A cry pierced the air in a secluded area deep in a forest. The cry came from an infant girl, whose mother was holding her as her father stood next to her. The girl, Vesperia Luna Apollonia, had just been created through the combining of both of her parents essences. Though she was born of two gods, Artemis and Apollo, she was mortal until the age of 16, when she will become a goddess. Vesperia, referred to as Vega by her parents, had blonde hair like her father, but had her mother's molten silver eyes.
The air was tense as brother and sister discussed where to place their child to be raised, as ancient laws prevented the parents from raising their currently mortal daughter, despite the fact that in 16 years she will be immortal. As if sensing her parents' mood, little Vega quieted down and grasped her mother's finger. Brother and sister stopped their argument and smiled down at their tiny daughter.
"She can live with me and my hunters until the age of five, when we will be forced to send her to camp for the majority of the year, but she will spend fall back with me." Artemis tentatively suggested to Apollo, as a compromise to their earlier argument. He sighed and ran his fingers over his face.
"I hate that we can not raise her, sister. She is your only child, and she is also the only daughter I have ever had. Damn father and his stupid laws, they will be his downfall someday." Apollo predicted darkly, voicing both of their thoughts. Artemis nodded her head in agreement, handing Vega to him. His face brightened as he looked down at his daughter. Vega slowly fell asleep in her father's arms. He passed her back to Artemis, who put Vega in a crib situated inside her tent.
"She has your eyes," Apollo says softly, as to not wake the sleeping child.
"And your hair," Artemis paused before continuing her train of thought. "My hunters will not be away much longer hunting for tonight's meal. You need to leave now before they return. I shall tell them the news that they have a new sister myself."
"With your fierce maidens as her sisters, and her doubtlessly overprotective brothers at camp, no boy will think of coming near her, out of fear." Apollo said gleefully at the thought of his little girl not being corrupted by the male species. Artemis smiled and shook her head before giving her brother a hug good-bye. He hugged her back before going to the crib and placed a finger on Vega's cheek softly. Without a word, he flashed out to resume his duties, just as the hunters began to return with the deer they had shot.
Artemis gathered her daughter up in her arms and bundled her in the small furs she had in her tent, before exiting. Shifting her daughter to her hip carefully, she silently observed her hunters as they skinned and prepared the deer to be cooked and eaten. She cleared her throat to get their attention, which quickly shifted to her hip, once they took notice of the bundle.
"This is your new sister, Vesperia Luna Apollonia, or Vega as Apollo and I like to refer to her as. You all know how much I have been wanting a child of my own, but am unable to break my oath, and am unwilling to sleep with a boy. My brother knows this as well, so while you all were hunting for our meal tonight, we combined our essences to create Vega. She will be living with us until she is five years of age, then will be staying at camp for the majority of the year. She will however join us in the season of fall." Artemis introduced Vega to her hunters, and after her explanation, the looks of pure rage that was on the faces of her hunters at the thought of a boy touching her, abated and they came up to greet their new little sister. Her lieutenant Zoe, moved to stand by her side, her eyes resting on the small child.
"Thou has a lovely daughter milady. She will be very powerful as she is one of a kind. She will be a fierce sister and warrior." Zoe spoke for all the hunters.
And so began Vesperia's life living with the hunters, her sisters whom she loved dearly, and with her mother, whom she thought was perfect. Her father visited often, and she found that he was a good man, never attempting to flirt with any of the hunters, and respected and protected them all when need be. The hunters came to see him as a father figure, as they thought of Artemis as a mother figure.
Being influenced by her sisters, Vega was very weary of males, not fully understanding why her sisters and mother despised them so, but knew that most were bad and untrustworthy. Her sisters taught her how to wield a bow, and having inherited the ability from both of her parents, she picked up the skill quickly.
The only god or goddess to know of of Vesperia's existence was Hestia, who happened upon her one day when she was visiting her favorite niece, Artemis. Hestia blessed her great niece, for she knew Vega would help her in unifying the family like she had been trying to do for the past millennium.
Everything changed a few shorts weeks after Vesperia's fifth birthday.