Chapter 10
"This is kind of boring, you know?" Thalia said as she sat at the foot of a large tree. Abigail hummed in response and turned the page of her book.
"It's better for it to be boring rather than dangerous, right?" She replied, flicking through another page for her book. Thalia raised an eyebrow when she noticed how nonchalant her friend was. She couldn't help but release a sigh.
It was early in the morning and the two were one of the pairs currently on morning watch. It was a necessary precaution, but one that could be easily avoided if someone made a barrier or shield around the camp that deterred monsters.
Her first thought was Shirou. She was confident that he would be able to create something that would protect the children in the camp from monsters. Of course, she wouldn't bother him with something like that. 'Maybe I can come up with something?' Shirou had given her jewels and runes in her bag, so it wasn't impossible, especially with Abigail helping her.
"I get that, but don't you sometimes wish you could test out your magic or something? I don't want something dangerous, but I want something to at least happen." She said, deciding to shelf her thought for another time.
Abby paused and looked at her for a moment, before closing her book. She let out a small sigh, before standing up from the base of the tree. "Alright, fine, our watch is pretty much already over, so follow me." She said while placing her book in her small bag and picking up her umbrella.
"Um, where are we going?" Thalia asked, a bit surprised that Abby was actually taking her somewhere for once.
Abigail turned her head looked at her with a mischievous smile. "We're going to a place that has exactly what you want."
Magecraft was not something one went into lightly. There were always risks involved and the very activation of magic circuits was something painful. Needless to say, magecraft could be dangerous. The thing was, Shirou had encountered genius mages before, both human and heroic spirit.
His daughters would have likely been counted among them. Each was special and wanted to learn magecraft for their own reasons. Funnily enough, it was Annabeth that reminded him more of a traditional magus. She was interested in magecraft as a whole and was the most dedicated in regards to studying and researching.
However, he also knew that no magus from his world would ever think of her as a mage. She studied because it was interesting and she found it fun. Though, he knew many would be jealous of her as well. It all came naturally to her, which he attributed to Athena. The fact that she was an "average one" probably helped.
Thankfully, he had met a few of those, Rin Tohsaka and Paracelsus being the main ones, so he did have some knowledge in how to guide her. She was likely to be an incredible mage when she grew up. In fact, he knew she'd likely surpass most mages because of her circuits by virtue of being a demigod.
Though, he was a bit worried. According to Athena, she was training unsupervised from time to time. Then again, Aphrodite did say that she made sure to keep an eye on them whenever any of them did train.
Because of their mothers' concern, as well as his own, he decided to cut down on his travels. Though, his mind was still on what he found in New York.
"Are you looking for anything in particular?" The woman's beautiful smile was radiant and could likely light up a room. In fact, it actually reminded him of his wife's own smile, though to a lesser degree.
"Um, yes, actually." Honestly, he wasn't expecting such a situation to occur at all. It was a bit of strange considering how powerful of a scent the kid gave off. It reminded him of his daughters a bit, specifically Miyu. Which told him something about the child. It was likely a child of one of the older gods. Considering the child's scent, as well as the woman in front of him and how she resembled his wife a bit, and that left him with one god.
'Wasn't there supposed to be some kind of pact between Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus not to have children? First Thalia, now this one? Suppose not much has changed since Ancient Greece.' He thought to himself, a bit disappointed. He never really asked for details regarding Olympus and their problems, but he had a feeling this wasn't good.
"Could you show me what your best selling items are?" He asked, placing a smile on his face. Though, he didn't really have to fake it too much. The woman, whose name he found was Sally from a small name tag, had a warm disposition that really made him feel at ease. A part of him wondered if Sally was special in any way.
"Oh, of course, just follow me." She replied while maintaining her smile. Shirou couldn't help but glance back over towards the kid. "Do you have children?" She asked, causing him to return his attention to her. He would admit to being a bit embarrassed, but nodded.
"I do." He paused, thinking about how to answer. He knew saying that he had three daughters all around the same age would probably look bad. Then again, he could be vague. "I have three daughters. Two of them look to be around the same age as him." He motioned over towards the kid. He decided not to mention his baby son and baby daughter, for obvious reasons.
Sally actually had a surprised expression on her face, looking at him closely for a moment. "Wow, if you don't mind me saying, you don't look old enough to have three children." She said before letting out a small laugh. Shirou couldn't help but rub the back of his head with a nervous smile on his face.
"Yeah, I get that a lot actually." He couldn't help but think about that fact. It was a byproduct of Hestia's flame, and that wasn't including whatever else Athena, Artemis, and Aphrodite may have done to him. 'Or Hera, now that I think about it.' Then again, he was pretty sure it was just Aphrodite that did something like that to him. "Is he yours?"
She looked towards the boy and nodded with a smile. "He seems like a good kid. My girls are a rowdy bunch at times. They hate standing still for long periods of time, and they aren't all that fond of reading, except for one." He continued, noticing that Sally seemed to react to his words. "I thought I'd drop by and buy them some candy before heading home as a little gift."
They stopped at points in the store as Sally showed him the popular candies, but it didn't stop the conversation. She seemed to have noticed that his kids had certain attributes that all demigods possessed. However, he would likely have to lie if he wanted to help her and the kid. At the moment, the kid's scent was manageable and wasn't too strong.
However, if he was judging it by the same metric as his own children, then Sally's boy only had about another year or two before monsters begin to get cocky and go out of their way to get to him. "That's really sweet of you. You know, we do have some couples' packages if you want to get something special for your wife?"
'And there's the curiosity.' He knew that it was a decently natural thing to ask or hint at, especially considering the ring on his finger. If she did suspect, even a little, that his children were demigods, then he felt like she'd be a bit more open to some help. Then again, he still wasn't all that great at understanding women.
"Ah, well she's not really around." 'Sorry, but I'd rather not find out what happens if Poseidon's kid ends up dying. So, hopefully, they'll forgive me for that.' "But, thanks for the offer." Shirou couldn't help but feel a little bad about the sad expression on her face, but it was for the best.
If anyone suspected that his daughters were still being cared for by their mothers, then he'd be having a lot more problems. He still felt a little uncomfortable with Hera and Apollo knowing. Then again, that was more his distrust of gods in general. He knew Apollo wouldn't betray Artemis by ratting them out, and Hera had a lot more to gain by keeping quiet.
Now that he thought about it, it had been awhile since Hera had sent him on an errand of some kind. 'That makes me nervous.' He mentally sighed, not liking that line of thinking. "Oh, I see. I'm sorry if I brought up some bad memories."
"There's no need to apologize, besides, those memories will be something I treasure forever." He replied with a small smile on his face. He didn't believe that he'd ever become a heroic spirit, but if he did, he knew that those memories would never fade.
However, his thoughts were interrupted by a certain smell. One that he was rather familiar with. 'I suppose that it's time.' Thankfully, he had pretty much finished up everything and it seemed like Sally had an inkling as to what his daughters may be. 'Best to leave it at that. I'll have to check on the situation later.'
Considering the child's scent, he wouldn't have to rush. Plus, he knew she'd likely get suspicious or just outright refuse him if he offered any sort of help now. He quickly paid for his things and was ready to leave, but was pleasantly surprised before he was able to. "Excuse me, would you mind telling me your name?"
