Prologue

A cloaked figure dashed through the shadows of the forest. A full moon hung high in the air, casting the earth in it's dull silver glow. It seemed as if the light of the moon was leading the woman. The woman's lean form, hidden by the deep red of the fabric, danced around fallen limbs and low hanging branches as she sped into the night. It seemed she was trying to flee from the howls far in the distance. Held tight to her chest was a wiggling black bunddle. Slate grey and black eyes seemed to glow in the soft light through a small opening in the dark blanket.

As the hooded girl landed from leaping on to a fallen tree, her foot slipped into a small gap in the old rotted tree's bark, causing her to lose her balance and tumble to the ground with a grunt of pain. The small bundle in her arms rolled form her grasp as it cried out at the sudden movement and loss of warmth she provided.

As the tightly wrapped bundle rolled to a stop, the blanket unravled. In the soft light of the moon, a baby no old then a few month or so was revealed. His little hands balled as he wept from the sudden jolt as his jet black hair blew in the night's chilly breeze.

Due to the sudden stop of her kinetic energy, the woman's hood was thrown from her head. Causing short light brown hair to flow in the gentle breeze that swept into the area. The same sharp grey eyes the were possessed by the baby adorned the woman's face held shock and slight pain.

After a moment or two, said woman shakily got to her hands and knees before she shook her head to clear away the fog. When the baby's wails grew louder and more desperate, she seemed to snap out of her stupor. With wobbly movements, the woman crawled her way towards the small being all the while whispering comforting words.

"Shhhhh, Its alright young one. Momma is here. Shhhh." The woman's soft angelic voice seemed to sooth the tiny human's worry. His wails had stopped when she drew within a few feet. A small toothless smile mades its way onto the baby's face as it giggled and reach to the smiling woman. Dirt and grim became caked upon her bare knees, legs, and hands as she crawled.

When she got to him, she stood on uncertain legs and scoped up the giggle bundle before she started to take off once more. Not a foot after, a deep howl echoed off the trees causing the two to freeze. With wide eyes, the woman looked back over her shoulder before speeding off faster then should be possible.

Tears fell in heavy torrents from the woman's eyes as she glanced down at the confused tiny human in her arms. "Im sorry son. I hope you can forgive me one day." She sobbed out. Skidding to a stop in a clearing, she glanced around before hurrying to the lone tree stump at its center. Once there, she placed him inside the hollowed out wood after planting a gentle kiss on his head. She tucked the black cloth tighter around the boy to keep him warm, for he no longer had his mother's.

With sad watery eyes, the brown haired woman unclipped the small metal rose clasp that held the ruby red cloak to her body before she closed her eyes. Her chapped lips silently whispered a phrase in a long forgotten language. As she did, the red fabric in her hands shown brightly for a splinter of a second before it died down as quickly as it began.

Instead of the cloak she held before, now draped in her fingers was a small blood red blanket with a embroidered rose in its center. Which she stuffed around the baby boy. Next she detached the black chain from around her neck and on the dark chain rested the same metal rose emblem that hung on the cloak. But instead of being plain dull grey cast, this one was black and dark crimson. The two colors swirling in perfect sync to creat a rose like symbol. Her eyes closed once more before she chanted the same incantation, the necklace shrank in a flash of light.

The baby's mother quickly wound the chain around her son's right arm before giving him a final kiss on his forehead. Tears fell and splattered against the wood below in a heavy curtain fueled by guilt and heart ache. Her shatter look was enough to bring the toughest man to his knees.

"I shall return one day." She whispered before dashing away. Her voice full of remorse and regret at what she was forced to do. When the unknown woman reached the edge of the clearing, she glanced back just as her son began to wail. His underdeveloped ming not knowing the full impact and seriousness of what was currently taking place. All he could understand was that his mother, the only person he knew, was no longer there. Her warmth, her soothing words and her love was gone.

His mother clenched her fists so tightly that blood began to drip from the gashes created by her fingernails. Tears flowed down in torrents, mixing with her blood before splattering on the dead leafs underfoot. Her heart splintered at what she was doing, leaving her child alone. How could someone do such a thing? She asked herself. But she knew the answer no matter how many times she tried to change it. A war was taking place within her, that much was clear on her face. A war she knew she would lose and retrieve her son if she did not go. She had to leave, and she had to go now, before they caught up. A howl not far from her position warned her of that much.

"Im sorry," Was all she half sobbed half whispered before vanishing into the shadows that shrouded the forest. If one listen closely, they would not only hear the sad cries of a child all alone, but the heart wrenching sobs of a woman so filled with sadness and guilt that it tore apart the hearts of the tree nymphs in the forest.

