God of night

Chapter 3

Zoe turned back to her mistress but Artemis refused to meet her eyes. When she turned back to the council, Hera and Athena were right in front of her.
"This will not hurt but you will pass out." Hera explained in a surprisingly kind tone.
Zoe paled but before she could say anything Hera put a finger to her forehead before everything went dark.
Zoe collapsed into Athena's waiting arms.
"It will take time for the memories to return to her. She will remember chunks of time over the next week or so as it is several hundred years' worth of memories." Hera explained as Artemis looked down at Zoe's sleeping form sadly.
"I'm sorry Zoe, please forgive me." She whispered to herself.
The next thing Zoe saw was herself leading that bastard Heracles through the Garden of the Hesperides. She watched herself help Heracles retrieve an apple after giving him her sword. Zoe felt intense bitterness as she watched the events unfold in front of her. She cursed herself for being so naïve and foolish. She continued watching as Heracles abandoned her outside the garden and then saw herself break down into tears as he walked away. She hated this memory. She wished she had her bow so she could put an arrow in the back of the son of Zeus' head.
Then Zoe saw something she did not remember. She saw a man walk out of the woods toward Heracles. She hadn't seen this happen originally. But then when she looked over at her past self, she saw herself watching the two men talking+ through teary eyes.
The man and Heracles began to argue. She couldn't hear what they were saying but she saw Heracles suddenly shove the man out of his way. But the man stepped right back in front of him still arguing. When Heracles went to shove him again, the man decked him. Zoe watched with glee as Heracles crumpled to the ground unconscious. She heard thunder rumbling in the sky but it was ignored by the man. She still couldn't see his face past the hood he wore.
The man reached down and pulled out the hairpin she had given Heracles before walking towards Zoe's stunned past self. Zoe watched with wide eyes as she talked with him before the man gently wiped a tear from her cheek and placed the pin back in her hair.
Zoe's head was spinning as she saw herself continue to talk to the man before a smile crossed her face and she nodded happily. Then he offered Zoe his hand, which she took with a blush on her face. Zoe watched as she closed her eyes and then she and man disappeared in a flash of light.
Zoe was sucked out of that memory and then suddenly appeared in the woods. She saw the silver tents of the hunters and smiled happily, sure she would remember this.
But instead Zoe saw herself appear with the man in the middle of the camp. The hunters converged around her and the man and Zoe's jaw dropped when she saw the hunter's hugging him. Zoe nearly fainted from shock when she saw Phoebe, the biggest man-hater she ever knew grab the man in a bear hug while smiling happily. When she released him, the man was suddenly tackled to the ground by Artemis.
Zoe looked at the scene closely, sure that the man was about to be turned into an animal. But she saw the man laugh and playfully shove Artemis off him. When he stood up, his hood finally came down revealing the face of Perseus, the man who had saved her life earlier that night in Maine. Zoe felt all the memories from these two events rush into her mind, her memory of the events from her past self's point of view coming back to her. Suddenly everything went dark again.
Instead of another memory, Zoe awoke to hear three voices in the middle of an argument. Two seemed to be on the defensive as the third sounded furious.
"How dare you two think you can do this to me? What did I ever do to you, to any of you?" A familiar male voice yelled.
"We thought you would be happy. After all these years we finally found a way to force Hera to return the memories Zeus made her steal from Zoe." A female who Zoe realized was Athena replied back confused.
"Don't patronize me Athena. I know why you did this. You think by trying to fix this I'll come running back to Olympus with a big smile on my face and help you all fight a war I have no part in. I didn't bring this upon you. You and the rest of the Olympians did this to yourselves. Perhaps if you didn't treat the minor gods as beneath you then you might have some allies left." The male voice yelled back.
Athena was silent but the second male voice finally spoke up, "What would you have us do brother? Wait to be destroyed? Yes, we did this in the hope you would forgive some of us but that isn't the only reason. Athena, Hermes and I have tried to think of a way to fix this a million different ways over the years. This finally gave us chance to make amends for what happened to you all those years ago, to make up for not doing enough to stop it." Zoe heard a gruff male voice she recognized as Ares say in a surprisingly soft tone.
