girl in front of him looked like a mere shadow of the strong, composed sister he once knew.

"Apollo, I have been waiting for YEARS!" she yelled, grabbing the nearest thing, a trophy for some stupid music competition, and throwing it across the room. He winced as he heard it crash, the glass shards tumbling to the floor. "Ever since he left, all anyone's ever said is, oh but he'll be back soon. Tell me, brother, what does soon mean. A month? A year? A decade? A century?" Her voice was filled with a bitter anguish. "Seventy-four years later and I'm still no closer to seeing him again." His sister faltered, taking a minute to wipe her eyes. Ever since they were born, Artemis had never let her emotions take control of her. She once told me it showed weakness. Even when Zoë Nightshade, one of her most beloved hunters, passed away into the stars, Artemis had only let a single lone tear fall down her cheek. Deep down, Apollo knew the real reason why Artemis was so emotional about Percy. He had been the first one to show her true love. The two had been so close, inseparable as Aphrodite would call it, and then he just left, taking her heart along with him.

"I miss him," she said softly, her voice full of despair. She spoke barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of a thousand unspoken emotions. "I know what he did was bad, but people have done worse. Did he really have to leave? Did he really have to leave… to leave me?" Apollo didn't say anything. Deep down, he knew that Percy's story was one of the saddest he'd heard in a long time, but telling that to Artemis definitely wouldn't make her feel any better.

"Apollo," Artemis mumbled. "Please, just tell me when he's coming back. Just give me a prophecy to ease my mind." The sun god sighed. He loved his sister, but at the moment, she was beginning to test his patience.

"Artemis, some stuff is better left unsaid."
"I didn't want it to come to this," she began, "but you owe me." Apollo scoffed. Before Percy, he and his sister barely talked. He didn't know how he'd ever get into a deal with her.

"Since when?" he retorted. The goddess looked him in the eye.

"That time when you stole Leto's book, burned it, and then lied to her face." For a moment, he was shocked that she still remembered and that she was using it as a favour.

"We were kids," he glared. "That was in the past, and definitely doesn't involve me paying any debts. If anything, I paid it all back with the relationship advice I gave you for Percy. Without me, the two of you would've never been a thing."
"Yeah, and a lot of good that did me. Where is he now?"
"Getting ready to see you again one day," Apollo replied, hoping to offer some semblance of comfort.

"YEAH AND THAT'S THE SAME STUPID THING YOU'VE BEEN TELLING ME FOR THE LAST CENTURY!" she screamed, unable to control her pain and anger anymore. "I'M NOT ASKING FOR THE WORLD. I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO USE YOUR FREAKING PROPHECY SKILLS AND TELL ME WHEN PERCY IS COMING BACK!"

Apollo was now reaching his limit.

"And I told you, even though I don't know for sure when he's coming back, the more I tell you, the more it'll hurt you."
"Oh yeah?" she challenged. "Please explain the logic in that."

"Because you'll dedicate the rest of your life trying to find him-" he explained, trying to get through to her stubborn brain.
"Because I LOVE him!" she interjected. "You'd understand if you were even capable of loving someone the way I loved him." Apollo shut his eyes hard, anger rising through him. He knew Artemis was hurting, but the way she was talking was really annoying him.

"I'm sorry, Apollo," she said uneasily. "But you don't understand. I lost my heart's love that day-"

"You lost your heart's love?" Apollo mocked, unable to hold back his frustration any longer. "Well did you ever stop to think about what I lost?" His words had a sharp edge to them, and he immediately regretted his tone, but he couldn't take back the words that had already escaped him. Artemis fell silent, taken aback by his outburst. She had pushed him to his limit, and like a stretched rubber band, Apollo had snapped.

"I lost a friend that day!" he continued. "Hephaestus lost his friend that day! Hermes lost his fellow prankster that day! Poseidon…" Apollo swallowed, his voice trailing off, "Poseidon lost his son that day. Stop being selfish and making everything about you all the time. Percy's loss affected everyone else as well, and still we all went out of our time to try and help you and make you feel better." For a brief moment, there was a moment of awkward silence as Apollo turned around, refusing to look his sister in the eye, scared that he'd said too much.

For a brief moment, there was an awkward silence in the room. Apollo turned around, refusing to look his sister in the eye, scared that he had said too much and had irreparably damaged their relationship.

