Mental prison (part 2)
Nike's POV:
My wife layed her head in my lap, but I felt disconected from this woman. I didn't recognize her and an apology certainly wasn't just going to make things better.
I let my hurt spill out through tears. They streamed over my cheeks, but I refused to make a sound.
'Hurt her like she hurt you!' My mind grumbled.
'No! She's been through so much already!' My heart cried out.
'She needs to learn.'
I made up my mind. Even though I placed a soothing hand on Athena's head and let my fingers stroke through her hair, I didn't really feel sorry for her. All I could see was how she slammed our daughter into the ground.
Alexia's POV:
I managed to get myself up off the ground.
'Who are you and what have you don't to my wife?'
The words kept replaying in my head. Each time I tried to tune them out they only got louder.
I stumbled through the hallway, trying to reach my room. When I opened the door I saw Bagheera, my black panther, was laying on my bed. He looked up.
The moment he saw me, he got up and immediately came up to me. He pushed his head into my legs and I let my hand stroke his head absent-minded.
I closed the door behind me and slid down against it. Bagheera layed himself across my lap.
"They were arguing Bagheera." I said, finding comfort in stroking his smooth black fur.
He didn't look up, just stayed where he was.
"I've never heard mom this hurt before. Do you know what she said?" I asked.
No response.
"She said she didn't even recognize her own wife."
Tears trickled down my cheeks when I could no longer stop them. I had a hollow feeling in my chest.
Now Bagheera looked up and when he saw I was crying he wanted to lick away my tears. I pushed him away slightly and instead chose to place my forehead against his. He seemed fine with that too. I drowned out the world, not wanting to feel anything else but Bagheera.
I don't know how long I sat there, but the next moment I became aware of the world around me, I heard a knock.
"Alexia? Are you there?" I heard mom ask.
"Yeah one second!" I called back, pushing Bagheera off me and wiping the remainder of my tears away.
Bagheera retreated to my bed again as I opened the door. My mom, the victory goddess, stood there with red, puffy eyes from crying.
"Can I come in?" She asked.
She looked over my shoulder towards the big cat on my bed. It has happened before that I don't really want to see anyone and he'll make sure no one enters. Not even my moms. So the question wasn't really directed towards me, but towards Bagheera. He seemed fine with it, but kept a close eye on both of us.
"Yeah sure." I said, side stepping to let her pass.
I closed the door behind her again. The moment I let go of the door handle my mom hugged me. I hugged her back.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over her." She whispered.
It took me a moment to realize she was apologizing for my mother's behavior.
"It's not your fault." I said, releasing myself from the hug.
"Why are you apologizing for something you didn't do?"
I already knew the answer. If she didn't, I'd get my apology when it no longer mattered. My mother was too prideful to admit when she had lost.
Bagheera suddenly got up and made his way towards the door. A knock sounded, but he growled.
"Whose there?" I asked loud enough so my voice came above my panther's growling.
"Alexia? I was wondering if perhaps we could talk?"
My mother's voice. Bagheera paced in front of the door and kept growling. The hairs in the back of his neck and across his spine were standing up. Mom stiffend in front of me.
"Later." Was all I said.
I didn't want to make up unnecessary lies, but I didn't want to see her right now either. I imagine she sighed and walked away, but I never really heard it.
I did know she was gone the moment Bagheera stopped pacing and returned to my bed. Mom seemed to feel relieved too.
"Alexia, can I ask you something?" She asked.
"Yes, of course." I nodded.
Artemis' POV:
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hestia asked as we all sat in a circle around a fire she had made.
I stared into the flames and let the heat scorch my face.
"Maybe not, but she can't keep doing this. She needs to learn just exactly what she'll lose if this keeps going." Nike said.
"So be it if it's the hard way." The victory goddess added.
I locked eyes with her for a moment. She seemed bitter, but also vulnerable and fragile. Like the part that made her victory was stripped away and left her bare.
"What do you have in mind then?" I questioned, keeping a close eye on Nike.
She didn't even shift underneath my gaze. I think at this point she couldn't even be bothered.
"I've talked about it with Alexia. I want her to join the hunt for a little while. I'm not going to tell Athena about it until she asks. When she knows she'll most likely will try to find her. Let her run in circles for a while. Let her know what losing her daughter feels like." Nike stated.
I could see the gold in her eyes flaring, showing me how angry she was, but she wasn't angry enough to make it stay. She was mainly hurt.
Hestia frowned. She didn't like the idea because it might tear the family apart even further, rather than fix it.
"You know how Athena gets Hestia." I spoke softly.
"She gets so overwhelmed in self-pity she doesn't even bother to look at the bigger picture."
Next to me the goddess of the Hearth sighed. She knew all too well.
I looked at Alexia, her panther Bagheera, laying next to her. He softly purred as she stroked his pitch black fur.
"Do you want this?" I asked her.
"In all honesty?" She asked in return.
I nodded.