Perseus sighed, "I never blamed you. I never blamed any of you who tried to protect me. I only blame those two traitorous twin siblings of mine. They are the reason my life was ruined. They betrayed me."
"Percy you don't have to help us but at least talk to her. She will slowly regain her memories of your time together..." Athena began before Percy interrupted her.
"No. You think that was easy for me? It took thousands of years but I've moved on. I have no interest in reopening that door again." Percy said with finality. Zoe couldn't help but feel a little saddened despite not really knowing why. She didn't even know this guy but something about the pain in his voice when he spoke broke her heart.
"Don't lie to us brother. You don't think we check on you? I've spoken to your new siblings and I know you never moved on. It's been thousands of years and you haven't taken a single lover. Not so much as a single date with a mortal or immortal." Ares argued back before a loud crash made Zoe jump a bit from the couch she woke up on.
"Don't!" Perseus snarled but his voice sounded pained. "It's no one's business but mine who I choose to date and not to date. It's better this way. Now take her back to Olympus and tell Zeus or Hera or whoever concocted to this little plan of yours to shove their little peace offering up their ass; they're a couple thousand years too late."
"Help us or not, I don't care but you owe it to her to at least explain what happened. You can take her back to Olympus yourself Perseus." Athena said firmly before the adjacent room lit up in a golden light before she could hear Perseus starting to curse as Zoe realized that Ares and Athena must have flashed out.
Zoe sat up on the couch nervously as she waited for Perseus to walk in. After another five minutes, she became impatient and got up before she slowly walked to the doorway where she peeked in and saw Perseus with his head in his hands, a pained look on his face.
Zoe cleared her throat making Perseus head snap in her direction. His expression was a scowl but his eyes gave away his pain.
"I'm sorry they brought you here. It wasn't my choice." Perseus said bitterly.
Zoe wasn't sure what to say so she simply nodded.
"Close your eyes and I will teleport you back to Olympus." Perseus said making Zoe's eyes widen.
"Wait," Zoe said quickly. Perseus raised an eyebrow.
"Can you explain what everyone is talking about? I don't understand what's going on and what my connection to you is. I remember that you brought me from the Garden of the Hesperides to the hunt but nothing else." Zoe asked hopefully.
Perseus shook his head slowly, "I can't, and it's not my place to. All I will tell you is that your mistress has stolen years' worth of your memories just to cover up her own deception. If you want to learn more, you will have to ask her, I've moved on from that time in my life and have no interest in reliving painful memories." He said sadly.
Before Zoe could argue, Perseus waved his hand as a shadow consumed her body as she vanished from her spot and reappeared on Olympus in front of the throne room doors.
Zoe growled in frustration. The fact that the goddess she thought had been her best friend had lied to her for centuries filled her full of rage. Zoe carefully opened the throne room doors to see if Artemis was inside but saw the thrones of the Olympians were empty. She was about to close the doors and head to Artemis' palace when a gentle voice called to her.
"He wouldn't tell you what happened, would he?" The warm voice called as Zoe's eyes followed the sound of the voice to the hearth where she found Lady Hestia sitting beside it in the form of an eight-year-old girl as she poked the coals of the hearth with a stick.
Zoe quickly made her way over to the hearth and bowed to Hestia who just looked at her sadly.
"Lady Hestia, do you know what happened?" Zoe asked hopefully.
Hestia nodded her head, "I do but are you sure you would like to know?"
"I do. I want to know why I've been lied to for thousands of years by the person I thought was my best friend." Zoe said in a determined tone.
"Very well Zoe but you will not like what I tell you." Hestia warned.
Zoe's face hardened, "I want the truth, all of it."
"Do you know how most of the world believes Heracles is married to Hebe?" Hestia asked calmly.
"Yes, but he is not. That is just what mortals believe." Zoe answered unsure of where this was going.
"Yes but the story started somewhere. After he was made into a minor god, Zeus offered Heracles his half-sister Hebe as a wife. Heracles accepted as he thought marrying another goddess would help him improve his status on Olympus. But Hebe wanted nothing to do with Heracles or the marriage, begging her father to change his mind. But Zeus refused to budge. My brother is not a good father and refused to even listen to Hebe's pleas." Hestia explained bitterly.
