***ARTEMIS***
Artemis missed the cursed meeting. She was hunting in the North for some chimeras.
How she wished she didn't.
How she wished she could comfort her uncle Poseidon as he cried for his lost son. Perseus wasn't really lost forever, but she didn't like to have her hopes crushed just because of high expectations.
She was a goddess, but she was also a hunter. She lived a hard life on the field, camping and hunting for her own food. She wasn't Aphrodite, she didn't ask nicely, she took what she wanted.
For survival.
She wondered if that was what Perseus was doing. Taking what he wanted for survival. Artemis wondered if he would be different when they found him. And yes, they will find him because her hunters are specialized trackers and they will be the first ones to find Perseus Jackson, the lost hero.
Perseus was always a great man. And that was saying something because men didn't usually get Artemis' approval.
However, Perseus Jackson did the impossible. He made Artemis, the maiden goddess, certified man-hater respect him.
That took courage. And maybe a subconscious charm.
Artemis always thought that Perseus Jackson was the greatest hero to ever live. He was witty, respectful, courageous, kind and gentle.
Since the moment he took the sky from her shoulders, she knew he would be a great hero. But with that also came a great tragedy.
But this, kidnapped from his own cabin... This is where Artemis drew the line.
He didn't deserve this. After all he's been through, he didn't deserve this.
Artemis didn't get it. How could she? After all the hurdles, the deaths, the betrayals, Perseus Jackson deserved an entire century in the Isle of the Blessed or better yet, in Arcadia.
Someone entered her tent and she turned to see her lieutenant, her friend, her half-sister, washed up in tears, electric blue eyes glassy and dull. Without a word, she opened her arms and Thalia snuggled up to her, placing her form in a way that made the two look like lost puzzle pieces.
They hugged tightly and tenderly because Percy Jackson was gone.
And that meant danger because they managed the kidnap the greatest hero to ever live.
Thalia's cousin, Thalia's brother was gone and Artemis would share her pain to make her feel better because this wasn't a disgusting male. This was Perseus Jackson.
She faintly heard Thalia choke down a sob and brought the younger girl closer to her, murmuring soft promises of finding him and turning whoever took him into a jackalope so the hunters could cook him for dinner.
"We will find him, Thalia," she promised softly, "We will,"
Artemis felt Thalia shake her head, "How? How are we going to find him?" Thalia sobbed harder, each other coming out rougher than she intended.
Artemis pulled away and gripped her lieutenant's shoulders tightly, a frown present on her features as she looked at the now broken Thalia Grace. Thalia was never like this, Artemis had never seen her half-sister so... hopeless.
It tore her apart.
But she toughen herself up because she was a goddess and a proud one at that and she wouldn't let anybody seeing her like this.
Deep down, she knew that if she broke down, Thalia wouldn't be able to piece herself back together. She needed Artemis to do that for her and Artemis didn't mind.
Because sometimes, you need to work as a team. Sometimes, you need to let someone in to take care of you. Because sometimes, you don't even realize you're broken.
Sometimes we need to care for someone to preserve our hearts because if you don't put them to use, they'll gain dust, tucked away on the bottom of your chest. Sometimes, we need to piece someone back together so see that we, ourselves are breaking without realizing.
So Artemis will toughen up and be there for Thalia because she was a good friend. And that was what good friends do.
Be there for each other.
Perseus taught her that.