Title: Hero
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #024 Family
Word Count: 771
Rating:PG
Summary: A light in the dark
Author's Notes:
Cupid entered the temple looking for his father. Walking around he
noticed the plate waiting out on the counter and wondered who it was
for as he had just decided to speak to his father. Looking around the
temple he instantly noticed the new door. Walking over to it he pushed
it open.
"Hello?"
Strife sat up with a start. Looking at the now open door he stared at
the stranger.
"Hey kid, you seen my dad? Ares?" Strife nodded and tried not to cry
again sniffing miserably. "What's wrong?"
"'m `the'tic cuz I can't pooft."
"Pooft?"
"'port."
"Oh, teleport," Cupid said entering the room. "Come on let's get you
some food, dad left out some stuff and I can pop up more."
Strife stood as Cupid turned and his eyes widened. "Oooo."
"Aren't you a little young to be checking me out?" Cupid asked with a
teasing tone.
"You have `ings," Strife said stroking the feathers.
"Hmm? Yeah cool huh?"
"Cool," Strife said continuing to stroke until a feather fell free;
squeaking he picked up the feather. "'m sorry," he said holding out
the feather, head down guiltily.
"Oh don't worry about that, they do that, just don't go plucking them
out that stings! Since you like it so much you can keep it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, hey," Cupid started as they sat and he had more food appear.
What are you doing here any way?"
"Training."
"Oh, who are your parents?"
"Mother."
"Yeah but who is she?"
"'ris."
"Eris? So dad's your uncle? We're cousins, family!"
"Unc' cuz'." Strife repeated learning some new words.
"Yeah, why can't you teleport you look old enough," Cupid said between
bites watching his new cousin devour his food.
"m or ears mold."
"Don't talk with your mouth full you make no sense. It sounded like
you said you were only four." Strife nodded.
"Okay, dad's great but he has like no patience if it doesn't have to
do with a sword. This is what you have to do. Think about your bed,
what it feels like how soft it is, now pretend you were there, okay
now be there. Like um just feel the bed…"
Strife tried but after a few seconds looked at Cupid and shook his
head. "Its okay you were almost there, you got a bit fuzzy around the
edges there. A couple more tries and you will get it. People are the
same. Feel for them, how they make you feel how they look, and its
like you have a rope that pulls you to them."
Strife shut his eyes and appeared in Cupid's lap. "This you get right
sure," he said with a grin.
"I pooft!" Strife exclaimed bouncing on Cupid's lap causing the blond
to groan.
"No riding on the first date," Cupid stated as Strife scrambled out of
his lap with a giggle. He sipped some of his water before attempting
it again and appearing in the blonds lap yet again. Giggling he smiled
innocently at Cupid before returning to his seat.
Ares appeared then unnoticed by Strife though Cupid cast a glance at
him and was about to stand when he got a lapful of giggling Strife.
"So he got it?"
"Yeah how come I didn't know Aunt Eris had a kid?"
"Recent development. Plus she kept him pretty sequestered in her
temple. The last time I saw him he had just learned to crawl. He'll be
here for the next century or so learning the fine art of war."
"What is his godhood?" Cupid asked standing so now Strife appeared
standing beside him instead of in his lap.
"You can't tell? Mischief."
"Mischief? Oh geez, mischief wow, later pops good luck."
"Was there something you wanted?" Ares asked shaking his head at his son.
"Oh yeah! I was thinking of using darts sometimes, wondering if you
could teach me."
"To throw darts? Sure, come by next week I would have gotten this one
settled by then."
"Alright bye dad."
"Cupid," Aries said with a nod accepting the brief hug as his son's
wings fluttered.
Yawning behind his hand Aries noticed and waved Strife away. Go to bed
we'll see what you can do in the morning."
Strife nodded and entered his room, holding his feather close he
wished there were pockets on this one piece of smooth plain leather.
A small burst of power and a zipper appeared on the side of his
outfit. Sliding the feather into the pocket he carefully sealed it and
climbed into bed.
His thoughts drifting to the cousin with all the feathers who had
shown him how to pooft.