It was an odd question, but he didn't see any harm in answering. "Shirou Emiya." Just as he replied, he immediately felt a presence nearby. He peered over his shoulder and noticed Artemis standing near the entrance of the store with an annoyed expression on her face. He couldn't help but sigh, before looking back towards Sally, who seemed to notice her.
He noticed a slight change in her, which meant that she probably suspected something. Considering how goddesses were described by those who saw them, such as the father of Thalia's friend, he knew that she had an inkling as to what Artemis was. "Sorry, but it seems like my friend is in a rush. We'll have to cut this short, but I'll be sure to drop by if I'm ever in the area again."
New York was definitely a hot spot that he had no desire to remain in for too long. The fact that it was underneath Olympus was even worse. Then there was what Artemis had told him, which only made his decision to take a break easier. Besides, he was beginning to notice a few strange things lately that were putting him on edge.
It was for that reason, that he was going to be remaining close to home from now on. 'Besides, Athena was pretty upset when she told me about Annabeth. Best I keep an eye on them until they can understand and practice magecraft safely.' He sighed to himself, 'It's probably my fault that Annabeth is like that.'
He remembered training his magecraft until he passed out in the shed, or wherever he was staying at the time. He constantly pushed himself past what was healthy. If not for Sakura and Rin, he'd likely have hurt himself. When he thought about his old friends, he couldn't help but feel some sadness at the fact they couldn't be there.
Though, that went for everyone else as well. He found himself thinking of them increasingly as the years passed. He knew that it had a lot to do with what Rhea did to him when they first met. Still, it wasn't all that bad. He preferred how he was now, especially since he had children.
Which brought him back to his thoughts about his children. Namely, three certain little girls who seemed to be growing up rather quickly. Annabeth was a natural when it came to magecraft, she was farther ahead than her sisters. Miyu seemed to have a better grasp on her innate demigod powers.
Then there was Ophelia, honestly, Ophelia was such a surprise he didn't even know how to explain it. Her eyes went beyond what he had imagined before. They were certainly mystic eyes tied to Aphrodite's authority, but they also functioned similar to his own eyes. It wasn't a stretch to say that she saw the world differently than everyone else.
She was still learning how to control them, but even with the bare minimum, they were a significant asset to have. He was a bit worried what she'd be like when she actually knew how to use them. From what he knew about mystic eyes, she could likely become more powerful than Aphrodite herself.
Which was rather terrifying, though the same could be said for most mystic eyes of the same rank. Reaching that potential was rarely ever achieved however. A part of him hoped that she didn't reach that level, mainly out of concern for her. Power of that level always attracted the wrong sorts of people. He could only hope Aphrodite could do a good job helping her with it.
Then again, maybe he should be the one to do it. Not that he didn't trust Aphrodite, he did, but her way of thinking wasn't exactly normal. Though, now that he thought about, 'Where is Aphrodite?'
Annabeth was sitting underneath a tree behind her house with multiple journals and books around her. She seemed to be studying different subjects, as well as writing down whatever caught her interest. Blue lines then appeared in her hands, before she began to form a magic circle around her.
Water began to form into droplets around her, though it was easy to see that she was still concentrating rather hard. "Draw water from external sources, completed. Now, to freeze it." She paused for a moment, before closing her eyes imagining the freezer in her house. She then thought about the process she read in her science book.
An additional magic circle appeared around her wrist. The water began to slowly become solid from the outside in. "Beginning conversion of energy into heat in secondary process." She said to herself, before the water around her had completed froze. "Secondary process, complete. Delivering heat into main process."
The ice she had created was soon covered in spheres that appeared to be made of magical formulae. The ice then appeared to burst, resulting in the spheres also dispersing, causing steam to spread around the area. With a quick movement of her hand, the steam quickly began to be blown outwards towards the edge of the magic circle.
"Now, condense." She said aloud, raising her other arm, causing the magic circle to light up even brighter. As the steam began to grow closer, it did seem to change slightly, though it appeared to be more of a spray of small droplets. Annabeth frowned a bit, before sitting back down and writing in her notebook. 'Condenser process requires better transfer of heat.'
"Well, well, well..." a voice called out, causing Annabeth to jolt and nearly drop her notebook. "Someone's not very good at listening to mommy and daddy." Annabeth's eyes widened a bit, before she turned and saw who had managed to sneak up on her.
Aphrodite looked down at the sitting Annabeth with her hands on her hips. She knew that she couldn't just keep ignoring that Annabeth was practicing without Shirou and Athena around, especially since Shirou was now home for the foreseeable future. Athena had spent more time with her daughter after their conversation while out shopping, but she still hadn't spoken with her about her feelings.
After Shirou found out, he quickly returned home and tried to stress the importance of not practicing alone, but Annabeth seemed to only get more driven. And so, here she was. 'Stupid owl, this is something you should be doing. You'd better thank me for this.'
Annabeth looked at her for a moment, before turning back around. "But, you're my mom too." She mumbled as she looked back at her journals. Aphrodite couldn't help but giggle a bit at the little girl's behavior. 'No matter how mature you want to be, you still act your age from time to time.'
Aphrodite walked over and placed a hand atop her head, causing Annabeth to look up at her. Aphrodite gently smiled at her. "That's right, I am, but I agree with her and Shirou." Annabeth looked back down at her journal, as Aphrodite knelt down beside and picked up one of the journals. "Which is why I've been watching you to make sure you don't hurt yourself."
"So, what were you trying to do with all of this?" She asked, with Annabeth looking at her for a moment, before looking back towards her own journal.
"Dad said it was called alchemy. I was just practicing how to do each step faster. Water is basic, so I decided to focus on that before doing other things. It's just changing it into another form, nothing special." She replied, with Aphrodite letting out a small hum at her words.
"That's not true. I know that you may want to impress your parents, and that you believe that what you're doing isn't enough, but trust me when I tell you that your parents are very proud of you. I'm sure your father would be delighted to know you can do what you just did. After all, he can't do anything like that." Aphrodite made a small gesture with her hand and multiple flowers sprouted around the two of them.
"My knowledge of magic may be limited, but I know a few things. So, why don't we make a deal?" Annabeth looked at her with a puzzled expression, while Aphrodite smiled at her. "You'll stop running off and trying to practice alone and I'll teach you a few things that I know, okay?"
"Fine." Was her simple reply, though Aphrodite just continued to smile at her. She wasn't lying to Annabeth either. Shirou had no idea that she was as far she was, though this included Athena as well. 'Shirou did say that he expected them to be better mages than he ever was. I just thought he was exaggerating, but it appears he wasn't.'
"Good, now why don't we gather up this stuff and go get some ice cream?" As soon as she said that, Annabeth smiled at her. Aphrodite couldn't help but be happy that Annabeth was finally smiling again. She needed to stress to Athena to talk to her again. Children shouldn't have to worry about such things.
However, as Annabeth began to gather up her stuff, Aphrodite felt something strange for a moment, causing her to quickly look towards the direction she felt it from. She was about to flare her power for a moment, before she calmed herself down. She didn't know what it was since it appeared and disappeared so quickly. Though, she still couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen.
"This is usually off limits for most new campers, but Chiron did say that it would be alright as long as we didn't come here alone, so it should be fine. Besides, it's one of the few places I can practice magic without being bothered." Abigail said, grabbing a book from her bag and flipping through a few pages.