*Line Break*

No far from where the small boy was hidden in the hallowed out stump, a large pit dug fire blazed to life when a girl about the age of fourteen struck her dagger against flint. Facing the blaze was a semi circle of silver tents, the largest one being at its center. Young girls, ranging from as young as eight to seventeen, roamed around the camp site doing various tasks. Some washed clothing in a near by stream, others were sharpening weapons of all kinds with wet stones. Arrow heads, daggers, swords, hunting knives to name a few.

Out of the largest makeshift home stepped a girl, no older then twelve. A light silver fleece hung on her small shoulders, as well as a quiver and a recurve Black Widow bow. A rainbow wood base was sandwiched between two pieces of platinum Black Oak made up the bow. An array of newly sharpened broad heads sat atop the many arrows in the girl's quiver.

Her auburn hair was pulled back into a loose braid that hung to her mid back and black combat pants fit loosely on her lean legs. The young girl took a vacant spot by the fire after she took off her bow and laid it in her lap. But just as she got comfortable, a girl slightly older than her approached, huffing and puffing. Her labored breath making small clouds of steam in the cool night air.

"Mi'lady, the scouts," She panted before taking a deep breath. ", the scouts have spotted a woman of about twenty years of age being chased by our prey." The girl said urgently after regaining her breath. Her tone full of nervousness.

The group of young hunters had been tracking a pack of unidentifiable monsters. Reports say that its vaguely resembles a man cross bred with a hell hound, only the beast stood on two legs and was the size of a large body builder. Black fur is said to cover its entire body with two gleaming eyes. The stronger, older ones have blood red eyes while those younger and weaker then themselves have a moldy yellow eye color. Long claws that adorned each finger and fang filled snouts were their weapon of choice.

The younger girl stood and strapped her bow to her back. "Well, Lets get to it girls." She said. The corner of her lips tilting up into a confident smirk that made her silver eyes glow.

*Line Break*

The apparent leader of the group slowly made her way through the forest floor, looking for any sign of their prey. The reports had said they had seen the woman heading north, northeast. After nearly half an hour of tracking her trail of light, almost unnoticeable, foot fall impressions, the group of ten came to a large clearing. At its center stood a lone old tree stump.

The girl raised her hand in a halt signal before she notched an arrow and slowly started to make her way closer to the stump. As she drew near, shuffling and soft grunts could be heard. Thinking it was a youngling of the monster they were hunting, the young girl drew back the draw string of her bow at jumped up onto the edge of the stump in one swift motion.

What she saw was not was she expected to see. Instead of small fuzz balls with yellow eyes and extended snouts, was a few months old baby boy nestled in a crimson blanket, trying to worm his out of of it. Once the child had gotten both arms loss he to nibble on his knuckles with his nonexistent teeth. Completely unaware of the girl with a weapon aimed at him.

The young girl with silver eyes was so caught off guard that she let a giggle slip at his display and as a result, her arrow slipped from its place between her fingers and strait at the baby. Her eyes went wide as a horrified gasped escaped her lips.

A young woman with dark hair and a slightly upturned nose with a silver tiara nestled atop her head saw the way her mistress hesatated, thinking something was amiss, she made her way towards her. But her slow cautious pace sped into a sprint when she heard her Lady gasp.

She flung her bow onto her back and drew two silver hunting knives before she leapt up beside her mistress on the thick wooden rim of the hollowed out stump. Ready for any incoming assault. But no attack came, instead, wrapped like a baby burrito in his red blanket was the baby boy. The girl's arrow impaled just inches above his small head.

The owner of the arrow sighed in relief as tears stung her vision. She may hold a hatred towards males, but it was one thing killing a grown man verses a innocent baby. Said baby glanced up at the arrow before his startling black and grey eyes started to tear as he reached out to the youngest of the two girls. His two tiny hands clenching and unclenching at her, as if he could reach out and hold her.

With slight hesitation and uncertainty, she placed her bow upon her back as her body began to glow gold.

The girl with the tiara sheathed her weapons and glanced at the glowing girl beside her. Wondering what her Lady Artemis was up too. After a moment the glowing had stopped, and the now twenty year old smiled down at the boy. Something about him called to her, something that seemed to stir a whirl of emotions in her chest. Emotions she had only ever hear about. And the way he reached out to her with tear filled eyes just melted her usually calm, cool mask, and made her more maternal side appear.

This baby, this boy, was different. That she was sure of. And the fact that there was a chain wrapped around his tiny arm only cemented her suspisions. But it was not that strange fact, nor was it the equally strange blanket that he was bundled in that sparked her interest. No, It was like he compelled the long forgotten motherly side of her to come to light. With a gentle smile, she bent down to pick him up. She was the goddess of childbirth and children after all, it was within her domain to see if he was safe and unharmed.

