Wait... this has happened before... - DISCONTINUED

If you know anything it's that dreams usually aren't strolling through peaceful meadows. No, they usually are hellish nightmares that either give you visions or just show you all the terrible stuff you've already gone through. I sadly got a bit of both. First I was back in the throne room on olympus watching over a council yet two chairs were empty. Mine, of course, and my sister, Artemis', chair. I didn't know why hers was empty, even if she was hunting she had to go to olympian councils. I saw Zeus glowering at the empty chair, he also seemed to notice Artemis should have been there but wasn't.

"Where is she." He spoke, his voice deep and guttural in only the scariest ways imaginable. I watched in anticipation since I desperately wanted the answer too. Hermes looked to my father to speak and Zeus nodded.

"Father, I believe she was with her hunters looking for... you know who."

Hermes spoke with caution as most do around my father... except for a surprising amount of demigods if I'm being honest. Though I wasn't concerned by his voice but more concerned by the fact I was referred to as 'You know who' as if I was some terrible creature. Zeus gained a distasteful expression on his face and scowled at the chair.

"Then the council will continue without her."

He addressed everyone. I was appalled, my sister was one of the biggest talkers on the council and would likely be the only one who could rally others to vote to bring me back... Oh I guess that's why he was fine to continue without her. The scene of watching over an olympian council without me where no one can see me was becoming all too familiar. First it had happened when I passed out in Nero's tower and then when I had crashed into the waystation. I had to admit, we would make a perfect reality TV show with all our arguments; "Keeping up with the Olympians", yeah that sounds great and not at all toxic. I was stuck in my little thoughts of an Olympian reality TV show that I hadn't realised Zeus had started talking again.

"-new olympian. Does anyone have any Elections?"

He looked around the room expectantly. Then, out of all the olympians, Dionysus raised his hand. Zeus looked as shocked as I felt for a split second but it was quickly replaced with his stoic expression. He took a minute before finally speaking,

"Yes Dionysus, you may speak."

He cleared his throat and looked around the room before speaking.

"Well, when I replaced Hestia the olympians became unbalanced with 7 guys and 5 women so... if we are to replace Ap- you know who, I suggest Hestia or another goddess though Hestia is my 1st suggestion. "

Now THAT surprised me, my brother was suggesting that the goddess who had given up his seat for him to have her seat back. I had to admit, if I had to give my seat up to any goddess, Hestia would of been near the top so I could see why Dionysus had chosen her though it seemed strangely kind. Though also Hestia was the goddess of the hearth which usually has fire, fire is hot, so I could imagine her taking over the sun chariot as I had done with Helios. Still, now that I was hearing it be discussed the thought started to set in... I was most likely no longer one of the 12 olympians. As Zeus opened his mouth to speak a different voice came out, the voice of Hermes. The scene then shifted to when Hermes was trying to prank me for the last 6 months. He had of course, failed to scare me once, since I had been scared enough. That was, until this specific day. 

"Oh please Apollo, I have the biggest, bestest, prank ever! You'll be crying for father almost instantly!" He said, though based on his past attempts I had obviously thought he was bluffing so I completely forgot about it. Then, the next day I was heading to my sun chariot when a terrible smell came through. It smelt of dirty laundry or Cerberus' coat, seriously Hades, when DO you clean that dog?! Though mostly, it smelt of dead snake skin, the same smell that was In my cave delphi for the past year or so. It smelt of Python. I rubbed it off as nerves and headed to the sun chariot but as soon as I opened it I saw a giant snake head coming out of my seat that was identical to Python. When I tell you I screamed so loud my sun horses galloped away and I was openly weeping yet frozen in shock... I am sadly NOT using hyperbole. My chariot dashed across the sky and Hermes was burnt black from an accidental zap. It took me an hour after I got out of shock that Hermes had pranked me. My sister had apparently heard my cry from ages away, perks of being twins, and was concerned since she never heard me scream that loud for ages but assumed it was just me over-reacting. Only after she visited me did she realise that it was a true scream of terror. I was lucky I could split my body in two as I got my last common sense to be in the one body and quickly get the sun chariot which meant I was even MORE frozen in shock in the other body. Hermes had apologised after that yet but he had his common phrase; "It was just a joke" after every other word. It took me a whole week to feel confident going to my sun chariot on my own. Then the scene shifted again, this time I was face to face with the actual python.

