A Heartfelt Reunion

A flash of vibrant colors were what I first saw among the vast fathomless darkness. It was so bright and colorful to the point where it was so blinding. Instinctively, I wanted to place a hand over my eyes and shield it away from the blinding blast of bright and bold colors. But to my shock, I realize that I couldn't.

What? What the…? What's going on?

Suddenly, it was then I realized that I couldn't feel any part of me at all. I couldn't feel my arms, my legs or my torso. I couldn't even feel my lips and my nose on my face. And though I could very well see the blinding array of colors in front of me, I could not feel my eyes either.

What is this?! What's happening to me?!

I tried desperately to turn my eyes away from the hurting flash of colors, but for some reason, it remained fixed, no matter how much I commanded it to look away. At this point, I had become so convinced that I must not be seeing this normally, as though I was some in some strange state of mind to not have the power to even turn away.

I began to feel fright and anxiety racing through my rapidly-beating heart, but at the same time I became alert and ready for anything that was to come. I thought of the worst possible scenarios that could happen; being attacked by some beast, hearing a loud and booming voice that came from nowhere, feeling a strong disturbance that hid in the pitch black darkness, etc…

But I had not expected the colors to suddenly blare as one single sharp and bright white light and engulf me whole, taking me away from the darkness with a pulling force. I think I must have screamed at the feel of my body being sucked into a bright and unknown abyss, though I wasn't sure that I had even made a sound. But I did not worry about that, because my thoughts were full of where the strange light was taking me away to. In fact, I kind of did not want to know, so I shut my eyes and waited until it was over.

I do not know how long I have had my eyes shut, but it felt like a few long hours though it could be seconds for all I know. I didn't dare even open my eyes a little bit to see what was going on. I could feel the force of the white light slightly tugging at me, which was also why I didn't open my eyes for fear that something might happen.

True to my word, something did.

All of a sudden, I no longer felt the small tugging feelings and I could feel my feet – or what I hoped were my feet – touching ground that felt soft. I could feel my hair billowing slightly and wind travelling gently through my fingertips. I could even hear nothing but the soft blowing of the breeze.

The atmosphere right now felt so natural that I was sure that whatever was that white light was now gone. Taking a deep confident breath, I slowly opened my eyes to look at where I was now.

I did not understand. How did I come from a black void to the middle of a dark and shadowy forest?

I looked around at what surrounded me. Though there was no light coming from anywhere, I could make out the shape of tall and mighty leafy trees, bushes full of berries, dirty stones and rocks on the grounds and messy dirt paths that led to places unknown. But even though this was obviously a forest, there was not even a single sound of nocturnal animals going about and crickets chirping and owls hooting hauntingly.

And then, I looked down at myself, and was immediately relieved to see my entire body and the hair that fell down to my breasts. I realized then that I was barefoot, but having a supernaturally high tolerance level to pain, the sharpness of the rocks and sticks on the ground felt dull to my soles.

Suddenly, while I continued to staring at my feet, there was suddenly a new sound.

Immediately, I could tell that the sound was a barking of a canine. The barking sounded so loud and approaching and I knew immediately that something was coming to me. I raised my head in the direction of the barking, ready to face whatever it was that was nearing; be it friend or foe.

All of a sudden, a dark figure leaped fast out of the trees and I was immediately pulled into a defense stance, my fists clenched and my psyche blazing with power. But I managed to stop myself from attacking immediately and upon instinct, giving me a chance to look at whatever it was that had appeared.

Standing in front of me on all four legs was a medium-sized dog with a black coat and a tan brown belly and muzzle. Its curious bright brown eyes, which seemed to be the only color in this dark forest, stared up at me curiously with its head tilted. Other than being curious, its body gesture indicated that it seemed at ease with me.

The more I stared at this dog, the more I realized that it was a harehound, one of the most finest and most powerful breed of hunting dogs. Further inspection made me know that it was a male.

It didn't attack me and it looked completely harmless. But then again, I was the Queen of Beasts, so no animal feared me unless I was the Huntress. Feeling rest assured, I easily knelt down to face the creature eye-to-eye and held out my hands as a welcoming gesture and kept my gaze gentle to show that I meant no harm.

The harehound did not hesitate to approach me and promptly sniffed my hair as I gently scratched the back of his head with one hand and rubbed his back with the other. Suddenly, he was nuzzling his snout into my hair and onto my cheeks, making me laugh smile at the hearty gesture.