"Why is this place off limits to new campers?" Thalia asked, her head tilting to the side a little bit. However, just as she finished her words, multiple sharp blades came out of the sky. Thalia quickly activated her shield and managed to protect herself. She peaked over her shield and saw a small group of five weird looking birds.
"Oh, Stymphalian Birds, not a good first opponent. Do you need help?" Abigail asked, with Thalia noticing that there was some sort of shimmer around her. Thalia shook her head, despite not having her bow, she was confident in defeating some birds.
"I've got this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her coin, before it transformed into a spear. She took a deep breath and remembered what Shirou had taught her. She then channeled lightning into her spear, before quickly running forward and blocking more feathers as she ran towards the birds.
The birds seemed to understand that their current strategy wasn't working and were about to spread out when Thalia tossed her spear in the air, being sure that it was spinning when she did so. She concentrated lightning into her left hand and quickly shot it upwards towards the spear, overcharging the lightning already within it.
The lightning quickly began to branch out and struck the birds, whose metal bodies couldn't handle the electric voltage of the lightning. She quickly grabbed Clarent and stabbed into the grounded birds, being sure that they'd never get back up afterwards. Other weapons may have had a harder time, but Clarent was a special sword with special properties.
Shirou did say he would explain everything about it when she was older, but for now, he did tell her that Clarent was a sword that matched her. Her lightning felt stronger just having the sword with her, which was a plus. It was likely why she was able to paralyze the birds so easily, as without Clarent, her lightning wasn't all that strong just yet.
"I'm guessing that's why the forest is off limits normally?" She asked, looking back towards Abby, who smiled and nodded.
"I practice my magic out here mostly, but sometimes you'll get lucky and a monster will appear. Though, Stymphalian Birds are rare." She said as she walked and looked at the dissipating birds. "These are a weaker variant of the real deal we'll deal with out in the real world though."
"So, does that mean I'd have to search for monsters to practice my skills on?" Thalia asked, looking around at the surrounding eerie forest. At the moment, that didn't sound incredibly appealing. Plus, she wanted to fight something that she could use her sword skills on.
"Normally, but considering the scent radiating from you as a child of one of the big three, finding monsters shouldn't be that difficult. My own scent is quite rare, so I don't really have as much trouble." Abby replied, opening her book and looking at one of the pages. She then looked at Thalia, "Um, do you mind if I take a strand of your hair?"
Thalia looked at her with a questioning expression, but shook her head in reply, followed by Abby doing exactly as she said and placing it into her book. The words on the page seemed to glow, before dimming and returning to normal. Abigail looked at the book for a moment, before smiling to herself. "Great, now shall we go look for some more monsters before we join the others?"
Abigal then began to walk a bit further into the forest, with Thalia following behind a bit puzzled. "Uh, so why'd you ask me that? Seems kind of random."
"Oh, it's just for my magic, nothing weird. Some spells work better if I have a catalyst associated with the spell present. Your hair is more than enough for what I needed. So, thank you." She answered, with Thalia humming at her response. It was still kind of weird, but she understood the logic. It wasn't like Shirou didn't teach her a bit about the subject.
"Um, what kind of magic do you use?" She decided to ask, deciding that she was interested in the subject. She learned a lot about her own powers and magic from Shirou, and learned a bit from Athena and Artemis, but when it came to the proper magic of Hecate, she was clueless.
She was sure that Abigail's eyes would have had stars in them if possible, because Abigail quickly turned around and began to talk to her really quickly about her magic. Apparently, Thalia had underestimated how enthusiastic Abigail was when it came to magic, because she had never seen her become so energetic before.
Shirou Emiya, the hero lost between worlds, he wasn't perfect and he never claimed to be. Watching him grow from the time she had met him until now had been a very interesting time. Seeing as he evolved and grew from a self-sacrificing broken hero, to the loving husband and father he was now was something that Rhea couldn't help but be proud of.
She may not have been Shirou's real mother, but that didn't mean that she didn't care about him like he was one of her own children. Besides, considering his relationship with Hestia, he was technically her son anyways. Still, it was nice to see how his family was coming along in the years.
Hestia was definitely the reason for why he was able to come so far, being a constant influence in his life. From the time he arrived in the world, all the way up until now. Rhea new her daughter well, so she knew that her love and care was necessary, if not vital, for Shirou's development after she helped him years ago.
Then there was Aphrodite. If Hestia was helping Shirou with family and loving himself more, bonding together spiritually and giving him someone who wouldn't give up on helping him with himself, then Aphrodite was definitely the one who helped him emotionally. Opening himself up to others, developing bonds and helping him show that to others.
The two of them together were able to fill in the empty spaces of Shirou's soul and psyche. They were able to shape Shirou him into who he was now, whereas Athena and Artemis, along with the others in his home, were what tempered and sharpened him.
Each one had something that represented that bond. A child, or children, between them all that all but signified their connection. The three eldest were perfect representations of this. Annabeth was smart and always wanting to learn new things that interested her. Yet, there was a slight distance she kept others at, a mark of Athena of no doubt.
Then there was Ophelia, the youngest of the three. A child of born love, she was bright and playful, being quite adventurous and willing to get rough and dirty where other Aphrodite girls would not. She had sharp eyes and was in tune with emotions, yet she was naive and somewhat distrustful of those she didn't know. Likely a result of Aphrodite's feelings at the time.
Last but not least, her daughter's child, Miyu. Ah, she didn't even where to start when it came to her. It was exactly like looking at Hestia when she was that age. Sure, Hestia was able to change her form, but that was different. Though, it was a bit better in this case, since humans aged much slower.
Of course, it wasn't like Shirou's characteristics weren't there either, but all of his children looked more Greek in appearance than Japanese. The exception to that was Ophelia, who actually had a mixed look of Japanese and European features, which was likely because of Aphrodite's current form.
Miyu though, it was very easy to tell that she was Hestia's child. Not only from appearance, but from her natural warm and sweet disposition. She was like a little ball of joy that wandered about wherever she went, with a bright smile on her face. Though, Rhea wouldn't let that fool her into believing that she would stay this way all the time.
She had a feeling that when she was older, she'd likely inherit the same serious expression as Shirou. Whoever experienced it was likely to not have a good time. Already, she had noticed the magic that Shirou had spoken of. He may made mention of certain people in his world, born with talents that made them once in a lifetime geniuses.
From his words, they were born able to breathe and walk in a certain way that simply made them special. A holy child who was simply in tune with the world and the breath of life. After hearing about it, she figured it made sense why her flame always felt so full of life. According to Shirou, she would be able to reproduce greater miracles than most mages, even without knowing any.
Funny enough, she had already seen it at work. Rather she felt it, certain things her granddaughter did were able to drawn in more energy than most demigods born and raised around magic. When she first learned about her own nature, she tried to show Rhea and was able to create a stable flame from the simple act of snapping her finger.
It was easy to tell that she was special existence, but Rhea already knew that was likely to be the case if Hestia ever had a child. It was something that was fated to never happen, then one day, that future was completely blank. Shirou likely didn't have any clue about what his arrival caused, but her tie to prophecies and visions gave her a big enough idea.
Fate had been rewritten and wherever Shirou went, the threads of fate were cut and sewn back together again by the Fates into something manageable. Why they hadn't attempted to intervene more was a mystery to her, but she was pretty sure that it wouldn't have mattered even if they did.
