The Ascendance of Darkness (Percy Jackson Twin fanfic)

The Loss of Victory

Guess who made that picture. I did! I'm so proud of myself. Anyways, to the story!

The time wasn't right for another two years. And his mother never got the chance to tell him anything.

Allison, or Ally as she was called by the island residents, had grown into a healthy six year old. She had become the younger sister neither of the now ten year old children had ever had.

Her dog was named Styx, after the River in the Underworld, though Ryker was completely certain that it was spelled 'Sticks' since that seemed to be the only thing the dog ever ate. It was harder than Ryker had thought to raise the puppy.

Sometimes he had accidents in the living room or chewed up the couch cushions when they were eating dinner. And no matter how much they tried, since it couldn't at all be healthy for the him, they couldn't get the dog to stop eating every branch that lay on the ground.

"Will you stop that?" Milli demanded as she was splashed by her best friend yet again. "I'm trying to read over here!"

Ryker climbed to his feet and raced up the sandy beach, shaking his hair out all over the girl. "Ryker!" Milli cried out indignantly as water spots appeared over her book, "When I'm done with you, being Shark Bait isn't the only thing you'll have to worry about!"

She grabbed her wooden sword from beneath her chair and swung out, placing the book on her chair. "Styx!" Ryker called, "Fetch my sword!"

The dog came hurtling out of the woods, the blade in his mouth, and Ally hot on his trail, her own weapon in hand. "Thanks, buddy," he said as he parried one of Milli's thrusts. "You gotta do better than that, Smarty Pants."

It had taken him all of twenty months to come up with that one. No matter how much Milli tried to convince him that it wasn't an insult, he wouldn't have it. 'Shark Bait isn't an insult either,' he reasoned, 'It just means I'm probably gonna get eaten by a shark.'

Within thirty minutes the trio was lying exhausted on the ground, Styx still dancing in happy circles around them. Ryker peered at his younger sister through his peripheral vision. She was happy, he thought, She doesn't need to know.

No one had the heart to tell the little girl that she hadn't always been a part of the small island family. At her age, she should be able to remember her life, even before appearing, bruised and batter, in her basket. Yet, aside from the occasional nightmare, she didn't show any signs of stress or trauma.

Finally, he stood up, grinning. "C'mon, Ally," he said, slinging the girl onto his back in a piggyback position, "Mom's baking brownies back at the house." Milli stood up as well, brushing the sand from her clothes and grabbing her belongings.

"I can only assume that I'm invited, too," Milli commented drily, "Otherwise you might have an unhappy civilian barging through your house tonight." Ryker looked at her for a split second, blinking, before he took off, Ally clinging for dear life on his back.

Milli was way faster than him, since she was nimbler, taller, and didn't have the luggage of an extra person. She leaned down a little to talk into Ally's ear as she dropped from Ryker's back. "Let's go, Koala. We've got some parents to spy on."

They crept into the living room, paying no mind to the still open door. "What do you think they're up to?" Ryker asked quietly.

The adults were huddled over the coffee table, the only sound reaching the children's ears mutterings and the occasional clatter. Ryker's eyes widened. He stepped into the open and crossed his arms.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, watching a terrified look spread over their faces, "Are you playing Monopoly without me?"

He leaped onto the couch cushions and nestled himself into his mother's side. He didn't like to admit it, because most of the kids his age call people who like their parents babies, but he was a total momma's boy. He helped her bake in the kitchen and with the laundry. He told her all about his days and complained about the other children. And if he was being totally honest with himself, he liked his mom better than his dad. But don't tell him that.