As I rose to my full height, I asked the harehound gently, "Where did you come from, my dear friend?"

At my question, his floppy ears suddenly rose and his eyes became full of realization. Instantly, he gently bit the hem of my night dress and tugged it in the direction of where he came from.

I became curious then. "What is it, boy?" I asked him. "Do you want to bring me somewhere?"

Suddenly, he let go of my night dress and let out a short but loud bark before it turn and took off in the direction it came from. I stood there confused for a while, before I realized that he intended me to follow him. Immediately, I started running after him.

It didn't take me long to catch up to him. I ran a few steps behind him as he led the way while he expertly jumped over protruding roots and quickly change directions. The forest around me was dark, but I was able to navigate my way easily.

But all of a sudden, the setting changed entirely. Instead of the thick growth of high and strong trees, suddenly there were many smaller trees in front of me. I had nearly wanted to stop in order to look at one of the new trees properly, but I was able to catch sight of a tree full of plums without doing so.

Immediately, a sense of familiarity struck my brain. Where else have I been where it began with a heavy growth of trees before transitioning to an ensemble of various fruit trees?

I knew one, and I was immediately so confident of that answer when I suddenly heard the soft rushing of water in the distance.

At that moment, like many moments before, time seemed to slow down. Everything around me became a blurry haze as I thought to myself that all of this could not be real. It couldn't be real. I had roamed this very same area for five years after the incident and throughout those said five years, absolutely nothing had changed.

But no matter how much my brain told me that this wasn't logical and it could not be real, my heart was being stubborn and was encouraging me of the thought that everything would change at that very moment.

Would it?

Ahead of me, the harehound continued to run with absolute speed. I started to increase my own speed and run faster, partly because I wanted to catch up with him and partly because the possibility that everything changed right now was fueling my excitement, eagerness and anxiety.

At that moment, an entrance came into view and the harehound was suddenly out of my line of sight once it passed through. Seeing the entrance sent my heart on a frenzy and made my legs unconsciously go even faster. Time seemed to pick up pace but though I was getting closer to the entrance with each step, I kept on thinking worriedly that it would disappear in an instant unless I get to it quick.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I finally ran through that entrance.

In a flash, everything changed. There was another blast of light to signify the transition but it was much shorter than the previous one. All of a sudden, the shadowy darkness of the forest disappeared and everything was now a soft and slightly misty brightness that was not exactly bright but bright enough to give light.

The surroundings around me changed entirely. No longer was I in a forest. Now I was in a clearing that was not too small but not too large and very spacious, and even had a small calm waterfall with a plunge pool below it.

When I saw that waterfall and the ground full of lush green grass, my heart skipped a beat.

But it started racing once again when I saw who was in front of me.

He was kneeling in front of the harehound, his masculine hands rubbing and scratching the creature affectionately as the dog nuzzled his snout into the neck of his master. There was a tilt to the corner of his lips as he looked at the creature with so much pride and affection.

I could hear him murmur under his breath, "Good boy, Sirius."

And then, he lifted his eyes and locked them onto mine.

Teal green met midnight blue.

I stood as still as a statue, staring at him with so much confusion and disbelief in my heart. I did not know what to think at that moment. For a split second, I thought to myself that this must be some sort of hallucination. Surely, he could not be here, standing right in front of me and gazing at me with those beautiful eyes of his? He had passed on five years ago but yet he was here?

And then it finally struck me.

He was here.

He… was… here…

He let go of the harehound, who I realized now was actually Sirius, the hunting dog of his that he had told me so fondly of. Sirius let out another bark that sounded playful and happy before moving off into the forest, disappearing out of sight. None of us went after him. We continued to stare at each other from across the small space between us. None of us made a move either.

But he was the one who spoke first.

"Artemis."

Hearing my name spoken by his voice was like beautiful music to my ears. It felt like I was listening to one of the lullabies that my mother had used to sing to me as a child. It immediately brought back so many good memories and a soft and comforting warmth started enveloping my heart into a loving embrace. At the sound of his voice, the beauty of the clearing started becoming more define. Everything seemed so bright and lively, like I had always remembered it to be.

How long have I been yearning to hear him say my name once again? Five years too long, I remembered.

I wanted to hear it again. I wanted to hear it again so much.

"This must be a dream," I finally began in a murmur as I braved myself to take a step closer. "This must be a dream. Nothing as beautiful as this can exist in real life. Real life is too cruel for such beauty to exist."