Besides, the Fates weren't all powerful, at least, not to the level some thought they were. So, it wasn't too bad. She just hoped they wouldn't try to get involved in her grandchildren's lives. Especially not the youngest children. She couldn't help but hum to herself as she thought about what kind of situation would come out of that.
As she was doing so, she couldn't help but feel a little surge of power, causing her to raise a brow. However, he thoughts were interrupted, "Grandma, are you okay?" she looked down to her side and Miyu holding onto her hand. She smiled at her and nodded, her eyes taking notice of the small fox peeking out of the girl's backpack.
"Oh, everything's fine dear. Just wondering if your mommy might have some treats ready for you when we get to the bakery." She replied, though what she felt did bug her a bit. However, it wasn't enough to actually warrant any suspicion thus far. Still, she hoped that everything would be okay.
A strange flare up of power that was gone as quickly as it came. It was troubling and something that Shirou wasn't going to ignore. He had arrived at the location pretty quick, though that wasn't saying much with his motorcycle. The thing was, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He didn't even find any remnants of magical energy.
It was as if something had flashed here and flashed out. Then again, something could have flashed here and hid itself. The thing was, to what end? He was outside of the town, so if something entered, he should have felt it through his bounded field. There was something wrong, he just wasn't sure what it was.
He looked down at the ground and tilted his head. He knelt down and placed his hand down. "Trace on." He sent a pulse of magical energy into the ground, feeling something was there. As he did so, he felt the same sensation he did when he was taking Thalia to Camp Half-Blood. It actually caused Shirou to jump up to his feet and ready himself for anything.
'It is her. Though, that doesn't really make any sense. If the flare up of power was her, then why does this feel completely different? Also, what reason is there to hide? Unless, it was a warning?' Shirou thought to himself, knowing that, while that cold chill was terrifying, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He couldn't help but hum to himself, before turning and make his way back to his bike.
As he did so, he couldn't help but feel like there was something he was missing. There wasn't enough information here to tell him anything, other than to keep his guard up. He was beginning to feel like his home wasn't as safe as he had first thought it was. Then again, if it wasn't safe here, then there was likely nowhere that was safe.
He let out a sigh, before hopping back onto his bike and riding off, being sure to remember to repay the favor for this warning the first opportunity he had. He just hoped he wouldn't have to pass any tests or trials or anything like that. He shook his head and focused on the current issue.
Thankfully, he knew that Lacy and Ritsuka were with Hestia and Athena, so they were safe. Annabeth, she was likely back at home with Aphrodite, and Ophelia was with the Mia and Caroline. Miyu was with Rhea, so she was likely the safest out of all of his children. A titan was not something you wanted to piss off.
Since his children were safe, with the mothers and grandmother with them, then that meant everyone was safe. Save for Artemis and Zoe, but they had other errands to deal with, so he knew they were safe. Though, that did cause him to wonder about Artemis. She had been acting rather strange lately. Mainly the way she acted after he spoke with Sally.
Despite Rhea's assistance with his mind, he was still no closer to understanding how women worked. Let alone goddesses. Still, he was glad that she was likely safe with her hunters. That accounted for everyone, so he wasn't sure of what he was missing. He sighed, before deciding to patrol the whole area and look for anything suspicious.
"So, when are you going to tell him, milady?" Zoe asked in hushed tone. Artemis and her hunters were all waiting, primed to ambush a monster that had shown up. Artemis looked over at Zoe with a raised brow. Zoe shook her head. "About what's back at camp?"
Artemis turned away, trying to maintain a calm and composed facade. 'She's right, you have to tell him.'Artemis let out a small growl. 'I don't want to hear it from you. I'll tell him on my own time.' She responded in her head, before looking back to Zoe, "All in due time, I just feel like now is not the best time, especially with him now having two more babies to handle. Not to mention, Athena likely might have another any day now."
Zoe looked at her with a shocked expression? "Really? When did such a thing occur?" She asked, not remembering the two interacting all that much. She tried to think back, but couldn't remember anything beyond Shirou and Athena sparring and spending some afternoons on the back porch playing chess and teaching the girls the basics of fighting.
"It could have occurred at any point when they were together to be honest. Despite how different they act, the two are quite similar in many ways. Though, I personally believe it happened when they were sparring. Athena told me that's how Annabeth was born." She answered, narrowing her eyes, before sighing.
"You know, milady, and don't take this the wrong way, but perhaps it would be better for thee to try and spend more time with Shirou." Artemis was about to respond, before she turned towards Zoe.
"When did you start just referring him as Shirou? Weren't you referring to him as 'Sir'?" She asked with a small smirk on her face. Zoe's face reddened slightly, before she shook her head.
"Ah, um, when Sir Shirou lightly scolded me and told me to take better care of myself. He bade me to refer to him as just Shirou." She responded, though Artemis could see the poor girl was still embarrassed by that event. Of all her hunters, she had the most problems with male heroes. So, for Shirou to grow close to her and treat her so well must have been a bit much for her. 'Shirou did say she would get more comfortable as time went on.' She thought to herself.
"I see, well, don't change it just because you are now away from him. Besides, you are my lieutenant, so I hope that you can continue to be on good terms with him." Artemis said with a small smile. 'Nice way to change the subject. You can't run from it forever, Artemis. He'll understand, heck, he'd probably be ecstatic.' Artemis mentally sighed. 'It's not that simple Diana and you know it. Besides, why do you care so much?'
'You are me and I am you, of course I would care about this. I'm just surprised that you're the one who opened up like that, you know, being a man hater and all.' Diana spoke, with Artemis slightly gritting her teeth. 'I'm not getting into this with you.' She curtly responded, before focusing back onto her current task.
"Milady, you know that we can hunt this monster on our own, in case you wished to return earlier than planned." Zoe spoke with an understanding tone, with some of the nearby hunters nodding in agreement. Most of them actually liked Shirou, so it wasn't a big deal for them. He felt different from all of the males they had interacted with in the past. So, they figured if their lady had to be enamored with someone, then Shirou was the best choice.
Artemis audibly sighed this time, "No, but thank you for your concern Zoe. Besides, I promised to accompany you all on more hunts. I can deal with my personal issues when I return." The other hunters looked at each other and exchanged knowing glances and small snickers. Most of which didn't go by Artemis who only responded by letting out a small growl.
'Artemis, don't make me take over. If you keep putting this off, I'll do it.' Artemis's eyes widened slightly, before they narrowed a bit. 'You wouldn't dare! Besides, you can't be in control around the children, you're Roman.' She replied with a smug tone. 'You should know as well as anyone, Shirou's children don't follow the same conventional wisdom as other half-bloods. I don't feel the same power preventing my appearance as I do with other half-bloods.'
'I say that to say this, you need to face him. This is the reason why you haven't made ground in years.' Diana finished with a satisfied huff. Artemis wasn't happy to hear that to be honest. She was trying, it was just hard. She had made a habit of avoiding males completely since she was young. That was thousands of years and now she was paying for it, and she would sooner shoot herself in the foot than ask Aphrodite for help.
'Fine, I'll figure something out, Diana. Just let me finish the hunt with the hunters and I'll come up with something.' She replied, wondering if there was someone she could turn to for this. Hestia was a choice, Athena was a maybe, and as much as she hated the idea, Aphrodite was also there. 'No, I can do this alone.' She thought with a determined expression.
