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.
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