Chapter Text
When Yang was born, her birth mother left. Yang had been too little to know her or about her betrayal and she guessed her father decided it shouldn’t matter since she was so little. It was possible he didn’t want to tell her about her at all. Yang would’ve been fine with that if that was what happened.
When she was a few months old, that was when her true mother came around. The one that actually took care of her, even if it was short-lived. Yang doesn’t remember the day clearly being a few months old but her father would tell her that she had burned brighter than the sun he dragged behind his chariot. And Yang believed him. Having Summer raise her for the short time she was in her life, she wouldn’t be surprised if she loved Summer the moment the two had met. Summer was the only steady parental figure she had known in her life. She was there for nightmares and story times and birthdays.
When she was two, her little sister was born. Ruby had been a welcome addition for Yang, especially. She thought Ruby had looked a little funny, her child mind thinking that the swaddled baby that her parents had let her hold was missing arms. She also thought Ruby’s head was too big for her body. Those didn’t matter in the long run. She was a big sister now! And she was going to be the best big sister in the whole world! She was going to be Ruby’s protector! She was going to love her more than anything. This family of four was going to grow become stronger!
When Yang was three, that family of four went back to three. Summer disappeared. The land was cast into darkness for a few days, her father grieving the loss of the love of his life. Yang hated the dark so she would light a lantern to try and mimic the warm glow of the sun but it wasn’t the same. She wished and wished during that time for Summer to come back so that the sun could return. She was three years old and sad and terrified. Her father eventually did bring the sun back but it didn’t burn as bright as before. Yang was just happy that it was back.
After that, her father was out of the house more and more. She understood his job as the Sun God was important but he was frequently gone long after the sun sank and Artemis had started her hunt. Ruby was blissfully unaware, having been too young to understand. She was just happy that their father was home when he did come home. Yang, on the other hand, grew resentful. She was left to take care of anything that had to do with Ruby or her. She couldn’t cook very well, so, the two sisters ended up eating mostly microwave meals for a good long while. She was the one to plan birthdays. Mostly for Ruby. She forgot about herself as the years went by and it seemed her father forgot his own as well at some point. He was never around for anyone’s birthday anyway.
When she was fourteen, her father told her about her birth mother after a heated argument. Yang’s world shattered. She thought that Summer was her mother this whole time and then her father dropped the bomb that she wasn’t? Is that why people whispered about her? Is that why some gave her judging looks? She was the reason why everyone thought that Persephone was taboo. The one who broke the cycle. The one who had refused to be with Hades.
Yang hated the role of Persephone from that day forth. She wanted nothing to do with it. In her festering, she hadn’t realized the orange lilies and yellow carnations that started growing. She wouldn’t learn much later that her feelings would manifest as physical plants. If she had learned it then, she would have hated Raven and herself even more.
At sixteen, Raven appeared at their door. She was actually a terrifying and dour-looking woman for someone who was supposed to be in the current iteration of Persephone. She also looked too much like Yang. Yang hated it.
The cruelty only continued as Raven told her that she was there to take her to become her apprentice. Yang laughed in her face and shut the door. Raven only busted the door back open with the magical gifts she was granted. It put fear into the teen’s heart. She knew Gods were powerful. She had forgotten in her anger toward Raven. She was terrified. Raven’s face had remained impassive as she told her once again that she had come to take Yang as her apprentice. Her voice, on the other hand, sounded threatening.
Yang wasn’t deterred, though. She fought against it. She was not going with that woman. She was also not going to be bound to someone she did not choose. But, it was all for naught. Her father had the last say and told her that she had no choice. This was a decision made by the Fates. So, with a heavy heart, Yang was sent away that night. She and Ruby had a tearful goodbye and a promise to see each other again very soon.
And, now, at seventeen, she floated on her back in one of the many lakes she had found, her eyes closed. She had been in this lake for a long time. She had no idea how long that was but it had been a while. She had wanted to escape for a little while. Being around Raven was taxing. She needed some peace. She was probably never going to get it in the next few weeks.