The Ascendance of Darkness (Percy Jackson Twin fanfic)

What We Leave Behind

In a perfect world, Ryker would still be laughing with his mother.

Now his mother was dead, and he was lucky if he could bring himself to smile.

In a perfect world, Ryker would still be fighting off pretend baddies with his father.

Not real ones, without him.

In a perfect world, Ryker would grow up with Milli and either ask her out or play the protective older brother she never had when someone eventually did.

But his world was not perfect, not even close.

His world was too dangerous for them to be anything more than friends.

And perhaps not even friends.

Ryker knew all of this, of course. And now he had to make a choice.

One of his terms was that he could bring his family with him.

"You can't," Poseidon had said, "I barely have enough strength for you and me. I don't think I could handle another one."

"I will, or I'm not going."

Poseidon's eyes narrowed. "You're going to be with the Hunters of Artemis, Ryker. You're going to be separated from them anyway."

"Why do I have to go with them by myself? Why can't they come with me?"

"You can't bring Mr. Evanston because he's a man. You're lucky I even got you in and you're a boy. They hate the male gender. Most of them have been hurt by men before, and they've all sworn off love with them."

"Milli? Ally? Why can't I stay with them?"

"How do you feel about Milli?"

"She's my best friend."

The look in Poseidon's eyes said that he didn't believe him.

"She is."

A single eyebrow was raised.

"How can you think she's not my best friend?"

Since Milli hadn't been here for this interaction, Poseidon laced his fingers together and took a breath. "She's your best friend. And more?"

Ryker's eyes widened at his question.

"No."

Not right now, at least, he had added in his head.

"Fine," Poseidon finally ceded, knowing he would get nothing from the boy, "You can bring someone. But only one."

"One?"

"And it can't be Milli's father."

"One?"

"Do you have a hearing impairment?"

That had been only two hours ago. They needed to leave before midnight if they were to catch up with Artemis. If he couldn't make a choice by then, he would go alone.

There were only half an hour left, and Ryker was no farther along than he was when he started.

He wanted to bring both of them.

The one he left behind would be lonely. They would be missing two of their best friends in the world and left to wonder what was happening to the friends they had lost.

The one he brought with him would be subject to a life on the run, fighting monsters and sucked into the prophecy that had chased him around since birth.