Zoe nodded, eager to learn how this was tied to her.
"Hebe tried to convince her mother to help her and Hera did try but Zeus wouldn't listen to her either. He said Hebe should be honored to marry the greatest hero to walk the earth." Hestia said with disgust. "So Hebe went to the one person who would never turn his back on a sibling in need. Her half-brother Perseus."
Zoe's eyes widened, starting to guess what happened from there.
"Perseus took his half-sister from Olympus, hiding her from both Heracles and their father. No matter what Zeus threatened, Perseus refused to budge. He offered everything he could think of as a compromise to his father but Zeus was too stubborn to listen. After a few weeks, Heracles eventually found where Perseus had hidden her. He tried to take her back to Olympus but when she refused, he struck her. Perseus arrived shortly afterward and well I won't discuss what happened but it was not pretty. Heracles barely survived despite the fact that he was immortal. When Zeus discovered what happened, he brought Perseus in front of the council to have him punished. No one thought anything of it since Perseus was beloved by the all of Olympus; a caring brother and beloved nephew to all the Olympians. But when Zeus called for a vote, they banished him in a vote of 6-5. The deciding vote was his sister and best friend Artemis." Hestia finished sadly.
"WHAT!" Zoe yelled. "She would never do that. She hates that vile scum." Zoe argued but she knew Hestia wouldn't lie about it.
"And that my dear is one of the biggest mysteries. No one knows why Apollo and Artemis voted to banish their own full-blooded brother.
Zoe scowled but looked confused, "If Perseus was banished, then why didn't Zeus force Hebe to marry Heracles?"
"When the vote was over, Perseus vowed on the River Styx that if Heracles married Hebe he would tear Olympus to the ground until he found Heracles. And that he would cut him up into little pieces and cast him into Tartarus like Zeus did to Kronos." Hestia explained as her expression morphed into one of pride.
Zoe's eyes widened but she smiled a bit at his vow. She suddenly understood why she and Perseus could have friends after all.
Hestia smiled at Zoe, "Yes he is quite a rare find. He possessed all the good qualities of men but none of the faults." She said before frowning, "Of course that was before Artemis and Apollo betrayed him. The true Perseus is still in there locked behind years of pain and anguish."
Zoe stared at Hestia in shock, "From the only memory I have, Perseus and Artemis seemed to love each other. He was even loved by the hunters."
Hestia sighed, "You don't remember Zoe, but Artemis and Percy were as close as I've ever seen siblings be. I mean they were inseparable. The moment Perseus was brought to Olympus as a child god; he followed his big sister around everywhere she went. As Perseus grew up, the two were best friends and constant companions. Percy spent most of his time travelling with Artemis and her hunters, which worked out well as their domains were even in sync with each other. The moon and night go hand-in-hand, always together just like Perseus and Artemis."
Zoe was in shock, "I understand why everyone is mad at Artemis but what does this have to do with me?"
Hestia expression was pained as she looked at Zoe sadly, "Because Perseus was the love of your life and you his."
Zoe's eyes widened and she gasped, "B... B... But I was a huntress, forbidden to love. How is that possible?"
Hestia chuckled at Zoe's shock, "It took a few centuries for you two to finally admit it but when you did, I don't think I've ever seen someone as happy as Perseus; Artemis as well. Her two best friends were in love and she couldn't have been happier. She made an exception to her rule just for you and Perseus since she considered Perseus a member of the hunt anyway."
Zoe was speechless, "Why don't I remember this?" She asked bitterly.
"Your memories were stolen by Hera but she was forced by Zeus. Even Hera liked Perseus, the one child of Zeus and another woman she liked. Zeus forced her to take all your memories of you and Perseus together as well as the memories of the hunters who knew Perseus. He then manipulated the mist to make it look like I gave up my throne to Dionysus to avoid conflict within the council." Hestia explained in a surprisingly angry tone.
"You were never an Olympian?" Zoe asked confused.