I continued to take small steps closer to him, afraid that if I rushed he would disappear. But then, he started to approach me as well, his eyes never once leaving mine.

"If this really is a dream, then I must be the one dreaming," he answered in his soft and gentle voice. "You are still as lovely and beautiful as I had remembered. Maybe even more."

The loveliest of all lovely comments from him, and it had been for me. I felt so touched. I felt so honored I felt so… so… lightened.

We continued to walk closer and closer to each other to the point where our hands could reach for each other. I reached mine out to his first, to which he gave me slowly and without hesitation.

I felt the palms of his hands on my fingertips, and they felt strong, warm and soft but calloused. His own fingers began to feel my hands for a bit before I moved on to feel his forearms that were built with lean but firm muscle. I skimmed up his arms, feeling the shape of his strong muscles. I dragged my hands gently over his broad shoulders and up his neck before I finally cupped his face and made my hands stay there. My thumbs ran along his perfectly sculpted cheekbones before stopping at the side of his face, where I could feel smooth slight scars that he had attained during the middle years of his previous life span.

As I felt him, I continuously thought to myself that this couldn't be real. I was so sure that any second now, he would disappear before my very eyes and I would be left to crumple and cry at the cruelty of it all. But the more I felt of him, the more I became convinced that he was not going to leave.

He was really here.

And I became even more convinced and assured when he gently brought his hands up to my waist, gripping me gently, and then whispered, "Artemis…"

At that moment, I released his hold on his cheeks, threw my arms around his neck, and buried my face into his shoulder. And at that moment, I finally cried. But it was not tears of sadness and grief this time. This time, after a really long time that seemed to feel like eternity, I cried tears of joy.

"Orion…." I whispered through my tears. "Orion…"

Orion responded by wrapping his arms around my waist tightly and endearingly and I could feel that in his embrace he did not wish to let me go. He buried his face in my hair and I began to cherish in the fact that here we were; together.

"Artemis…" he whispered into my hair, sounding much muffled. "Artemis… Artemis…"

I took a short second to take a deep breath before I whispered, "I missed you… I missed you so much… You don't… You don't know…"

A fresh wave of tears took over me and I moved my hands to the back of his head, where my fingers gently gripped his tousled bronze hair. At the same time, one of his hands began to rub my back, trying to soothe me.

"I missed you too…" he whispered to me. "It's alright… I'm here…"

Suddenly, one of his hands left my waist and found its way to grasp my chin and pull my head back slightly so that he could look at me properly. The hand on my chin moved to caress the side of my face, and I leaned into his touch and immediately felt comfort.

As we gazed into each other's eyes, our faces inched closer. And it wasn't long before our lips pressed softly against each other.

The minute I felt his lips on mine, I could feel sudden sparks erupt within me. The sensation was spine-tingling and sent my heartbeat and my pulse to accelerate. I suddenly felt dizzy and the only thing keeping me stable was his arm around my waist. But at the same time, there was a sense of relief and something else – that I can't seem to find the right words to describe – that made the pain that had long ago been implanted in my heart to start to finally go away.

We moved our lips gently against each other, savoring in the moment of this happy reunion. I realized then that in the kiss there was the right amount of love and passion, like all the other kisses we used to have. It was so heart-warming to feel that again. How much I had yearned for it during those years.

Finally but reluctantly, we pulled away to regain our breathing but we did not release each other. My arms went back to being around his neck while his arms were around my waist once again. Our foreheads pressed against each other and I could feel the warmth of his lips just inches from mine. With gentle movements, I moved one of my hands to place my fingers lightly on his soft lips.

As I continued to inhale deep breaths, I whispered, "I've dreamed of you. Most nights, I always dreamed of you. I dreamed of you becoming a god. I dreamed of us getting married. I dreamed of a daughter that we might have and she would have my hair and your eyes."

My words brought a smile to Orion's lips. "I've always wanted a daughter," he whispered back. "And a daughter of mine that would have been borne from you would have been the most loveliest girl my eyes would have ever seen."

Hearing his words sent a jolt of pain to my heart at the knowledge that he sounded so happy to having a daughter despite the fact that we both knew so well that it wasn't true. And it pained me once again at the thought that everything I wished for to happen would never be true. And by not having that, happiness did not seem complete.

"I dreamed that we were happy…" I whispered in a voice that signified held-back tears. "We were so happy…"

Orion did not respond to my words, but instead asked a new one.