The moment her arms were around his tiny frame, his crying stopped and his tear dried. His big innocent eyes gleamed with mirth and wonder. Artemis giggled softly as she wagged her finger in front of his face and cooed softly. The boy burst into laughter as he reached for the moving appendage.

Artemis' right hand woman smiled softly at the sight of her mistress. She seemed so calm and serene. Almost as if the tiny boy was her own flesh and blood. "What do you plan to do with the boy mi'lady?" She asked softly as to not startle the bundle in the goddess' arms.

The embodiment of the moon gently rocked him. "I don't know, but we can't call him that, Zoë." She whispered back. She knew that this baby in her arms was no mere mortal. Something in her gut told her that, told her that a hidden power was locked away within this tiny fragile boy. His eyes seemed far to intelligent for a mortal baby as well.

That same twisting, almost painful feeling that gave her her premonition also told her that he was important somehow, like she knew he need guidance in his early years. As she stared in to his black and slate grey eyes, so much like her own but so very different at the same time, she decided right then and there that she would protect him, raise him, and guide him on his path. It also helped that she would get the chance to raise a proper male. Not the vile vermin that littered the world today.

To say Zoë was shocked would be a severe understatement. In all her years by Artemis' side, she had never heard the goddess suggest calling a boy by any other name rather than boy. Nor had she ever seem her act this was with any one. Not even the youngest hunter.

Zoë stepped closer to the two and gazed over the woman's shoulder. Black eyes met a swirl of grey and black. The innocence in them halted her breath, the wonder that overflowed in them was astounding. It was like everything was more amazing the the last to him. She had never seen such awe of the world in a person before. An awe that only a person new to this world could hold. It made Zoë heart weigh in sadness at the thought of him losing such naivety to the truth of this world. Ignorance was truly a blessing in the world behind the mist.

As Artemis stared at the wiggling bundle in her arms, a thought crossed her. What will she call him? How would her father take to the idea of her adopting a child? Or worse, how would her brother react? How would her girls react as well? These questions and many more flew through her mind. Closing her eyes, the goddess took a deep calming breath. One thing at a time, she chanted to herself over and over. She could deal with her family later, Percy was more important at the moment.

Artemis's eyes snapped open before she gazed down at him. "Percy." She whispered. What happened next, completely took her by surprise. But looking back on it, she should have known what he would do. The baby smiled wide as he started to giggle loudly while squirming around, his chain jingling gently, almost as if he approved of her choice. To which a smile graced her lips.

Zoë's lips turned up in a soft smile. Percy suited him just fine, but he would need a last name to get further in life. The immortal hunter voiced her thought, to which Artemis agreed before the two sat down on the edges of the stump. The hunters that had accompanied their lady saw what she was holding and rushed over in a instant, gushing about how cute he was. Well most were. The older, more mature hunters held back and stood next to their lieutenant. But the most seasoned hunter there, aside from Zoë, couldn't hep but smile a little.

It was unfortunate for Zoë that the majority were daughters of Aphrodite and their high pitched squeals and giggles were granting on her already pounding headache.

Zoë cleared her throat, "He still needs a last name mi'lady." Artemis looked up at her lieutenant, her eyes shining with mirth.

"Jackson. My son, Percy Jackson..." She said softly as her gaze turned down wards just as a glowing silver hologram depicting a white stag appeared over his head. A sign that he was in fact, a son of Artemis as of now. Maybe not by blood but by choice. Even though blood may be thicker than water, sometimes blood runs thin over time.

Even though the hologram made it official, Artemis felt that her one and only son deserve more. So she placed a palm over his forehead and closed her eyes. Whispering in the tongue of the gods, a chant that would forever alter him. A bright silver light spread from under her hand until it wrapped Percy in a cocoon of light.

But soon, the light faded and reveled the same boy as before but different now that he had his mother's blessing. His midnight black hair, what little he had anyways, had grown streaks of platinum. The grey in his eyes lightened to a brighter tone. Those were just the visible affects. More gifts from his blessing would appear over time; like the enhanced speed gifted to the hunters, the improved night vision for hunting prey in the shadows also given to the hunters. As for the difference in his prowess in battle has yet to been seen. But unlike the hunters, he was not given just a maiden blessing, no, he was given the full blessing of Artemis.

If the gut twisting feeling Artemis had was any indication, he would not need the boost she just gave.

It was official, the worlds greatest hero had been claimed. And may the gods have mercy on the poor souls that dare trifle with his family...

A/N: This was just a little something I had bouncing around in my head for quit some time now. Based on your reviews and thoughts, I might continue or just delete it. I already have the basic plot down so if you all like it, you won't have to wait long for chapter two. Now as for chapter fifteen for Love?, my beta is currently reviewing it so expected it late Saturday or early Sunday.