"Brother," Artemis said quietly. "I-I know I haven't always been the best sister to you, and I know Percy's loss affected you as well. But please, for my own sanity, just tell me when he's coming back. If not, please just tell me a prophecy so that I can have some confidence that one day, he'll be back." Apollo sighed. Percy's disappearance was something obscured even from the Fates. They hadn't seen it coming, and no one could tell where he was. Apollo did have a prophecy, but it was one of the vaguest prophecies he'd seen in a long time, and would it really put Artemis's mind at ease? Or would it gnaw at her until she deciphered its meaning?

"For now, he is lost in his own solitude," Apollo began quietly, "but one day from nothing, will come The Seeker. Born from the flames of rejection, The Seeker speaks with light, and fights with darkness. Only then will there be any possibility of finding his solitude."

Artemis breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, this means he's coming back isn't it!" She sounded so excited. "I have to tell my hunters about this. Thalia will be overjoyed. Thank you so, so much, brother!" She hugged him tightly, something she never used to do before Percy. With a big grin, she flashed out of his palace, most likely to go straight to her hunt and inform them of the 'good' news.

It was nice seeing Artemis happy for the first time in a while, but deep down, Apollo couldn't help but wonder if telling her was the right decision. This prophecy, as good as it seemed, didn't specify it was talking about Percy. It could be talking about a lost mortal for all he knew. And then, it was so cryptic. How does one, aside from the goddess of light, speak with light and how does one, aside from the god of darkness, fight with darkness? It all left him with a sense of foreboding. He had a sinking feeling that the prophecy meant a lot more than Artemis thought. The last thing he'd want is to see his sister get hurt again.

Perseus Jackson, Apollo mused. The boy who stole my sister's heart and ran away with it, never to be seen again. Oh, the hugs, kisses, and beatings he'd be getting from everyone when he came back…

…If he came back…

Turning around, the sun god slowly walked out of his palace, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. Indeed, the sunset looked so beautiful from the top of Olympus. It was enough to bring him solace.

From the top of Olympus, the sunset's used to look so beautiful, but even from here it was still stunning. He stood up, a sense of tranquillity washing over him as he gazed towards the horizon. The vibrant colours of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of fiery red, burnt orange, and soft pink, creating a breathtaking spectacle that seemed to set the world ablaze. The golden light cast long shadows across the landscape, adding depth and mystique to the surroundings. As the sun slowly descended towards the horizon, its warm glow danced upon the surface of the shimmering sea. The ocean responded with a gentle ebb and flow, as if swaying in harmony with the celestial display. Waves whispered sweet secrets to the shore, and the scent of salt and seaweed filled the air. Birds soared gracefully through the radiant sky, their silhouettes etched against the brilliant canvas of colours. They seemed to be celebrating the celestial event with their joyful cries and acrobatic flights. The sight was almost enough to make him feel as if he was at home… Almost.

As the mesmerising sunset painted the world around him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia in his heart. He thought about his old life, the days when he used to stand atop Mount Olympus, laughing and joking around with his friends. Those moments had brought him a sense of peace and belonging, a feeling he had been yearning for since he left his divine home behind.

"I miss those days," he whispered to the wind. "I miss the sights of Olympus, the warmth of family, and the comfort of knowing where I belong." The wind whistled, a lonely tune that seemed to mirror his own melancholy. He couldn't help but smile ruefully. Who was he to kid? Of course the wind couldn't hear him, nor could it speak to his fractured heart. With a heavy sigh, he turned his gaze back to the horizon, where the setting sun was now casting its final rays upon the land below. The golden light bathed the landscape in a warm embrace, casting long shadows that stretched like fingers across the earth. It reminded him of the fleeting nature of time, how quickly moments of joy could slip through one's fingers like sand in an hourglass.

In the midst of his musings, a subtle movement caught his eye. He turned his gaze to the sea and noticed a small figure approaching his island on a tiny, wooden rowing boat. He didn't need to squint to try and make out who it might be. There was only one person who'd ever even dare to come all this way and visit him.

With a sigh, he rubbed his tired eyes, the weight of the years and the secrets he carried bearing down on him. He picked up his walking stick, fashioned from a branch of the sacred laurel tree, and made his way to the unofficial dock, which was basically just for this one person..

"It seems my sister has come to visit," he said softly to the lonely wind, wondering what news she brought with her this time…

So, a flashback, and two new POVs, how's that for a chapter? Of course, you can probably tell who the POVs are, but yeah... Hope it was good. I really do need to give J915WinterKing for the massive help he's been giving me! Also, I forgot to say, but if anyone thinks they can crack the prophecy from the previous chapter definitely DM me your answer : ) I'd love to see your guesses.