Athena x Nike

#91 * Little sister (part 2)

Requested by 

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"I thought I might find you here." Athena said, entering the clearing where Artemis was shooting her bow.

She had set up her own set of targets and was perfecting her skill. The young goddess turned at the sound of her sister's voice and scanned her up and down before getting back to what she was doing.

"What do you want?" Artemis grumbled.

She drew the string of her bow back, an arrow automatically forming, before letting go. The arrow shot straight forward, planting itself in the middle of the target. Athena was slightly impressed, she had seen Artemis and her brother train before, but she was getting better very quickly. By now the young goddess of the hunt barely needed any time to aim and hit the target in the center.

"I just want to talk with you." The wisdom goddess said.

She moved to stand next to her little sister, in front of a second target and summoned a rack of javelins.

"What if I don't want to?" Artemis questioned.

"Then we train in silence."

Athena took a javelin in her hand and positioned herself to throw it. Soon enough the object was soaring through the air, before planting itself in the middle of the target. Her little sister merely raised a brow, before shooting another volley of arrows at her own target. For a while they trained in absolute silence, the only sound the arrows and javelins swishing through the air.

"I hate Nike." Artemis stated after a while.

This made Athena stop mid-motion. She leaned on the shaft of the javelin, looking at her sister who was still shooting her bow.

"Care to elaborate?"

"All she ever does is take you away from me." The young huntress mumbled.

"Why do you think that's her goal?"

"Because that's all she does."

"You mentioned that yes, but why do you think she would do that?"

Artemis stayed silent. She had no idea. It just wasn't fair, Athena was the only person that understood her, but she was never around, always doing something with Nike. They used to spend almost every day together. Training, talking, running through the woods. The wisdom goddess would help her with ideas for traps and Artemis taught her sister how to sneak and cover up any tracks she might leave behind. But two years ago that all changed when Nike came into the picture. Now Athena would always be off to war, planning the next strategy for another and she seemed to be immersed deeper into Olympian politics, which was the last place Artemis wanted to be.

"Have you ever thought that maybe Nike is not trying to hurt you, but merely trying to do her job?" Athena asked her little sister.

"Her job is to decide who is victorious." Artemis stated.

"True, but as a victory goddess it goes much further than just that."

The younger goddess shook her head.

"Like what? Give you a fancy laurel wreath?"

"I should snap the string of your bow for mocking her like that." The wisdom goddess commented.

"But no, she weighs strategies and armies against each other. Both in number and in cunning, light against dark. She must maintain a certain type of balance. She can not favor anyone, she must always remain objective and pick out the best."

Artemis let her sister finish. Coming in between Athena and her words was never a good idea, especially not when she had already threatened with the bowstring. Take it from the young huntress that her sister wasn't afraid to live up to her words.