Dreams and nightmares were two sides of the same coin. Though, in her eyes, nightmares could tell her more about a person than dreams. Dreams were hopes and aspirations, but nightmares were often filled with the past and of phobias. This was her domain and she knew it better than any other. Of countless years of life, nightmares were often the same after awhile.
And then she found someone who greatly interested her. A man whose nightmares were filled of impossibilities and contradictions, and yet, they were undeniably real. It was fascinating and was her current object of observation. A man named Shirou Emiya, who was a hero in a world in another place and time.
His nightmares told of great guilt and loss, of frustrations and fears beyond anything a normal human could handle. A cursed fire that killed an untold number of lives, with only him as a survivor. The screams and cries for help that he held deep within himself, refusing to accept that he could not do a thing to help them.
Then there was the multiple horrors he saw when acting as a guardian of two sisters and as an enforcer. Of wicked acts of immoral people on those they saw as less than themselves, but also the normal evils man perpetuated on each other. Coming to grips that having to save others, he had to bring himself to kill. But no matter how much he tried, he was never satisfied, always remembering the faces of the ones he felt he failed to save.
Nightmares where he hunted mages with all manner of weapons, ranging from knives and bows, to grenades and guns. Whatever helped him save more people, he used it. Against the magic of his memories, they were effective, often catching most off guard. Though, even the comfort he felt when killing these monsters was marred by the fact that he knew he had taken the life of a human being.
His dream of being a hero of justice was the only solace he found, knowing he saved more lives than the ones he took. Then, the next nightmare, being inside of a building with multiple pods, a place called Chaldea. The first being an explosion, managing to save the woman he worked for, but unable to save the others were already within their coffins, buried and burning.
Despite this, his nightmares showed his heroic nature, with him always running into danger to save another. This particular one, rushing to save a girl named Mash, who was trapped under debris. Each nightmare growing in intensity, but often filled with the same contents.
Holding onto lifeless bodies who had bled out on a battlefield. Trying to resuscitate women and children who were beyond saving. Though, there were some nightmares where he was living his life, yet, when he looked into the mirror, he saw only future versions of himself. Killers who only cared about their own utilitarian points of view. Saving the many by sacrificing the few.
Even after he had met Hestia, his dreams revolved around him not being able to save those he cared for. It was obvious what his fears were. His nightmares allowed her to see who he really was. He was a hero who feared not being able to protect or save others. However, these dreams shifted after awhile.
Before, it was focused on saving anyone and everyone. Now, his fears were focused on his family and loves ones. She felt the pain and sorrow he felt in these nightmares and they were enough to almost suffocate her. Honestly, the feeling terrified her. Honestly, it made sense for his children and the women he loved, but he felt that pain about the others, like her sister, and it was surprisingly terrifying.
Her original intention was to watch over her sister and to ascertain the man's abilities to protect her. Her mother was overprotective, which wasn't a bad thing at first, but now, she realized that maybe it made sense. Her mother likely knew nothing about the hero, and she wanted it to stay that way. She had seen and heard the interactions with the others and knew that this was a secret. One that was better off kept.
Still, she had to report something. 'Maybe I'll just report the bare minimum and tell mother that my sister is safe where she is. She'd have to believe me anyway, the magic surrounding the town and the hero's house was particularly tricky and powerful. If she wasn't who she was, she likely would have been found out three years ago when she was sent here. So, it wasn't like her mother could come check.
She let out a sigh, 'While it is interesting, some days it can get a bit dull. Besides, something made a strange pulse of energy and I'm not sure what it was.' Honestly, she didn't want to see whatever it was, or whoever it was. Still, she did have a responsibility here. So, she'd stick around for awhile longer.
Plus, she may get to see something interesting if she sticks around. And if the person who made the pulse was who she felt it was, then it was definitely going to be worth seeing.
The bakery was particularly busy today. Though, Hestia couldn't complain, business was always good. Shirou was actually quite proud of his bakery and how many customers came and went. Today was one of the rare days where the other employee's had a day off, so she slightly wondered if that was the reason.
Considering Athena's beauty, as well as some of the hunters, who helped out from time to time, she figured that it was a pretty decent draw. Then again, when Shirou worked, it was usually always busy. She wasn't sure how much that was his abilities and how much was just women coming to see him.
Then again, her family was quite well known around town. Everyone had been doing their fair share of doing things around town and helping out, so she figured it wasn't unwarranted. Even Aphrodite was willing to do counseling for couples from time to time. Athena had thought about becoming a teacher, but hadn't made up her mind yet. She didn't want to embarrass the girls, so she was holding off.
The hunters were known for helping out around town, ranging from cleaning up the parks to helping find lost hikers and essentially acting as forest rangers. She blamed Mia for the latest idea of giving out archery lessons to young children. Mia's hunters had become quite popular in town because of all of that.
Caroline usually helped out in the bakery, but often times preferred to take care of the children. So, she was well known among the other mothers who took their kids out. The only one who wasn't all that well known was Artemis, but that was mainly because she was either out with her hunters or spending time at home with the children and Shirou. Though, that didn't mean that no one knew her.
Strangely enough, no one seemed to raise any suspicions about Shirou being surrounded by so many women. Though, she had a feeling that Aphrodite had something to do with that. She wasn't going to complain about it, especially since it did help keep a low profile. She was a bit worried about what the girls would think and say as they grew older. They couldn't just all say that Shirou had children with three different women around the same time period.
'Well, I suppose we can deal with that once that time comes.' She thought as she placed another order onto the counter. "So, what do you think Shirou is doing right now?" Hestia smiled and turned towards Athena, who was sitting in front of the register, looking through the money and reading a few different documents regarding the business.
"Hmm, he's probably going to check out the cause of that weird pulse of energy we felt earlier." She answered, placing a few more cakes and pies into the ovens. Smiling, she stood back up and turned towards Athena. "I wouldn't worry too much Athena. Shirou's a lot stronger than he was when we first met him, plus the girls are safe and protected."
Athena paused for a moment, before continuing marking down a few things. "I'm not worried about the girls, I know they're likely the safest half-bloods in the country, but we've both seen Shirou's memories." She then looked over towards Hestia. "He's not exactly known for being careful."
Hestia hummed to herself, before she placed her hair behind her ears. "I have seen them, but I feel like he's been getting better. It was slow, but I think that everyone's been having a good impact on his psyche. I've seen him thinking more about himself more, being a little more selfish. I know you've seen it too. I mean, didn't you see how he was when he spent all day with you and Annabeth?"
Athena stopped what she was doing and only looked down for a moment. She seemed to be mulling something over before looking at Hestia. "He's definitely getting better, there is no doubt about that. However, that's only in comparison to what he was before. I'm worried about what side effects could come from all that." She said looking into Hestia's eyes.
"Side effects? Do you really think that something bad could come out of helping him?" She asked, genuinely wondering about it. She hadn't really seen anything like that, though she did notice Shirou's nightmares had returned for awhile, but there weren't as bad as they were before. They weren't occupying his entire night's rest.
Athena looked away for a moment, before looking back towards her. "It's mostly just conjecture at the moment, however, Shirou's not like most normal humans. We know this. However, when Lady Rhea helped him, she basically gave him access to what was muted and broken. The mind is a delicate thing and Shirou was able to keep himself together despite what happened to him."