"Yes and no. Yes, because these days in my mother's eyes I'm nothing more than a private with incomplete training. No, because... She's my mother and I love her. No matter how much of a bitch she can be." Alexia responded.
I scoffed. That about summed up Athena.
"So are we doing this or not?" I questioned.
Because if we were we'd better get started before Athena knows somethings going on.
"We are." Alexia and Nike stated at the same time.
Athena's POV:
It was quiet around the house. Neither Nike or Alexia had shown themselves in hours. Alexia was in her room with Bagheera. I tried to go and talk to her, but she didn't want to see me. I couldn't blame her. I wouldn't want to see me either.
And Nike? Well to be honest I don't really know where she was. She left our room hours ago and I haven't seen her since. I assume she needed a breath of fresh air. I couldn't blame her either.
The only one I could blame was me.
I stood in front of the mirror again and let my right hand go over the scar that went across my eye. It hurt, but slowly and steadily it was healing.
I turned away from the mirror and paced around the room, slowly driving myself insane.
Then I heard something. The soft click of a door shutting downstairs. I left the room and practically flew down the stairs. Nike was there.
"Where have you been?" I asked worried.
"Out." Was all she said.
Her face was a mask. Cold and hard. It scared me.
"Angel?" I asked in a small voice.
"Out with the anemoi." She clarified a bit, but nothing more.
I just nodded. Saying a silent thank you.
"How are you feeling?" Nike asked.
It didn't sound genuine and I knew she was only asking because she took care of my wounds each night.
"Slightly better." I responded.
"I'll be right there." My wife said, aimlessly pointing towards the couch.
I took that as my cue to move there. I layed down just like every night. A couple moments later Nike crouched down in front of me with the healing cream in her hands.
"Take off your shirt."
I did. Without another word she started rubbing the cream across my scarred stomach. The gentle hand from yesterday was gone. I flinched when one of the deeper scars still hurt.
'It stings? Good.' Her actions seemed to say.
I didn't comment on it, knowing that right now it wasn't in my right.
"Sit up please." She said after a while.
Again I did. Then she did my back.
"Have you seen Alexia?" I asked her.
"Earlier in her room. Why?" My wife wondered.
"Oh. No it's just, I went by to talk to her earlier, but she denied me."
I heard Nike scoff.
"And why would that be? When I told you go talk to her I didn't mean right away. She needs time. We all do."
A suffocating silence fell between us and I knew there was nothing I could say to ease it away.
Nike's POV:
A couple days have passed since Alexia left with the hunt. So far Athena hadn't asked anything. Sure she was worried about her daughter, but I think that up until now she must've thought our daughter remained in her room.
"Darling, don't you think we should ask Alexia to come out of her room?" Athena suddenly asked.
"Why?" Is all I ask.
I know why. But I'm not just going to respond with what she wants to hear.
"Because she's been in there for days and hasn't come out at all." As she said that realization seemed to dawn on my wife's face.
"She's not in there is she?"
"What makes you say that?" I ask, looking up from the Olympian magazine in my lap.
"She's a mortal girl she has needs we don't have. Why has she not left her room once? The only logical explanation is that she's not there."
Athena started pacing.
"Come to think of it, I haven't heard Bagheera either. If she wouldn't want to see me he'd growl."
I gave my wife a slow clap. It sounded cruel and I really didn't want to be so mean, but the vengeful part of me demanded she feel crushed.
"So the genius finally figures it out?" I said in an ice cold tone.
My wife halted. It seemed as if she'd just walked straight into a wall and there was no way of walking around. She slowly turned to me, grey eyes fierce and bold as ever.
I mentally scolded myself, but it was too late. There was no taking back the words I just spoke. I tried forcing the angry mother inside me back, but I couldn't. It was stronger than me and completely took over.
"How long has she been gone?" Athena asked.
Behind her stoic stature there was fear and hurt. I could tell, because her eyes were looking everywhere aside from me and her hands were twitching behind her back.
"A couple of days now."
"Where is she?"
"Where she loves to be." I responded.
That should tell her enough. If it didn't I made an angry mental note that came dangerously close to a divorce.
"Artemis." Athena muttered.
"I need to find her and talk with her. We need to talk as a family." She added, aloud this time.
Without saying anything else she flashed herself away. I had no idea where she was going and I had no desire to follow her. I knew she'd be running in circles for quite a while. Instead I flashed myself to Artemis and Alexia.
Artemis' POV:
I put an arrow on my string. I breathed in as I pulled the arrow back and took my aim. The moment I let go of my breath I let go of the arrow as well.
Quick and merciless it shot forward and hit a stag. I smirked, proud of myself for absolutely nailing the kill.
The moment I got up and turned around to see where Alexia was I nearly had a heart attack. I didn't see the teenager I expected, but her mother instead.
Nike stood there in all her angelic glory.
"The hunt has begun Artemis." She said without even the slightest bit of emotion.
I just nodded trying to calm my heart rate and my breathing.
Athena's POV:
Hours have passed and I still had no clue where Artemis was. Every time I thought I had found her, she managed to not be there. How? Why? Is she running from me? Why would she be running from me?
