Iridescence
Chapter One (Apollo)

CHAPTER ONE

APOLLO

The little blonde one was about to drown. "Hmmm," I mumbled aloud. "Perhaps I should mention this to my sister." It seemed like the right call, especially since the little blonde one would one day grow up to become quite important to her.

"Artemis, darling sister, you may wish to call upon a favor from Poseidon," I advised.

"Not likely," my twin sister replied. I could practically hear her eyes rolling. That really was an incredibly rude habit.

"Suit yourself, but you're not the best swimmer."

"What are you babbling about?"

"One of your prophecy girls is about to meet a watery end unless someone intervenes. I thought it might interest you."

She glared at me. "What did you see, Apollo?" She asked impatiently. Sure, now she wanted to listen to me.

"She was in the car with her parents. There was a truck coming, the driver fell asleep... The car hit a guardrail and it broke, and they ended up in the water."

"Who are these prophesized girls you keep rambling about?"

"The chosen ones, five girls who will each control one of the elements... If they survive long enough to realize their gifts, that is. You really should call Poseidon."

"I'll save her myself."

"Sister, you nearly drowned the last time you tried to rescue a maiden from the water."

"I'm immortal. It won't kill me."

"It's still rather unpleasant."

"Well, what do you suggest I do?"

I shook my head. "You don't listen very well, Artemis. Call. Poseidon. You know, the God of the Sea? This is his area of expertise."

"Poseidon's only area of expertise is himself."

"I think you're mixing him up with our father." It was a very fair description of Zeus. Our uncle wasn't nearly as bad. In fact, I generally found him to be the most pleasant of the three brothers. Dear old Dad had a bad attitude (a God complex, if you will), and his twin brother Hades was far too dark and unpleasant for my liking. As the youngest of the three, Poseidon seemed to be the only one with a good sense of humor.

"I don't trust him."

"You don't trust any men. You barely tolerate me, and we shared a womb. That's not the point. She's running out of time, Artemis. Mortals don't do well under water."

Artemis sighed. "Fine. Call him. Don't inflate his ego any more than you need to."

I nodded. I immediately summoned my dear Uncle Posey. (Remember how I said he has a sense of humor? It doesn't extend to that nickname. Please don't tell him I called him that.)

He looked from me to my sister. "What's wrong?" Poseidon asked.

"A mortal girl who's going to be very important one day is about to drown and die a terribly premature death. We were hoping you might help her," I explained.

Poseidon didn't hesitate. "Give me the location."

I did. He rushed away, and I used my extreme skills of Sight to watch him. In true Poseidon style, he dove into the water and swam straight to the car. The girl's parents were both already lost. The father's head was angled in a way no mortal's head should hang, and her mother's head was cracked open. The girl, however, was struggling like crazy. I liked her spirit, and I could tell Poseidon did, too.

She tried everything to get the door open. She kicked at it and even tried to break the glass. She couldn't have been more than eleven.

Poseidon pulled the door open with no effort. The car had already started filling with water, but now it filled up completely. He pulled the girl into his arms and quickly swam toward the surface. He didn't release her even as she struggled to get back to her parents. They broke through the water and a tidal wave rose up and carried them impossibly and illogically high. (Impossible and illogical are two of Poseidon's favorite things.) He placed her carefully on the ground by the broken guardrail.

"My parents!" The poor girl cried. "I have to save them!"

"You're safe now," Poseidon said gently, straightening her black-framed eyeglasses.

"No! I won't leave them! Take me back! I'm a good swimmer! I can save them!"

Poseidon regarded her sadly. "My dear girl, it's too late for them. I'm very sorry for your loss." It was an incredibly stupid and mortal thing to say, but Poseidon had been watching the mortals for millennia. He knew what they did in times of grief.

"No," she insisted. "It can't be... They're my parents! Please, save them! Save them, and leave me. It's okay. I... I'll go with you. I promise I'll go with you if you just let them go."

"Why would you think I'd want that?" He asked in confusion.

"Because you're Death. And if you can take them, then you can take me instead, right? Please. I can't lose my parents. They're all I have."

Poseidon genuinely looked sad. "What is your name, sweetheart?"

"Krissy... Kristen, really. Kristen Berry."

"Krissy, I am not Death. That's my older brother. My name is Poseidon, and I am the God of the Sea. I rescued you not because I want to take them away from you, but because you are not yet meant to leave this life." He kissed her forehead and she fell instantly asleep. "Now rest, my child. You're going to be alright. And from now on, no harm shall ever come to you from my kingdom. You will forever be blessed by water." He released her and hid nearby until an ambulance came. Only then did he return to us.

"Thank you," Artemis said with what I know was great difficulty.

"No problem. She needed someone... The poor girl." Poseidon sighed. "Take care of this one, Artemis. She's no ordinary mortal and today, she lost more than any child should."

Artemis nodded. When Poseidon left us, she turned to me. "She's going to be the water element, right? Because of his blessing?" She asked me.

"Yes, that's what I foresaw," I confirmed. "Remember, though, that can change at any time. The future is always changing. If he hadn't saved her just now, someone else would have had to take her place."

"She's just a kid... Where will she go?"

"She has an aunt in the City." I didn't bother to specify which city I meant. The girl lived in Upstate New York and there's only one New York City.

"Is she a good person?"

"Even if she weren't, what would it matter?" I asked. "We cannot interfere. Not yet."

"Just tell me, Apollo."

"She's great. A little on the young side to be taking in a kid, but I like her. She's an art student." I looked at my sister reassuringly. "She'll be fine, Artemis. I promise. Her aunt is good people."

Artemis nodded, apparently satisfied. Then she asked, "What about the other four girls?"

"I have only seen glimpses of the future, I'm afraid. This is the first time I've seen one of them in the present, and I'm certain it's because she was about to die."

"Very well. Keep me informed if anyone else shows herself."

"I will."

Artemis walked away and I decided I needed a pick-me-up after such a depressing episode of Mortal Life. Don't misunderstand me. My heart genuinely broke for Krissy. I like mortals. In fact, I've fallen in love with several over the millennia. Of course, I fell out of love just as quickly. It is very rare that I commit myself to any one person for long, be they mortal or immortal. Anyway, I understood her grief and I wished I could have spared her. The thing is, as Gods, we're not allowed to interfere on that level. Mortals die. It is what defines their existence. To change that would be to do them a great disservice. Blah, blah, blah, I know the rules. I've heard the speeches. That never makes it any easier to stand idly by watching as they suffer.

I summoned some of my favorite classic rock music and tried to relax. Everything would work out exactly as it was meant to, as it always did.