"Despite everything he's been through, he has come out stronger than before, but think about his actions while he was like that. He was still self-sacrificing, especially for those he cared about, taking attacks that were meant for someone else. His emotions then are completely different than what they are now, and he's only had around seven years to acclimate to them." She then turned back towards her papers.
"He is still Shirou, but what if something threatens any of us? Hurts one of us? Or, gods forbid, kill one of us?" She spoke in a solemn and grave tone, but Hestia could grasp what she was saying. "Shirou's heart is like glass. If something breaks it, all he'll be left with is a mind of steel. I've seen what becomes of that and I have no intention of letting that happen."
Hestia was stunned for a moment, before she picked up on what she said. "Wait, you saw what becomes of that? What's that mean?" She asked, with Athena snapping her head towards her and looking at her with a surprised expression.
"You mean, you haven't seen his future self in his mind?" She asked, with Hestia frowning at her question. She had seen it, but it wasn't anything as bad as Athena is making it out to be. If anything, Shirou just seemed jaded and cynical, reduced to a machine who only fought when called upon. He was the logical end of a hero of justice.
"Are you talking about Archer? I've seen him. He's dressed in red and black, darkened skin, steel colored eyes, and white hair?" She clarified, but it was clear by the look on Athena's face that it wasn't the same person.
"How did we see two different versions?" Athena said aloud, but it was clear she was just thinking to herself. "Compatibility? I don't get it. Am I missing something?" Hestia walked closer and turned Athena around in her chair, startling her.
"What did you see?" She asked plainly and sternly, but Athena could hear the tinge of worry in her voice. Now wasn't the time to ponder on the why.
"I saw a version of Shirou that was broken beyond anything I have ever seen. If the Archer you saw was a future version of him, and if he's the original, then that means what I saw was an alternative path. A much darker and sadder path. It didn't matter what was in his way, he would go through it to get his target. The ends justify the means taken to its extreme. Whether that was civilians, or even his own loved one, he would gun them down."
"That can't be true. Shirou has never shown the capability of doing that. He cares about saving people with the least amount of casualties as possible, even if that makes it harder. I don't think Archer would even go that far." Hestia said, bringing a hand to her forehead. This was too much for her. Shirou had two paths that he had met, but she had only witnessed one.
Then she focused on what Athena said. 'Alternative? Alter? That was Shirou's Alter, a dark version of himself. Just like Jeanne and Arturia, or even the Irish hero Cu Chulainn.' If that was the case, then it would explain why she didn't see it. 'Perhaps Shirou had subconsciously hidden it from me, locked it away?'
"Hestia, that isn't Shirou, and it would take a lot to get him to become even remotely close to it. However, we have to face the possibility that Shirou's mental state right now could go awry. What I mean, is that we have to watch over the girls and train them to the best of our abilities until they go to Camp Half-Blood. But, for sure, you need to be careful Hestia."
"Me?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Athena let out a sigh, before nodding.
"Yes, you, you are Shirou's rock, his base. He loves you, I mean he even married you, Hestia. You're the reason he's even here and the reason why he has everything he does. I know we can reform, but if you were killed, it would deeply affect his mind. You are the key. Now, I'm not saying all this to cause a panic. As I said, it's mainly conjecture, but I believe it warrants caution on our part." Athena said while grabbing a hold of Hestia's hand. "We just have to keep doing what we're doing and keep filling in the cracks Shirou has."
Hestia took a deep breath, calming herself. "I still need to see this other version, that way I know what to look for."
"It won't help." Both Athena and Hestia jumped in surprise when they heard a voice. They turned and saw Rhea looking at them with a small smile. "Shirou has already diverged from those paths. The Shirou we have is in a league of his own. What happens now is up to him and who he decides to be. The most we can do is support him to the best of our abilities."
"You knew this whole time?" Hestia asked, not understanding why she'd keep something like that from her. Then again, she realized that Shirou would have likely told her to not share any of it. If only not to worry her.
"I did and you know why I didn't tell you. Shirou's chances of becoming either of those two is off the board. That's not to say we don't worry, because we're talking about Shirou. I'm just saying, trying to control the outcome or try to force something will end in disaster. Be what you both are to him, his wife and his lover." The moment she said that, Athena couldn't help but blush a bit, as she was still a bit embarrassed to hear it.
Hestia, however, couldn't help but worry. Precisely because she was his wife. 'Wait, is that...?' "Yes, that's what I meant dear." Hestia frowned and huffed. 'So just continue on the path we have been. I suppose we can do that. Trust and faith, that's all I have to have, like Shirou has for me.'
"Great, now, if you'll excuse me girls, I have a grandaughter to get back to." Rhea said, grabbing a plate of cookies and walking back out the door from where she came. Hestia and Athena looked at each other, before thinking about the fact that Rhea had likely just come in for that and just dropped that on them as a bonus.
Though, for Hestia and Athena, they couldn't help but think about Shirou. Despite their thoughts being different, they were both driven by the same emotion. Athena couldn't help but hum, knowing that she wouldn't normally worry like this, something Hestia picked up on. "You're having another one, aren't you?" She asked with a bright smile on her face.
Athena's cheeks slightly blushed, before turning back towards her work. "Shirou and I have discussed it. I was just thinking that I'd prefer Shirou remain healthy in body and mind, so he can help raise our children together. That's all." Hestia couldn't help but be a bit happy. Athena's emotions were quite ecstatic, almost matching her emotions when she saw Annabeth again, and likely, when Annabeth was born.
'One big happy family is possible, isn't it Shirou?' She thought, her smile emitting a warmth like that of the ovens. It was enough to brighten the somewhat bleak mood immediately. 'Oh, I should check on Ritsuka and Lacy while I have a break.' Besides, it was time to give the hunters a break.
Of course, Athena knew that things weren't always so simple. Not when it came to things like this. She could see the potential risks inherent in what was going on. Her domain was wisdom, so she felt like she had some knowledge on the matter. Right now, she felt like she had an obligation to, at the very least, keep an eye on things. Though, she knew that some part of Hestia was likely still bothered by it, despite the front she put up. She knew, because she was doing the same thing.
Back at Camp Half-Blood, after messing around a bit more in the forest, Thalia and Abigail continued on with the rest of their day. All in all, it was a fairly normal day. Thalia felt like she was getting more comfortable with everything, though she did still stay in Artemis's cabin for the most part. She had thought about moving into her actual cabin, but decided she would wait a bit longer, mainly out of spite.
She spent most of her time with her new friends, which was a lot more fun than she thought it would have been. Originally, she was kind of against coming to the camp. She had wanted to stay with Shirou and learn what she could there, but Shirou managed to talk her into going. Something about making friends with others that were like her.
She thought that was kind of ironic, considering she knew Shirou didn't have too many friends himself. She never said it, but Hestia must have read her mind or something, considering she explained why that was. According to Hestia, Shirou was very much like a soldier returning home. Becoming friends with ordinary people was hard for him, since his friends were very much not normal.
Still, he did make some, and she did realize that Shirou just wanted the best for her. She especially realized it after making friends of her own. So, she was actually happy that Shirou managed to talk her into it. Though, there were times like now where she just enjoyed sitting down and relaxing. Though, technically it was because she was able to practice some things that Shirou had taught to her.
