Suzy was at Olympus for her birthday week. It was also boot camp for her. Last minute training before the war. “That’s it for today, kid.”Are yelled as she slashed the head of an automaton with Lightning Bolt.  She took deep breaths as she deactivated the sword and put it back in her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was a sweaty, terrible looking mess. Her light brown hair was wildly all over the place, her clothes were drenched in sweat and she had a small injury from the automaton’s attack.

Ares threw her a towel to wipe her sweat. “Thanks.”She said as she wiped her sweat with the white towel. “You’re welcome.” he grunted. “You fight very well…for a mortal kid of Zeus.” he praised. Suzy looked at him with her eyebrows raised. “You mock the demigods of Zeus, dear brother but don’t forget Hercules was the greatest warrior alive.” she said in amusement.

“Bah. Hercules, Shmercules. He was strong but that was the only thing going for him. He was an idiot with anger issues and two marbles to call as his brain.”Ares ranted. She laughed. Just then her grandmother, Aphrodite along with Hera came into the arena and looked at the young demigod with disapproval. They shook their heads. “Sweetheart, I hope you’re seriously not going to present yourself in front of your father like this.”Aphrodite chided, staring at the girl whose grey top and black sweatpants were torn and dirty.

Suzy looked down at her clothes. “What’s wrong with them?”She asked. “Everything. Now please go and change into something more appropriate. Your father wants you to meet someone.”Hera said, pushing the girl inside her room. “Okay, okay, mother Hera. I will.”She laughed. “But who is it?”Suzy asked, curious. “You’ll only know when you come to the throne room dressed in the outfit we picked out for you.”Hera said firmly. “Fine, I will be ready in twenty minutes.”Suzy sighed as she closed the door to her room.

“She is not at all ladylike but I have taken a liking to this girl.”Hera admitted. Aphrodite smirked.  “That’s because she is just like her father. And good or bad, you love the boring old grump.” she giggled. “Yes, I do. But I just hope he stops having his affairs. I seriously do have a crisis of conscience when I hurt his…products.”Hera sighed. “Oh, come on. You like it a lot.”Aphrodite teased. “Okay, a little.”Hera smiled as they walked back to the throne room.

-

Suzy rushed to the throne room. The servants her stepmother sent for her insisted that they bathe her. So, she spent a whole thirty minutes resisting them. She knelt in front of her father in respect and apology. “Hello, father and Lord. Sorry that I am late.” she apologized, still panting.  She got up and looked at her father with a sheepish grin. He smiled. “It’s quite alright, my daughter. In fact, you’re just in time.” he said. “So where is the person you want me to meet? Is it a suitor for me?”She joked, chuckling. “Oh, please. This isn’t the Ancient times anymore, but if you want….”Zeus’s voice trailed off.

“Dad! I was joking.”Suzy yelled. “I knew that. I was joking too.”He lied. “Ah, here she is.”Zeus smiled at something. Suzy turned around and saw a beautiful young woman with black hair and brilliant green eyes smiling at her. “Suzy, this is my mother and your grandmother Rhea.” He introduced. Suzy was awestruck at her beauty. “Wow, you’re even more beautiful than Aphro-”Suzy stopped short as Aphrodite sent her a death glare.

“Sorry.”She giggled sheepishly, calming Aphrodite. “I got the message, sweetheart. It is so nice to finally meet you, my child. Gods, you look like your mother. So beautiful, so adventurous.”Rhea smiled as she hugged her granddaughter. Suzy hugged her back. It felt warm but then again, her grandmother was the Titan of Motherhood and Family. “My, you’re so much more beautiful than Helen.”Rhea praised, making her granddaughter blush.

“Mom. Don’t compare my children.”Zeus chided. Rhea sighed in defeat. “Fine, son. But she is. You’ve to admit that.” the Titaness said with gentle adamancy. “Yes, yes. She is. Now please, come and give me a hug.”Zeus said, shrinking down to normal size and he hugged his mother. “Mother.”Hera glided to the Titaness and hugged her gently. “I see you’re still elegant in whatever you do, Hera.”Rhea joked. “Mother…”Hera gently warned.