"How of you and your brother?"

That question was completely out of the blue and caught me completely off-guard. But just as sudden as the question was, so was the anger and bitterness that had taken up residence in my heart. It flared strong and anew and my mind was suddenly filled up with images of Apollo and his menacing glare and the look of nonchalance when I had done what I completely regret now.

I turned my head away from Orion just as a new wave of tears washed over me. The tears that flowed now were tears of hot anger and it stung my eyes.

"Don't even talk about him…" I hissed under my breath. "And he is no longer my brother… He had betrayed my trust and thus he had lost his rights as a brother and had been denied of the love I once had for him…."

From the corner of my tear-filled eyes, I could see his eyebrows pulled into a concern frown. In a murmur, he replied, "But no matter what, he is still your brother by blood."

Immediately, I got myself out of his embrace and walked away from him, allowing my hair to fall at the sides of my face to block out the image of my heavy tears from his eyes. Looking at the waters in the small pool, I exclaimed in bitter anger, "You don't know what he had done, Orion! You don't what he had done to me! And to you! You don't know what he did to make me lose you forever!"

I could feel the fire in me burning so furiously that it almost felt like it was threatening to burn down my entire soul. I wanted to stop feeling this right now, but I couldn't. Speaking of Apollo and recalling all that he did on that very day would never seem to alleviate the pain in my heart.

I felt his comforting hand place itself on my shoulder while the other hand gently brushed my hair behind my ear. I could feel his warm breath on the side of my face as he whispered into my ear, "I know everything."

Confusion and curiosity took over me then and I slowly turned my head to look at him. The comfort in his eyes was still there though it also held a bit of sadness.

With a deep breath, he spoke once again. "I knew everything when I stood before Lord Hades to receive my sentence. I knew of what Apollo had done and I could already tell the reasons of his actions. I knew what it did to you."

He paused for a short while, but continued shortly after.

"But I am not angry with him."

Shock filled my heart at his statement. "Why?" I demanded to know. "Why would you not be angry at him? Why, Orion? He tricked me into killing you! Just because he didn't like you and he wanted revenge upon me just because I had decided to be with you!"

I turned my body to fully face him, getting his hand off my shoulder in the process. While I stared at him in confusion and disbelief, his expression remained calm and he kept silent as I continued.

"Because of what he did, I've lost you forever! Because of his cruelty, I don't think I can feel love for him anymore! And not only that, but because of my pride and my stupid impulsiveness, I took your life! I am beyond furious with Apollo, but how can you not be angry with him?!"

The tears that streamed down my cheeks left a heated trail on my flesh and I even felt as though I was on fire due to the burning anger within me. To be honest, I did not intend to shout or let my emotions get too out of hand. But hearing Orion speak of how he wasn't angry about what Apollo did made me completely outraged. Orion had every right to be angry at Apollo – and me – but why was he still being so calm?

Orion never took his eyes off me as he closed in the space between us. He kept quiet as he gently wrapped his arms around my frame and held me close to him. I placed my hands on his shoulders and clutched it tightly as I buried my face in his neck and made his skin wet with my tears. I felt his hand ran up and down my back slowly in a comforting gesture. Slowly, I began to relax and took a deep breath to calm myself down and regain composure.

It was silent except for the sounds of the waterfall for only a short while before he started to speak once again.

"Do you want to know why I am not angry with your brother, even though I am somewhat supposed to?"

The mention of Apollo stung me again but I forced myself to remain calm. In replacement of the angry and distraught tone, I asked in a more gentler voice.

"Why?"

"Because I have a strong feeling that he truly regrets his actions."

I kept my face buried in his neck as I let those words sink into me. What did he mean by that? And what's more, how would he actually know?

"Want to know how I know?" he asked, his question making it seem as though he had read my mind.

However, he didn't give me time to answer. Instead, he cupped my chin in his hand again and pulled me back slightly to look straight into my eyes. My tears were slowly fading, but still there. He lifted the hand on my chin and his other hand to my cheeks and softly wiped them away with the pads of his thumbs.

"Your brother loves you with all of his heart, Artemis," he said to me knowingly. "When he acted, he acted within a moment of pent-up rage at the thought of losing you to me, despite the fact that it wasn't true. I will admit that if I was in his position, I would have done the same despite how completely wrong it is."

I frowned slightly. "That still doesn't explain why you're not angry at him," I told him.