If she could meditate, she would do it, but she found it helped if she practiced while just doing mundane things. If anyone tapped her on the shoulder, they'd likely get a small shock from her trying to manipulate her power. She still couldn't do that thing Shirou showed her, 'Mana burst, I think he called it.' She frowned a bit, frustrated at the lack of progress she made on that front.
She could fire off her lightning and, maybe, channel it into her hand. Though, if she lost focus she'd end up making her arm go numb for a few hours. So, needless to say, she was still very much training every chance she had. She let out a small sigh, as she looked at her hand. A few sparks ran in between her fingers.
Why was she trying so hard to do it like this? Honestly, a bit of rebellion, if she were being honest. Shirou and her had found out how easy it was to mess with lightning when it was naturally occurring. She could use that lightning, but she couldn't just rely on that, since it didn't storm all that time. Besides, she was determined to be good enough at it that she could match Zeus's lightning.
'One day, I'll get there.' She thought, before sitting back and looking at the small bonfire in front of her. "Something on your mind?" She heard a familiar voice ask her, causing her to look around for the source, only to look back at the fire to see Hestia playing with the fire. It was still a bit weird to see her in such a young form, looking a few younger than she was currently.
Hestia smiled, before looking back at the fire. "Believe it or not, I used to spend most of time like this." She continued, before letting out a small giggle. "But, I'm pretty sure most people would give Shirou weird looks for hanging around a little girl all the time. But here, I'm just another child."
Thalia couldn't help but smile at Hestia's words. "I see. Um, what are doing here Aunt Hestia? Or rather, how are you here? Aren't you at home with Shirou and everyone else?"
Hestia hummed, "Oh, I am. Gods can be in multiple places at once. Why do you think Aphrodite's cabin has so many children occupying it?" She asked with a smile. Though, Thalia did understand. It made sense to her, especially after meeting most of them. Why some went out of their way to talk to her, she didn't know, but she felt like Aphrodite had something to do with it.
There was also the few Athena kids she sparred with, which was rather fun and helpful. "I see, that makes sense. Well, to go back to your first question, I'm just wondering if I'll be able to make any sort of breakthrough with my powers any time soon. I feel like I'm missing something, I just don't know what."
Hestia kept poking at the fire, before looking at her. "Well, it takes time to get stronger, Thalia. Shirou wasn't all that great when he was your age either, but he kept training and working hard. Just give it some time and I'm sure you'll get there." Her words always felt reassuring, but this time it felt different. She couldn't explain it, but it did make her feel her better.
"Thank you, Aunt Hestia. I just want to make all of you proud. Maybe I was rushing a bit." She said with a small laugh. She knew that Hestia often times knew exactly what to say. She'd seen it many times, especially when it came to Shirou. Of all the gods, Shirou did say that he respected her the most, and that was before he met her.
Considering how Shirou felt about the gods, she knew that it was high praise. She agreed though, as everyone told her that no one ever had a bad thing to say about Hestia. If there was something to say about her, it was that she cared a bit too much, but that wasn't really a bad thing. At least, not when compared to Shirou.
"Well, enough about that, how have you been enjoying your time here? Have you made any friends?" Hestia asked as she made her way over to sit beside her.
Thalia tilted her head a bit, "Don't you already know? I've seen you around while I was with them." Hestia laughed a bit, before shaking her head.
"Yes, I have seen you with a group of children. But, even if I already know, I still want to hear you tell me about them." Hestia's smile never left her face, even as she spoke. Thalia could also tell that she was genuinely asking. Considering she filled the role of her mother figure, she couldn't help but want to speak with her.
So, she decided that she'd tell Hestia about her time there. Besides, she knew that everyone else may have also been interested to know. Not to mention, she most of the day free. Spending that time with Hestia wasn't a bad way to spend the rest of the day.
"So, how has she been doing in her archery lessons?" Caroline asked, who was sitting on a park bench along with Mia. Mia let out a small hum, before scanning the playground. There were only a few children there. Going by the time, she guessed that Ophelia still had some time before they had to return as well. Plus, the other mothers around seemed to be getting ready as well.
"She's been doing fantastic actually. She's naturally talented at wielding a bow. It came as quite the shock when we told Lady Artemis." She answered, before taking a sip from her drink.
"It is pretty surprising, I mean, none of my siblings are known for being particularly good fighters. I'm sure there are some, but they're rare. Hmm, I wonder if she got it from Shirou?" Caroline questioned if such a thing was possible, though she was pretty sure that was the case. Especially considering the fact that Shirou was unnaturally talented with a bow.
"More than likely, at least that's what our lady thinks. I'm sure she'll be excited once she reaches the age to take her on her first hunt. Though, that's only if Shirou doesn't take her first. Though, considering them, they'd probably end up taking her together." She couldn't help but let out a small laugh at that thought.
"Speaking of Shirou, have you given up on making him fall for you?" She quickly added, being sure to take a glance at Ophelia every once in awhile.
Caroline let out a small huff, "As if. I won't give up, even if it's the last thing I do. I just need to find his weakness and I'll be able to charm him." Mia rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the amused grin from appearing on her face.
"Why don't you try going for the damsel in distress bit? We both know Shirou's a sucker for saving people. I'm sure recreating a classic hero saves the princess vibe would do the trick." Mia replied in a half-joking manner, while nonchalantly waving her hand around in the air.
Caroline hummed to herself for a moment, before ultimately sighing. "No, I've played that role before. Remember when those amazons kidnapped me?" Mia nodded her head in response, with Caroline continuing, "So, I doubt that angle would work. Then again, my mom sort of ruined the moment when she appeared with Hestia.
Mia shook her head with a small smile on her face. "Plus, I doubt we'd want to Shirou in a state like that again. Man, I can still remember the feeling he gave off when he was wielding that black sword. It was like looking at a completely different person." She couldn't help but remember that cold look on his face when he was facing the amazons.
"Yeah, true. It was in stark contrast to how he looked when I first met him." Caroline then remembered that day. She realized that she saw two different sides to a hero. One looking like a gallant knight, the other looking like cold and ruthless executioner who had seen too much death and too many battles.
Though, now that she thought about it, she felt like both seemed a bit lonely to her. Not at all how he was now. She wondered why that was. She looked up at Ophelia, seeing her smiling at she was playing on some monkey bars. Caroline was glad that Shirou had no reason to feel that way now. Considering everyone around him, she was sure that he didn't have time to feel lonely.
"You know, now that you mention it, he had a different feel and air about him when I first met him too. Huh, now that I think about, he saved me too." Mia hummed to herself, before shaking her head. "Eh, it doesn't matter. I doubt we see anything like that anytime soon."
The two girls then noticed Ophelia approach them with a small smile. "Oh, are you finished? There's still a bit of time left before we have to go." Caroline asked, with Ophelia responding with a simple nod.
"Well, considering your dad's cooking, I'd probably want to go home a bit early too." Mia added, placing a hand on top of her head. "You know, I bet..." Before she could finish her sentence, she felt something wash over her for a moment. It caused her to wince slightly.
She then noticed that whatever it was had gotten to Caroline too. They both stood up, with Caroline picking up Ophelia and Mia placing her hands behind her, ready to pull out her hunting knives if necessary. She looked around and noticed that there was no one else in the area, which was odd, considering there was still maybe a few people there when Ophelia came up to them.
