Selene and the Moon

11- The Moonbow Foundation

I keep my head down, walking through the dark alleyway.

It reeks of wet cement and excrete.

"Hello?," I whisper, daring to glance up. I've got my ring finger at the ready, to press the call signal for 999.

I ignore the pungent (and unattractive) smell.

Clever. Nobody in their right mind would come here for kicks.

"You won't need that," a soft voice says gently.

A slender and graceful figure emerges from the shadows. She smiles warmly down at me.

She looks familiar, but I can't recall from where.

"Need what-t?," I stutter.

"Your phone. I came here to talk."

"I'd like to keep it."

She laughs a melodious laugh. "Very well."

"Why do you want me here?"

The delicate woman eyes me. "I'm Jadan's mother. Do you know him by any chance?"

Huh? "You're Jadan's mother?"

She seems the opposite of maternal, but my mind embraces it just the same. The pieces are finally coming together.

"Does that mean you're the one who sent him to spy on me?"

"Yes," she admits without a hint of shame. Her lithe fingers trace the side of her light dress.

"He said you're president of the Moonbow foundation," I accuse.

"Yes. Do you know your mother?"

I stare down at the murky floor. "No. I never met her. And my father doesn't talk about her."

Her silky smooth hands fly to her mouth, and she gasps.

"Wha-what's wrong?"

"He never told you?"

"Told me what?," I ask.

"Sweetie. Your mother was a Moonbow. I'm your aunt."

"Come again?"

"Your mother ran away to me as soon as you and Artemis were born. I paid a visit to you every now and then to check in on you. Your magic's interesting."

I back away. "You know I have magic?"

The woman finds this amusing. "Of course. I have magic too."

"What."

"Do you want a demonstration?"

"Yes!"

She closes her eyes, and holds her arms out. Wings appear behind her. She looks ethereal in this alleyway. She's glowing faintly. Singing in a mesmerising voice, she begins to fly. Wind starts swirling in beautiful circles around her. Her dress billows out behind her and she's suddenly enveloped in the magic and hidden from view for a few seconds. When it disappears, she floats down, and I realise her clothes have turned pure white.

"So, what do you think?"

I blink, blink again. "What just happened?"

"Magic."

"Right..."

She looks worried. "What's wrong?"

"How did you get so powerful? And why do you have so many powers?"

Jadan's mother laughs her wonderful laugh again. "All the Moonbows' do. And I was taught by my mother."

"But I only have one- that's to say, only one power."

"No."

I frown. "What?"

"You control water, right?"

"Yeah."

"But you also control blood."

"I don't want to though!"

"Are you sure?" She looks hesitant, then takes her white gloves. "I can remove your Hemokinesis if that's what you really want."

"Hemokinesis?"

"Yeah. The official term for 'bloodbending', as you call it. A warning is that if you remove your Hemokinesis, it'll be replaced by something worse."

"Like what?"

"Throughout the Moonbow history, people who replaced their powers ended up with powers such as powers to become demons, power to inflict torture, powers to burn and scald people with a touch, powers to kill with a look."

"Then of course not!"

"But if you give up hydrokinesis as well, you'll end up with one power, which is better than hemokinesis."

"As in...?"

"Control over elements, I guess."

"What?! No, I'm not giving up water magic."

"Alright." She puts her gloves back on.

"Why do you need gloves?," I question. "Out of interest, I mean."

She sighs. "I have more than a few powers. I have wings and the power to hide them. I have the power to take others' powers away. I can control wind. I have appearance changing abilities. But all of them - they're overwhelming. I need these gloves to keep them at bay. You wouldn't understand, Selene."

"Alright."

"You can call me Luna, by the way."

"Really?," I say. "You'll let me call you Luna?"

She nods and hands me a card. "If you change your mind, call me. I can also help you practise your magic if you want."

I beam. "Thanks. But-" My face falls. "That's not why I came here. Do you know where Artemis is?"

Luna smiles empathetically. "Yes, darling. Your mother took her away a while ago. She regretted leaving her daughters. I couldn't stop her."

Luna couldn't stop her? Just how powerful is my mother?

"She only took Artemis, because she still loves your father. Fearing it would break him, she left you to survive in the human world. I can help you visit her. She's living on Ladus L3 at the moment, though I'm not sure she'll give your sister back."

"Yes please," I say. "That would mean so much to me."

Luna bites her lip. "Ok. Then meet me here same time tomorrow. You might not be coming back so pack your bags. Are you sure, your father will-" She stops, looking torn.

I close my eyes, biting my lip. Then I look up and hold her gaze firmly.

"I'll do it," I agree.

Don't get me wrong. I love my dad, and Verity. But I love my sister more, and I might be able to see my mother for the first time. I hate myself for thinking this, but I wonder if life on Ladus L3 will be better.

Luna smiles distantly. "Alright. Bye."

"Bye," I say.

It's only until she sweeps out of the alleyway that I realise what I just agreed to.

Is it true, that I'll never come here again?

I run to the one place where I feel truly at home- the ice rink.

I pay the entrance fee and strap on the ice skates.

As soon as I step onto the ice, cool air bombards me and I start skating like there's no tomorrow.

I spin, jump, forward crossover, backward crossover, spiral, mohawk, and forward lunge without a care in the world.

...I see everyone staring at me.

Some inexperienced beginners are in awe, some advanced skaters are smirking and whispering to each other. I blush furiously.

I don't leave for another two hours.

As soon as I get home I hug my father. "Love you dad," I whisper.

He looks confused, but then smiles his quirky smile. "Love you too, Moon Goddess."

I smile back, and for once, just let myself be.