| The Rising Moon: The Awakening of a Demi-Goddess |

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 psychomachy

(n.) a conflict of the soul (as with the body or between good and evil)

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Things were not getting better for Celeste. The voice was now louder, stronger in her mind. More controlling- if you will. And she hated it. Sometimes she found herself agreeing with the voice, as if it was correct. She found herself writing multiple entries in her notebook.

-The voices say that no one likes me, is this true?

-The voices are more pressuring, should I listen?

-The voices make me doubt my friends, should I though?

-The voices are kind of... correct?

Her mind was so angry, so sad, so confused, so heartbroken over stupid things. She collapsed into bed, not bothering to change her clothes. She just wanted to sleep.

Ah, what do we have here? The voice asked her as she visited the dream world. She was a bit uncomfortable, talking to the unknown entity, but what could she even lose from it?

"I- I'm a bit confused on what to do," She confessed to the voice in her mind. The voice made a small apologetic noise before something strange happened. The dream world started to shift and turn, the blackness of it molding into a black figure standing in a completely white room. It was just her and the thing. The figure reshaped itself into a pear bodied women with curly brown locks and green eyes, glistening moon earrings, and the white void changed into a cute vintage café.

"Please, do tell me what happened," The voice said a much different voice- it sounded like... Mother. Tears welled in Celeste's eyes as she ran towards the figure- who was stroking her hair and slowly made her sit in a chair.

"What would you like darling, coffee or tea?" She asked in the same honey voice Celeste used to remember.

"I-I- How are you here? In my dreams?" She blurted, a wave of emotions washing over her. Her mother gave her an apologetic glance.

"My dear, I've always been in your mind. I found a way to... contact you, so we can now talk. I have always been the voice, but it hasn't been until now that I can show you how I truly look- it was rather scary when I was an anonymous voice in your head, wasn't it?" She asked sweetly. Celeste nodded, her eyes red and puffed up. A waiter walked up to them, asking what they wanted to order.

"I'll have a lavender latte, and my daughter here will have... the nitro cold brew with strawberry and chocolate pumps," Her mother emphasized on the word daughter, which made Celeste's heart grow. The waiter nodded and walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

"So, what's on your mind, dear? Please tell me?" Her mother's silk voice soothed her. Celeste opened up immediately, telling her about how she didn't believe that Apollo was her father, whether she belonged on this quest or not, and embarrassingly admitted to her crush on Nico, as well as pointing out how Leo had recently gotten attracted to her by the looks of it.

"These... these 'friends' of yours, as you call them, do they include you? In anything specific, like you belong? Do you have an at least okay bond with each of them?" Her mother asked. She bit her lip. She hardly knew Frank, Hazel, and Jason, and silently had her own thoughts about the others.

"Oh, dear, don't be shy. You can tell me. I am your mother after all," She added with a hopeful note. Celeste told her.

"I- I don't really know all of them that well... sometimes I feel a bit left out, irrelevant, like you said I was," she confessed to her. Her mother shook her head and clicked her tongue.

"Darling, those who be around people who make them irrelevant are irrelevant. I only said that to make you realize it yourself. I never meant to hurt you with all of the negative talk- I just wanted you to realize that these- these people you're with- they aren't helping you at all. They're pushing you back," she said. The words stung, but they were coming from her mother. They were true then, weren't they?

The waiter came back and handed them their drinks. Celeste sipped her drink, the cool smooth texture soothing a bit of her thoughts. Her mother didn't touch her coffee, to her surprise.

"Now, as for your 'father,' Apollo, he is not your real father," Her mother confessed. Celeste knew that before hand, but hearing someone actually say it made her feel a bit more cold. The fact that her real father had someone step in for them? Pathetic, she thought with a snort.

"Yes, I know, but your father was a mortal," Her mother added in quietly. Celeste looked at her in shock. What? That doesn't make any sense! How come I have powers then?

"Do you remember the night of the fire?" Her mother asked quietly. Celeste nodded, the memories permanently burned in.

"You teleported with the power of the moon. Even as a child, the moon and the wilderness was what you connected it. When I was giving birth to you and your twin brother... Artemis, the goddess of childbirth, appeared to me, and aided me in my labor," Her mother said softly. Celeste looked up. What.

"She blessed you; saying you were going to have lots of trouble and hardships coming you way. She neglected your brother though; and that's why I showed you more attention. He eventually became bitter about this, and that's why he hated you since," She added, looking at Celeste mournfully. She couldn't believe her ears. Her mother gave a small nod.

"Yes, I know it's hard for you to understand, but from now on, every time you sleep, I will be able to talk to you, and we shall discuss about how to handle your... situation," her mother declared firmly. Celeste nodded, still numb with shock. So is that why Artemis decided to gift me with the chocker and arrow? The image around hers tarted to turn hazy. She felt herself waking up. But before her eyes fully closed, she saw her mother twitch, and start to change into something. Something... something...

She woke up.