"What's wrong, aunty Caroline?" Caroline looked at Ophelia, who seemed unbothered by the weird atmosphere. She wondered if it had something to do with her eyes. But, she didn't have time to worry about that, as long as it didn't hurt her or anything, then that was good.
"Um, Mia and me don't feel so good, so we're going to hurry home, that's all, Lia." She said, trying to reassure her, though it was pretty weak all things considered. Though, maybe she just thought that since she was feeling the urge to hit something. Considering she wasn't a violent person, she knew something was very wrong.
"Caroline, you need to get back home with Ophelia right now." Mia tried to stress the urgency without scaring Ophelia, but she was sure that Caroline would get her intention. She looked around, trying to see if there were any other hunters in the area, but she didn't see any.
"Oh, why the rush? It's not like I'd hurt Aphrodite's children." That boorish voice tinged with amusement, it was easily noticeable to Mia. She may not have been a hunter for very long, but she had been a hunter long enough to have been in the vicinity of this god.
She pulled her bow out and aimed it across towards one of the trees in the park they were in. As long as they were still in here, they'd be able to avoid civilians. She let loose her arrow, but it quickly stopped, being caught in the hands of the one she was aiming at.
Out of the shadows of the tree emerged a large man, dressed like a biker in all black, save for the blood red shirt underneath bulletproof vest and the black leather jacket. They couldn't see his eyes, as they were covered by black sunglasses, but Mia didn't want to see them anyway.
She quickly nocked another arrow, before she felt something pull on it. However, she kept a tight grip on her bow, fighting against the force. "Ugh, those bows are troublesome. The material makes it hard to control." He spoke again, his voice grating on Mia's nerves. "No matter. I wish to have a word with those two children behind you, hunter. Now, begone."
Mia looked back at Caroline who was slowly inching away, but appeared ready to run. 'Good. I just need to buy her a little time.' "I'm afraid I can't do that, besides, I won't let you anywhere near them. My lady told us about you. I won't let you anywhere near that child."
He stopped in his tracks, before letting out a growl. "So, even she knows about that child. Yet, she says nothing?" His voice was angry, Mia could tell. It was likely that he was here to use them to get to Shirou. However, she wasn't go to let that happen. She doubted she could match a god, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try.
She dropped her bow, before turning towards Caroline, only saying one word. "Run."
Caroline didn't hesitate, quickly turning and taking off outside of the park. Mia grabbed her hunting knives and turned to face Ares. She took a deep breath, trying to focus, but finding it hard to accomplish. She shook her head, before deciding to attack him.
Ares only appeared annoyed, dodging her attacks quite easily. Considering his domain, Mia knew that it made sense. But she just continued to attack, because even if it bought a second of time, it would be enough. "You hunters never were any good up close." He said with a mocking laugh.
A bat appeared in his right hand, which he then swung directly at her head. However, Mia was able to duck underneath the attack, before stabbing forward with both daggers. However, once they hit him, they were stopped by the vest. In a swift movement, he grabbed hold of her wrists, before lifting her up slightly off the ground.
She could feel her wrists creaking under the pressure of his grip. "I could kill you easily huntress. The only reason I don't is because your goddess will become a pain if I do. So, consider yourself lucky little girl." Mia's eyes narrowed at the god. "Now, I have two demigods to catch." He then threw Mia to the side, before beginning to walk away.
After taking about five steps, he quickly stepped to the side, a silver hunting knife hurtling by as he did so. He growled again, frustration evident. "You know what, never mind. You're annoying." He turned around and quickly caught another knive thrown directly at his face, only for one of the silver arrows to hit him in the chest.
His vest stopped it, but it still reached him regardless. That was annoying and embarrassing. He was going to kill her. Mia smirked at the gods attitude. She knew she managed to take his mind off of Caroline and Ophelia. Ares quickly stomped over, waving off any incoming arrows, before finally standing in front of her.
'Good, that should have been enough time.' Mia thought with a small smile. Ares didn't seem to like that, as he brought his weapon up and quickly brought it down towards her. She was prepared to be killed in the next moment, only to be surprised when a large spiked ball and chain smashed directly into Ares, throwing him off his feet and away.
The spiked ball and chain quickly dissipated into embers as Shirou quickly appeared in front of her, never turning his head, he asked one question. "Are you okay?" She heard his question, but could hardly register it. Shirou was dressed as usual, none of that changed. It was the look on his face. There was only one time where she remembered Shirou's face express anger, and that was when Shirou first encountered the amazons.
But right now, what was on his face was not anger, it was hatred and it was pointed towards one person. "You should get out of here. I left four swords at the entrance of the park. Grab them and place them around this area. It will set up a bounded field and keep people out." He said, his voice calm, despite the look on his face.
Mia turned her head towards Ares, only seeing him stand up from a kneeling position. "Trace on." Shirou spoke his incantation, with the sword Artemis had made for him in one hand, and another katana, only with a red blade, in the other. Multiple flame colored circuit patterns then appeared on his body, shining even underneath his clothes.
Mia could already the feel the change in the air once she saw them. Shirou never took his eyes off of Ares. However, Mia wasn't going to argue with Shirou right now. Shirou took a deep breath before taking a step forward. Mia knew that she had to get out of there and warn Hestia and the others.
If the look on Shirou's face was any indication, Shirou was fully prepared to kill a god.
And done, finished it. Sorry this update took forever, it just got away from me. Anyways, a lot going on. Focused on a few separate characters to explore different dynamics and what not. As well as show that Shirou's daughters spend a good amount of time with other goddesses. For example, Annabeth with Aphrodite, which would normally never happen. I also wanted to show some different sides to them. Aphrodite is one of the older deities, not to mention very powerful, so I want to portray that the way she acts is just one facet of her, but that she has more interesting things to her. The fact that she's one of the gods that does meet and talk to her children is just some icing on the cake. I also hinted towards another deity in this, as well as some other information that'll be relevant later on. I also showed a bit of the Roman side with Diana. That's something that will be explored more as the story goes on. Also, I didn't forget Rhea, I just hadn't had a reason to put her in that was weird, then I was like, well duh she'd spend time with her grandchildren, especially if it was Hestia's children. So, yeah, there will be more of her. She's one of the characters I really want to explore because she interests me, plus she's one of the few beings with prophecy powers. Miyu, I know some may wonder why she doesn't have as much focus, it's because she's going to be main viewpoint character once we get into the Canon timeline. She's not going to all powerful, so for those worried about that, it won't be that. I also finished the rest of Sally's appearance, she'll show up more, because Shirou is one of the people who would definitely want to help her. The children will also have more moments with Shirou, so if you want to see that, it's coming. I will also include more Shirou with his significant others, as well as a few other things. I tried to hint at a few things in this, hope it came across well, like Ares, I tried to do it in a way that didn't reveal him completely until it happened, so sorry if it was sudden. Next chapter will come faster, so don't worry. Also, the reading will be coming too, I wanted to say that certain characters like Thalia, will be added for context. Thalia, for instance, will help explain things to the canon timeline that they may not know, like NPs, because of course Shirou taught her about them. Anyways, thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it. I appreciate the reviews and feedback, it all really helps. Feel free to ask me questions, I usually answer. Once again, thanks for reading, and ,as always, until next time.