“Fine, child. But seriously, what’s the harm in cracking a joke?”Rhea grinned. “Oh, mom. You’re just like Suzy.  Like grandmother, like granddaughter.”Poseidon joked. The two smiled and laughed. Hera looked annoyed. “Lunch’s ready.”Demeter announced, trying to appease her sister. “Ooh, let’s eat.”Rhea giggled.

*At lunch*

The whole family was gathered at the table. They ate quietly. “So, how is your grandfather?”Rhea asked Suzy, making the already awkward atmosphere more awkward. Suzy choked on her soup. “Well…”her voice trailed off, not wanting to tell her grandmother that Kronos hit on her as well as her female comrades repeatedly. “Mom, I don’t want to hear any mention of that man.”Zeus warned. Rhea rolled her green eyes at her youngest child. “So yes, he tried to eat you but he’s still your father and grandfather, kids.”Rhea said, looking at everyone on the table who looked down at their food.

“So Artemis, what’s the deal with your daughter?”Apollo asked, changing the topic. “Apollo…”Artemis growled silently, kicking him on the shin. “Ow. Dad, Artemis kicked me.”Apollo whined. “Artemis, apologize to your brother this instant.”Zeus said. “Father, he started it.”Artemis yelled. “Well, I am finishing it. Apologize now.”Zeus ordered. “Fine. I’m sorry, Apollo.”Artemis apologized grudgingly, sending a death glare at her twin brother. “That’s alright, sis.”Apollo winked at his sister, making her disgusted.

“Seriously, how is your daughter, child? Tell your grandmother.”Rhea clucked gently. “Grandmother Rhea, please. I love you but I rather not share things from my personal life when we’re having such a lovely meal of the boar I hunted.”Artemis sighed, pushing the meat around her plate. Suzy almost spit the meat out. “The boar you hunted?”Suzy asked meekly, grimacing at the fact she had just eaten fresh wild kill with bacteria in it. “Yes, Artemis hunted it and I made it into a spectacular tasting dish. Got any problem with that?”Demeter asked in a dangerous, low voice while grabbing the handle of the sword.

“Your daughter is so beautiful, Artemis. Unlike you.” Aphrodite quipped, bored. “Are you calling me ugly?”Artemis asked with a growl. “No. I just can’t believe she’s your kid. She’s better off as my daughter.”Aphrodite explained. “Well, too bad she can’t be a dumb bimbo who only knows how to wield a compact and betrays people.”Artemis retorted, referring to Naeun. The tension was growing between the two goddesses, so Athena, who was the mediator in the family, tired to stop the fight.

“Both of you stop it. Stop fighting like kids and let’s try to enjoy a peaceful, quiet meal. Artemis, you fell in love once. Big deal.  And you Aphrodite, stop acting like some mortal teenybopper and getting into a fight with Artemis every single time.” The goddess of wisdom yelled. “No! Falling in love was a mistake! Having Jinri was a mistake!”Artemis adamantly yelled. Suzy, who was already uncomfortable at the conversation, became horrified and angry at the fact that Artemis thought that having her own daughter was a mistake.

“You think Ssul was a mistake?”Suzy yelled, getting up with such force, the huge chair she sat on which was the size of a throne fell on the ground. Her immortal family flinched in surprise “How can you say that? She’s your daughter. You had her with a man you loved. So, how the Styx can you think that she was a mistake?”She asked, tears now falling from her eyes. She turned to Hera and Zeus. “Please excuse me, Lord Zeus and Lady Hera. I am done eating.” she said. She ran to her room and locked it. She fell on her bed and started to cry for her friend.

-

Zeus, Aphrodite, Hera and Rhea were banging on the door to Suzy’s room. They were worried sick. “Suzy, please open the door, love.”Zeus pleaded. “Go away.” she yelled. “Can’t we just destroy the door?”Aphrodite suggested. “Oh, no. I am not going to let anyone destroy that door.”Hera interjected, glaring at the Goddess of Beauty. “Why not? We can get another one.”Zeus said, a lightning bolt appearing in his hand. He prepared to throw it on the door but Hera stopped him.

