The Sea's Serpent

The Memories

AN: Dudes, how much sugar do you like in your drinks? Also, here, Artemis, Apollo, Hermes, and Athena as kids lived on Olympus.

Time: When the second-generation gods were nothing but mere kids.

Artemis ran through the bushes, chased by the angry minor goddess. She didn't know who she was. All the goddess saw was an auburn-haired child, most likely a minor godling, steal from her stall in the market.

As she navigated through the bushes, as she had done a hundred times earlier, she fell in the market square.

The market square was the busiest place on Olympus. It was almost always congested with people, gods and demigods alike, who came there on business, or merely to trade. The clinking of drachmae was a permanent sound one could hear in the square. There was a variety of smells, perfumes of the most expensive kind, sweat, blood, rotting fruits lying in the drains, freshly baked bread, ambrosia and nectar, all came together to form a hodgepodge which was sure to mess up your nose permanently.

It didn't help that at the centre of the square, taking up most of the space; was a statue of Zeus. Those things were a genuine pest. They popped up everywhere you went on Olympus, and didn't seem to stop.

Artemis weaved expertly through the legs of all the tall men and women, making a face at some prostitutes making their way down the streets, but never did she lower her speed. Ever since she was an infant, Artemis was gifted with ungodly speed and agility.

The goddess chasing her was left behind, swept away with the ocean of godkind.

Suddenly Artemis was pulled by a strong, firm, hand, into the shadow of a temple. She turned, surprised, to face her attacker; her small fists raised in a defensive position.

However, she immediately relaxed seeing who her attacker was. Looking at her, hands raised in a surrendering gesture, was her best friend, Perseus, or as he liked to be called, Percy. Around his neck; his faithful pet, a white and gold snake, called Snow, was curled. It hissed in greeting when it saw Artemis. Behind him, giggling, was her other best friend, Athena.

"Why do you need to bring Snow everywhere?" Artemis asked.

"That's what I asked him," Athena said.

Percy looked at the two, before he kissed his snake's forehead, making the two gag. "What?" Percy asked.

"You don't see me going around kissing Barney. Nor does Artemis kiss Chomps." Barney was Athena's pet owl, while Chomps was Artemis' pet wolf.

Artemis rolled her eyes, before she hugged Percy, sticking her tongue out at Athena. "Look what I found."  She opened her small palm to show a golden drachma. It was an irregularly shaped piece of metal, stamped with a picture of Mt. Olympus on one side, and Zeus on the other.

Percy stifled a laugh, while Athena straight broke out laughing. Snow only hissed again. Artemis huffed. "What's so funny?"

She brought out several drachmae from the pockets of her shorts. Artemis' jaw hung open, before she felt sad that she had not been able to get so many.

Percy hugged her comfortingly, before saying. "Stop teasing her, 'thena. Don't worry, Arty, owl-head also got only a single one. These are mine, Apollo's and Hermes' drachmae mixed."