For a moment, Orion kept quiet and just continued to look into my eyes. I gazed back, trying hard to find the answer within his teal green orbs. But I could not find it. Instead, I could see his intentions to make me understand about Apollo and the hope he had that I would understand.

"Remember when you had begged him for help?" he suddenly asked quietly.

In a flash, my mind reverted back to that moment on the beach of Crete where I held a wounded and dying Orion in my arms. Apollo had appeared to me with that stone cold expression that he had began to don after I had committed the terrible deed. Despite the then-new anger I felt for him for his deceit, I had begged him to help me.

But most especially, I remembered the change in his eyes when he saw me crying and begging for him. The expression of cold blankness had melted away and had been replaced with a new look of guilt, concern, regret and worry. And I remembered that he had taken a step forward towards me before Thanatos stopped him.

"Yes," I quietly admitted. "Yes, I do."

There was suddenly relief in Orion's expression and it was most probably because he thought I had finally seen what he was trying to get me to understand.

"What has that got to do with anything?" I questioned him.

With a small and gentle smile, he simply answered, "If he truly was so cruel, he wouldn't have decided to attempt to give aid. If he truly was intending to act without mercy, there wouldn't have been that look of guilt and regret in his eyes. And I saw, Artemis. I saw that look when he cast his gaze upon both you and me."

I could not deny the fact that everything Orion said was true. I had indeed remembered that very look in Apollo's eyes as clear as day. I had indeed seen that something in him had changed when I began to beg him, as though he was suddenly fully aware of what he had done and could not believe that he had done it. But it did not end there, I remembered. I remembered when I was in the hallway of the Olympian rooms, Apollo's eyes had maintained the guilt and sadness and it seemed as though those two emotions filled his entire soul. Those two emotions continued to stay in his eyes even as I had attacked him.

But that didn't stop there, five years ago.

Though I avoided him as much as possible, coming to the point where I have deemed him as contempt, I observed him sometimes. I did not want to do so, but I found myself looking at him before I even realized. Each time my eyes fixed upon him, I could see hollowness in him. It didn't matter how he looked on the outside; be it happy, focused, concentrated or understanding. There was emptiness in his sky blue eyes that seemed unnoticeable by the others but was so easy for me to see. It was such a far cry from the bright and active god who radiated and shined.

But every time at the very second he was about to turn his head to meet my eyes, I would look away and act as though I had not been gazing at him. I looked away because I still wanted nothing to do with him. I did not ask him of what was wrong or if I could do anything for him. I had already denied such interactions between us since that very day and I wanted to see him suffer like that.

But yet, although I had deemed him as unworthy of my attentions, the empty look in his eyes would always appear in my mind every once in a while.

I realized suddenly that I was quiet for a while as I was being so deep in thought. Orion was quiet as well, but he looked at me with pure concern. Wanting to alleviate his worry, I took a deep breath, met his eyes, and spoke.

"Even if Apollo truly does regret his actions, what makes you think that I would be able to forgive him for his cruelty? How could I forgive him for betraying my trust which I had bestowed upon him since I was still a young child? How could I forgive him for tricking me into unknowingly killing you, the man who had deserved my love just as much as he did?"

I took another deep breath as I lifted a hand to place it gently on his cheek, caressing his cheekbones with the pads of my fingers.

"And how could I forgive him for giving you a reason to hate me forever, because I was the one who had painstakingly ended your life?" I questioned him in a soft, distraught voice. "How am I supposed to once again love the one I had used to refer to as 'my brother'?"

Orion let out a soft sigh and lifted one of his hands to his cheek to place it above mine. He grasped it gently and brought the palm of my hand to his lips and planted a kiss that was as light as a feather and as soft as a whisper.

All of a sudden, he said knowingly into my palm, "Though you may think that loving Apollo again is impossible, I know that, deep inside, you still do love him."

"How would you know?" I inquired from him in a level voice, though I was straining to not outburst again. "How, Orion?"

At that moment, Orion took a step back and held me at my shoulders at his arms' length apart. He began to look at me from head to toe while I stayed still and watched.

Finally, he said, "One thing for instance; you wear a dress that is the color of his eyes."

In a flash, I looked down at the knee-length nightdress I wore and indeed realized that it was of silk that was the color of sky blue, mirroring the color of Apollo's eyes perfectly. Immediately upon seeing the blue, I thought of Apollo's empty eyes once again. The sudden thought sent a shiver coursing through me.