"No I was but I chose to give up my throne to Perseus centuries earlier. He was my favorite nephew and I loved him dearly. I knew he would make an excellent Olympian so I was content to take my place at the hearth and watch Perseus become a great god." Hestia said a tear fell from her eye.
Zoe watched the usually happy and peaceful goddess Hestia weep quietly as her heart filled with anger and betrayal. This was Artemis' fault, all of it. She acted like Zoe's best friend for millennia but it had been a lie. She stole centuries of her life away from her and then lied about it.
Hestia noticed Zoe's angry expression and put grabbed her hand softly, "I am sorry you had to learn about this in such a way."
Zoe frowned, "It is not your fault Lady Hestia. It is Artemis'."
Hestia paused for a second, "Before you pass judgment of your mistress too quickly, I must tell you I do not blame Artemis for what happened to her brother."
Zoe looked at Hestia in shock, "How? She betrayed her own brother for that worthless demigod Heracles."
"But doesn't that seem strange? Artemis despises men and Heracles was the embodiment of the characteristics in men she hated." Hestia asked.
Zoe nodded, "You think she was forced?"
Hestia sighed, "I truly do not know Zoe. I have always believed there was more to the story than what we know but whatever happened it is a closely guarded secret."
Zoe frowned. She was still furious with Artemis but Hestia made a valid point. There had to be more to the story than what they knew. Zoe frowned as she about what happened to Perseus. She may not remember their time together but she couldn't deny the fact that when she saw him in Maine, something stirred inside her that she had not felt in millennia. Then another thought occurred to her.
"Lady Hestia," Zoe asked. "You said Perseus was beloved by all the council. Why did the others vote for his banishment as well?"
Hestia scowled, "I assume Hera was forced to do so by Zeus. The other two to vote for his banishment were Aphrodite and Hephaestus."
"But why?" Zoe asked.
"Because Aphrodite is a heartless and selfish goddess who cares for no one but herself." Hestia said bitterly. "She spent centuries trying to lure Perseus into her bed but never could. He was the only male Olympian who refused her and she took her revenge on him when Zeus asked for his banishment. I assume she convinced her husband to vote for his banishment as well despite the fact that Perseus always had a good relationship with Hephaestus."
Zoe's eyes flashed with anger, "That slut." She growled.
Hestia chuckled, "My thoughts exactly my dear."
The two sat in silence for minute staring into the flames of the hearth before Zoe spoke again.
"So the gods thought that by returning my memories of Perseus he would come to their aid with the war against the Titans?" She asked.
Hestia smiled a bit, "Actually it was I who suggested the idea."
Zoe's eyes widened but Hestia's smile grew, "I did not do it for them. I did it for him as well as you. I kept watch over my nephew after his banishment. He went to the island of Delos to live with his mother but it only helped to lessen the pain of betrayal and a broken heart. Before Leto faded, I told her to find someone to look after her son. She asked Nyx to watch over him but she almost didn't reach him in time. He was minutes from fading himself when Nyx found him and saved him. Although his new family helps to lessen the wounds of the betrayal, he still suffers from a broken heart. Whether he helps Olympus or not is up to him but my nephew needs you in his life. He is a shell of the man he once was. His shields are always up and he trusts no one but Nyx, Hades and a few of his new siblings."
Zoe couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Perseus after he was banished. She wished to help but wasn't sure how she could.
"But I don't remember him. I've spent thousands of years hating men; I don't think I can change now." She explained.
Hestia smiled, "You simply don't remember yet. You will and you will understand then. You two were in true love and the heart never forgets that no matter how many years the brain has forgotten."
Zoe nodded her head slowly, "But what do I do now? I don't remember Perseus yet and he didn't seem too interested in being around me. I would rather not be around Artemis either." She explained.
Hestia nodded, "Well perhaps you and I should visit Perseus together. I think it has been far too long since I've spoken with my favorite nephew."
Zoe looked at Hestia surprised but smiled, "Okay, thank you Lady Hestia."
Hestia smiled warmly at her as she stood up and grabbed Zoe's shoulder as the two disappeared in a column of fire.