I was holding nothing except an arrow and I was in full Lester form. Python's stench sent shivers down my spine and I wanted to collapse and die right there. I held to arrow up, maybe attempting to throw it in his eye or more likely, trying to hide behind the thin shaft, both of which were stupid. Python twisted his head to face me and spoke in his toxic hissing voice.

"Hello Lester... still can't escape me, even after I die?" 

I couldn't move, I was frozen to the ground, weak at the knees. Then, the ground started swallowing me whole and the last thing I saw was Python's open mouth before I knew it, I was hanging over chaos. I wanted to cry, I wanted to weap, I was terrified. I hadn't been haunted by nightmares while I was a god, only memories, but nightmares were much much more real. I felt my fingers slipping and I lifted up my other arm and noticed in my left eye I was still holding the arrow. DOES THOU THINKETH YOU SHALL DIE?! The annoying familiar voice rang in my head of the arrow of dondona, but it was dead so I didn't know what that was.

"Not again hopefully..." I muttered trying to pull myself up. Though I had to admit, hearing the arrow again was nice and nostalgic, even if I hated it's use of Wikipedia and shakespearean english. THOU SHALL WAKETH UP. AND THOU SHALL BE THY GOD AGAIN ON THY COUNCIL. I grumbled, I doubt this arrow was true. WHAT I MEANT. THOU SHALL START THY JOURNEY TO REGAINING THOU'S PLACE ON THY COUNCIL. That made a bit more sense but I still doubted I would ever join the council.

"And how do I do that?" I grumbled at the arrow. It was just as unhelpful as before if I was honest. FIRST. THY SHALL WAKETH UP. I tried to speak again but nothing came out. My hand slipped off the edge and I plummeted into Chaos again but this time I woke up to a start, sweating like hell and breathing heavily in my bed in the waystation.

"Agh!" I yelped but when I looked around I was alone except for Meg who was now staring at me weirdly. My bandage was uncomfortable above my cold sweat so I shifted it a bit but that did nothing. "Nightmares..." I said as if it explained everything which it must of cause Meg shrugged in all her meg-likeness and rolled back into her bed. I looked around and noticed and arrow on my bedside table that hadn't been there before. I shook it aggressively hoping it would talk but nothing happened.

I grabbed a spare bandage from the drawers and some clothes and exited the room, the way station did the work and took me towards the bathroom. As I was taking off my yucky bandage I started to remember the kiss I had shared with Lityerses yesterday and I blushed. Did this mean we were something? Part of me was hopeful, I wanted to be something with Lityerses. He was strong, hot, fit, and was born in ancient greece. I had to admit it sounded perfect though he wasn't immortal meaning I would... maybe... outlive him. I shook the thoughts away and finished unwrapping the bandage and believe me, I was shocked. My right eye was a glowing pale yellow empty socket with lightning like scars coming out of it EVERYWHERE. Though the most shocking part was that I could still see out it a little bit, it was just VERY VERY blurry which I assumed wasn't normal when you don't have any eye. I grabbed the other bandage and wrapped it back up and put on the clothes I had brought with me.

After that I headed off to the main room but bumped into Lityerses, perfect timing. I smiled at him and he smiled back and then we stopped for a chat. Huh... sounds like a Doctor Seuss book, that man had a way with rhymes... I leaned against the wall and face Lit.

"So, wanna go to the shops today and buy me a sun eyepatch like you promised?" I said jokingly with a small laugh at the end and Lit gave me a small smile back and a chuckle.

"Yeah sounds great, what time?"

I thought a bit before deciding.

"How about 12:30 and we'll get Lunch while we're there?"

"It's a date. See ya then Lester." 

He then gave me a small kiss on the cheek and walked back to wherever he was heading but then stopped and turned to face a door. I wondered what he was looking at so I went to check but he just waved me off and I turned back around and continued going towards the main room. I touched my cheek where Lit had kissed me and blushed. As I was heading towards the main room I heard voices from it, more than usual. It seemed to be Emmie and Jo talking to someone who they seemed to hold in high esteem and I heard many feet scuffling. I hoped it wasn't Britomartis, gods I hated that woman at times, though something told me It wasn't. I slowly stepped out and turned to face whoever Emmie and Jo were talking to and my eyes widened as I saw a bunch of girls in silver parkers around the room and a 13 year old girl with braided auburn hair talking with Emmie and Jo. She then turned around to face me and her eyes widened just like mine. She took in my appearance and focused on my bandage. I then walked up to her and wrapped my hands around her.

"Hey Artemis..."