“Oh, no. If that bolt goes anywhere near that door, I swear, I will kill you Zeus.”Hera growled. “May I try?”A voice asked. They turned around and saw a worried looking Artemis.  “My dear daughter, I don’t think Suzy will like to talk to the woman who thought her daughter was a mistake.”Zeus said. “Father, it was the heat of the moment. Aphrodite and Apollo kept on bugging me and Athena was the last straw.”Artemis explained, sighing. “Fine, you can try. Call us if you fail.”Zeus said as the three women dragged him back to the throne room.

Artemis nodded. She gently knocked on the door. “I said go away.”The demigod yelled. “Suzy, please open the door, dear child.”Artemis called. “NO! Why should I open my bedroom door to the goddess who thinks having my best friend was a mistake?”She countered. Artemis sighed. She did have a point. “Please, child. Open the door. I want to talk and earn your forgiveness.”The goddess pleaded. Just then, the door opened. Surprised, Artemis went into the room and looked around. It was too…pink.

“I know what you’re thinking, Lady Artemis. Aphrodite and Athena decorated this room for me.”Suzy said, as if reading her mind. “Ah…”Artemis said in realization. Then awkward silence hung in the air. The two shifted uncomfortably. “Lady Artemis, I didn’t open my door to you for us to stay silent. So talk, please.”Suzy said coldly. She was on her bed, playing with one of the stuffed toys. Artemis sighed and sat next to the girl on her bed.

“I am sorry that I said having Jinri was a mistake. It’s just…I was embarrassed on losing my chaste status. And then, your grandmother and our stupid brother irritated and annoyed me to no end. So, I just blurted it out. Yes, I fell in love twenty years ago. I still do consider that as a moment of weakness. But having Jinri was one of my greatest moments in life. Seeing her adorably beautiful face made me feel happy. And it broke my heart to give her back to her father.”Artemis admitted, tears now flowing from her eyes.

Suzy felt sorry for the goddess. She hugged her to comfort and console. “I didn’t know, Lady Artemis. I am so sorry.”Suzy apologized. Artemis broke the hug, wiping her tears and smiled at the young demigod. “It’s alright, my dear. Excuse me; I have something to attend to.”She said hastily before hurrying out of the room. Out of her window, Suzy saw Artemis flying in her chariot pulled by silver reindeer. “Wonder where she’s going?”Suzy thought.

-

Sulli felt uncomfortable at the way people were staring at her. They labeled her as a powerful illegitimate outcast, Artemis’s accident. “Don’t give a damn to how they’re staring at you, Ssul.”Krystal said firmly. But that was quite hard. Although her natural talent in archery and fighting shone, she was still looked down upon. People didn’t say anything but she knew it. She was daydreaming when she had heard gasps.  She looked up and saw a beautiful young girl of twelve riding a silver chariot. “Who is that?”She asked Krystal. “Artemis, your mom.”Krystal said, still looking at the goddess.

The chariot landed and stepped out the goddess herself. People were still in awe. They all bowed in respect to the goddess. Only Sulli, still dazed about what was going on, stared at her mother. “Hello…mom.”Sulli said awkwardly. She was uncomfortable at calling a pre-teen her mother. “I see you’re uncomfortable at calling me your mother.”Artemis chuckled. She then clapped her hands and she transformed into a gorgeous young woman.

She hugged her daughter with awkward warmth. “You have grown, my child.”Artemis said, looking at her tall height. Sulli blushed. She then turned to the rest of them. “I apologize to all of you for this inconvenience. I have just come to meet my daughter and bestow this gift upon her.”Artemis announced. A silver bow and a quiver of arrows appeared in her hands. She gave it to her daughter.

“This quiver will always have an everlasting supply of dangerously powerful arrows. They will never miss their target. And the bow has my symbol on it. For you to remember me even in the darkest of times.”Artemis explained. She hugged her daughter once more. “Farewell, my love. I must leave now. Good luck on the war.”Artemis said as she walked back to her chariot. “Use the gift well, child.”She yelled as the silver reindeer pulled her up and flew away into the sky.

Sulli smiled at her precious gift. “Thank you, mom.” she thought as she looked at her mother flying in her silver chariot until she became a star in the beautiful night sky.