The Child of Artemis

Chapter 19

Two days after the battle.

Luna stared out the window. A group of kids were on the front green, playing some odd game. They would hold hands in a circle, chant a song, then fall down. It made no sense to her, but it shouldn't have mattered anyway.

"Hello, Luna."

She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Hello, Lady Artemis."

The floorboards creaked as Artemis came closer. She stood behind Luna, the sharp scent of pine and hawk feathers clinging to her. It reminded her of the woods, hunting, her cave...

"Stop. Focus."

She turned to face the goddess, and was startled to find that they were the exact same height. It was a bit disconcerting, bring eye to eye with someone who was so much more powerful.

A thousand thoughts, a thousand questions were running through her mind.

"Why didn't you want me? Why did you leave me with the Phoenix? Why don't you love me?"

Artemis stared at her. It took her a moment to realize she had asked those questions out loud.

Artemis looked past her, out the window. The happy shrieks and squeals of the kids filled the otherwise empty silence of the room. Luna began to wish she had understood the game, and was playing it now.

The goddess gave a hefty sigh. She finally looked at Luna, and she was surprised to see the goddess looking so forlorn. She leaned against the window sill and crossed her arms.

"I didn't not want you." She answered carefully. "I could tell you would become a great huntress, and you would have fit into the Hunt quite well, but giving you to the Phoenix was as much a favor to them as it was to me."

Luna tilted her head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Did the Phoenix ever tell you why they agreed to take care of you?"

She shook her head.

"It's quite the sad story. You are aware that they are the first and only of their kind. They wanted to have children, but were afraid of what could happen. What if Azura was pregnant and tried to transform? What affect would that have on an unborn child? What if Pyron died in battle? Azura is strong, but she wasn't sure she could raise a young Phoenix on her own."

"These questions, and lots more plagued them. They finally decided to not risk it. They would never have children, at least until they could find some answers."

"When I found you, I did want you. But then, I thought of Pyron, and Azura. My most loyal servants, who deserved happiness more than anyone. I had no knowledge of how to raise a child, and being a maiden goddess and all, it would have torn Olympus apart for me to lay claim to a child. But the Phoenix, they were perfect. They were caring, loyal, and smart. They would have made fine parents, if not for their decision. And they could always claim they had adopted the child while hunting in the woods. It made perfect sense."

"And yet, I couldn't forgive myself when I gave you away. I thought it was the worst mistake I had ever made, including the Great Crossbow Incident Of 1847." She noticed Luna's confused look and gave a dry smile. "Long story."

"But then, I saw the looks on their faces. The way Azura held you, and the way Pyron smiled at you, I could almost believe you were their child, not mine. And I knew, I had made the right choice."

"I did think about you. For the last nine years, I often wondered about you. When I drove the moon chariot across the sky, I would try to take a glance at you through the trees. It was always a pleasure to see you hunting. You were, are, so much like me."

She shifted. "As for the third question. I don't know."

"I have always been known on Olympus as the goddess of the Hunt. The Lady Of the Moon. The Protector of the Forest. But never the goddess of motherhood. That title belongs to my stepmother, Hera."

"I suppose I do love you. But-."

"YOU SUPPOSE?" Luna shouted. She balled up her hands into fists, fury burning in her stomach hotter then the Phoenix's fire. "You suppose you love me. You don't know if you love me or not. I AM YOUR DAUGHTER! You are a mother. You are my mother. I don't know or care about what the other Olympians think. I only want a mother to love me." She didn't realize she was crying, until the tears dripped down her cheeks. She ignored them, letting them fall.

Artemis watched her carefully. "May I continue now?" Luna glared at her but nodded.

"As I was saying, I wasn't sure I loved you. I felt affection for you yes, and pride. But I wasn't sure if that could count as a mother-daughter love. My own family was no help. The Olympians are not exactly the picture perfect family."

"But that's no excuse. I could have done more. I could have visited you, gotten to know you. Then, I could have decided if I loved you."

"But I was afraid. Afraid of what might happen if someone, or some god, found out about you. Afraid of what I might find out about myself, if I had gotten to know my daughter.

In short, I was a coward."

She turned to face Luna again. "I am truly sorry. Sorry that I wasted twelve years that could have been spent better. Sorry that I never got to know you. Sorry that I could never make a decision."

"And now, you are facing your own decision. Where will you go? Will you stay here, at Camp Half-Blood, or perhaps explore your Roman side and go to Camp Jupiter? Or join the Amazons. I hear they are looking for strong warriors. Or go back to your cave with Pyron and Azura. I doubt they would mind. Or even, join my Hunt. There are certainly a lot of things you could do, places you could go, people you could meet. What will be your decision?"

Luna looked at her, then the window, then the floor. Artemis was right. It was a big decision. One that she couldn't take lightly. And she would have to decide by the celebration, which was tomorrow night.

She was already stressing.

Artemis noticed this. She placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I only wish the best for you. If you join my Hunt, you would get to see me when I visit, although it would only be every few months or so. But, it would be a start."

A small smile spread across her face. A start. The Hunt offer was quite tempting too. All the ideas were tempting.

Suddenly, she knew what she would choose.
~~~
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