Worry started to grow in me. Did something happen? Is sorcery involved? Is my daughter alright?
The questions kept swarming through my mind without mercy.
There was one last thing I could try. I had put it off because I didn't like doing it. As a goddess so well connected to the mind I had multiple kinds of thelepathic gifts. I could try to place myself in Artemis' head and see where she was and what she was doing.
I contemplated it. I knew from experience it was terribly painful for Artemis and incredibly energy draining for me. Guess why I don't like doing it.
But it was the only thing I could think of that would give me an accurate read of where they we're.
"I'm sorry Artemis. I hope you'll forgive me for this one." I muttered.
I focused on my sisters energy and started tuning into it. The next moment I could see I was a lot smaller. I looked up and saw Nike tower over me. Alexia looked on from behind her.
"AAARGHH!" The scream came from my mouth, but they weren't my words.
"Resist her Artemis! I know you can!" Nike encouraged my little sister.
I tried not to feel hurt by it.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD ATHENA!"
Hands pressed against my head. I wouldn't have a lot of time left. I looked around me for anything I recognized. At first all I could see was forest, but then behind the tip of Nike's outstreched wing I could see an old circus kart and I knew exactly where they were.
I let go of the mind control. My legs felt weak and my body was trembling, but I knew where they were now and I would find them.
Alexia's POV:
It's been a while since mom arrived. She warned Artemis my mother was searching for me. I was petting Bagheera as he purred when suddenly Artemis felt a disturbance.
"Athena is really desperate now. I know what she's trying. Quick, hide anything that could reveal our location from my sight!" My aunt urged.
Mom spread her wings and Artemis ripped a strip of fabric from her shirt. She bound the fabric around her head, covering her eyes. I peeked from behind my mother's wings.
A golden glow appeared behind Artemis' blindfold. Her whole body shook as if she was fighting it. The goddess of the hunt sunk to her knees. The next moment she took off the blindfold her eyes we're pure gold.
She let out a scream that consisted only of raw pain. Let me tell you Artemis is not weak. She is not easily bothered by pain, so whatever this is... I shruddered even thinking about it.
"Resist her Artemis! I know you can!" My mother urged.
I could feel she wanted to go to Artemis and help her, but she was kind of masking the entire location so she couldn't move.
I could see my aunt's struggle. She managed to place her hands against her head.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD ATHENA!" She exclaimed.
For a moment longer Artemis struggeled, then a vague look of recognition rippled over her face. Finally she seemed free. Whatever my mother had done was over. I was horriffied to say the least. I had no idea she could do this.
"She knows." I muttered, realizing what the look of recognition had meant.
"What did you just say?" Mom asked, snapping her head towards me.
"Mother knows where we are."
Artemis cursed, but mom seemed more relieved than anything else. That meant the game could end. Her revenge was soothed. Mom sighed.
"Then this is as far as we'll take it. We don't want anyone else to get hurt for this cause." She stated.
I just nodded.
"Are you okay Artemis?" Mom asked.
My aunt nodded.
"Just a pounding headache." She added, her hand placed on her head.
Not a moment later my mother materialized in front of the three of us. She cast a worried look on her sister.
"I thought the entire council agreed you wouldn't use those powers anymore." Artemis muttered when she layed eyes on her.
"I'm very sorry. It was only my last resort I promise." She apologized.
My mother looked pained and tired. Artemis nodded in understanding.
"I take it they treated you well?" Mother asked, hinting at the rest of the huntresses.
I couldn't help the small smile on my face.
"Of course they did." I replied.
"Good. Next time, just tell me I'm being insufferable and don't take her away from me again will you?" Mother said, turning to mom.
"Yeah I tried that remember?" Mom asked, crossing her arms.
"Nike-" Mother said, grabbing my mother's wrists.
My mom turned her head away.
"-I'm genuinely sorry. I didn't have the right to treat either of you as less simply because I don't feel like myself."
"You've already apologized to me and I heard you. It's not me you still owe an apology." Mom stated.
"You're right. This one is long overdue."
My mother let go of my mom and stood in front of me.
"I'm very sorry that I made you feel like you were just a soldier. I took your love for granted without giving you any in return. A good mother shouldn't be making this apology I'm aware. But I want you to know I'm working to become the mother you once knew."
"You done?" I asked, smirking when she cast me a confused look.
"Cause if you are I'd like to hug you."
My mother just nodded. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her waist. She hugged me back in no time.
"Stop working. The moment you showed remorse you became yourself again." I whispered.
"I really don't deserve you." My mother whispered back.
"I'd say that's a victory alright." Artemis stated.
"What are you waiting for? Be a family you idiot, before you have to be the one I'll have running in circles."
I saw her give my mom a slight push forward. Mom shook her head and joined in on our hug, wrapping us in both her arms and wings.
"Don't ever do this to me again you hear me Pallas Athena?"
"Yes ma'am." My mother replied.
The two of them locked their lips over my head.