I do not own any of the real people mentioned in the story, nor the Percy Jackson series Child of Silver
Part One:
The Sun will not harm you, Nor the Moon by Night
"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." A voice echoed from a distance.
"Its a shame." Aphrodite sighed. She knew what was going to happen, but she could do nothing at all to stop it.
"Artemis!" she screamed, as the Huntress appeared next to her. "What in Hades do you think you're doing. Why is your son saying stuff like that?"
"Wait a minute honey, it not me, its the mortals. Zeus thinks its a good idea too, so you'll just have to deal with it."
"But the moon's my territory, just as Venus is yours. You wouldn't want mortals messing about on the sun, would you? In fact, already decided to ruin Venus as a precautionary measure, and you have Ares is on the fence about the whole thing."
"Tell you what honey, I'll let you pick who gets to go to the moon, on some conditions. But first you have to swear on the Styx, you'll do it." she told her.
"What conditions?" she asked.
"I won't tell you until you swear on the Styx."
Artemis thought about it, by swearing on the Styx, she would have to do whatever Aphrodite said, if she wanted to have any say, but if she didn't, any type of mortal would be allowed on her sacred territory. Zeus was going allow them anyway. She could either have a say in it or not.
"Okay, but please, be gentle. I swear on the Styx to Aphrodite's conditions." Thunder boomed off in the distance.
Aphrodite smiled. "Okay. The first condition is that you have to pick men that are the sons of former Hunters of yours."
"What!" Artemis yelled. "Those Hunters betrayed my trust, and had sons. Why would I let one of their sons into my sacred territory?"
Aphrodite's smiled widened. She continued. "The second condition is that there has to be at least one of my children to accompany them. No before you get mad, it doesn't matter if they walk on the moon, but they have to be included in the mission."
"Fine. What's the third condition?"
Aphrodite braced herself. Artemis was going to be furious, with a capital F. Luckily, she had already swore on the Styx. "You have to have a kid."
"No." Thunder boomed louder, it was much closer. "Okay, Okay." It was never good to break an oath sworn on the Styx.
"That's it. I've had enough. You know what's wrong with you, and your whole virgin goddess act?" Apollo said furiuously. "You're chicken. You're afraid to stick out your neck and say 'Okay, life's a fact.' People do fall in love. People do belong to each other, because that's they only chance anyone's got for real happiness. You call yourself a 'free spirit and wild'. You're just terrified that someone's going to come along and stick you in a cage."
Artemis was speechless.
"Maybe its time to realize, that you're already in that cage. You built it yourself, and it not bounded by bars, it's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into your self."
Artemis burst into silvery flames that danced across her body. "I would kill you, but you had me swear on the Styx. Forget about the present I was going to get you for your birthday."
She disappeared and Aphrodite went back to listening to the assembly. It wouldn't have been a great birthday present anyway, she thought.
A/N: Edited version. replaced Apollo with Aphrodite. Should make a little more sense and in-character