"That doesn't mean-" I began to argue, but he cut me off.

"And if you really intend the forget him, you would have destroyed anything that would remind you of him. Even if that 'anything' was a simple nightdress that is made of silk that is the same color of his eyes. You would have wanted him out of your mind no matter what. And if you really do think that you can never love Apollo ever again, why is it that I can clearly see yearning in those eyes of yours when you spoke of him just seconds ago?"

Orion gazed at me with a disapproving frown while I became completely still, shocked and silenced. His words struck me at the heart and my mind delved into an array of thoughts. I will admit that he had seemed so very observant, from the way he told me that I had looked so yearning when I spoke of Apollo. But then again, I had remembered Orion to be observant in the past, and it seemed that the trait still lived on in him.

But was what he told me really true? Was I still feeling love for Apollo? At first, I thought of it to be completely impossible. I had scorned him completely from five years ago and had not made contact with him since. That was a strong evidence of the fact that I felt no more love for him. Not even a smidgen of it.

I had thought that it was completely true that I no longer loved Apollo, but hearing Orion's statement sent me into a state of uncertainty. What if what I thought wasn't true at all?

Orion's expression began to soften and he slowly approached me once again.

"I can see that you want to deny that because you do still feel anger for what he had done in the past," he said knowingly. "But I know that deep inside your heart, the love you have for him still lingers. Your love for him is sure to have long been established from the very minute you were conceived alongside him in your mother's womb. It was established even before I came into existence and into your life. A love that had withstood so many years is sure to not be easily destroyed. It can never be easily destroyed. It could be forgotten or it could be pushed aside to the further regions of one's psyche or it could be strained greatly, but never destroyed."

He suddenly took my hands in his and held them gently between us. He held my gaze as he continued on.

"And do not let yourself worry over the fact that I would be angry with you. I am not angry at you because I know you didn't mean to do it on purpose. I will never be angry with you, Artemis, because I am content with the knowledge that you are regretful of your mistaken actions and had continued to love me even after I was gone."

He brought my hands to his lips and kissed both my knuckles softly as he whispered, "I love you, Artemis. I always will. I've promised you my love for all eternity, and I know that I wish to keep this very promise to you. It was the best promise I had ever made, and I was beyond happy to know that you too have kept your promise to bestow upon me your love. However, I do not want to see you unhappy any longer."

Orion took one of his hands to cup my cheek gently. I felt his soothing warmth seeping into my skin, giving me a sense of calm and peace, and a clear head that was devoid of complicated thoughts.

With a deep breath, Orion suddenly told me, "I wish for you to forgive your brother. I do not want you to lose his love just because I am no longer around. I know that you wish for him back and I know that he wishes the same and that he would be willing to do anything to make amends. If you forgive your brother, only then can I achieve full peace. I have long forgiven him for what he had done for time has made me understandable of his actions and that I have learnt to forgive and forget, knowing that keeping the grudge on-going any longer would not help the situation at all. It's about time that you did the same as well. You may not forget about it, however. But you can still forgive."

I shook my head, meaning to be stubborn about this idea, but it actually came out looking uncertain and frightened.

"I… I don't think... I can…." I murmured so unsure.

"Forgive your brother," he advised me with gently yet firmly. "Not only for me but also for yourself. He still loves you, and I know that deep inside, past all the hate and grief that has clouded your heart, that you still love him as well. You may not know, but he needs you now as much as you need him. I do not want you to lose someone who you have long cherished in your heart. For all we know, he could still be cherishing you in his."

I still said nothing because now, I was at a complete loss for words. What he had advised me to do seemed too much. Forgive Apollo? I never even spoken to him and never even made a single indirect or direct contact with him for five years. How was I supposed to forgive him? I know Orion wanted me to because he somehow knew that I still loved Apollo and that forgiving seemed to be the only way to completely alleviate the burden in my heart, but I was not sure that he would know. And to be honest, I didn't seem to know as well. What if forgiving Apollo and giving him another chance wouldn't make things any better?

But before I could further ponder on that thought, Orion let go of my hands and brought me into an embrace once again. He pressed his forehead against mine and pressed a kiss to the tip of my nose. I slid my eyes shut at the gesture and began to embrace him as well.

Our embrace felt like it lasted hours and the more time I spent in his arms, the more I wished that he was back by my side once again. How I wished that we were once again spending our time together in the forests of Crete, where we would roam the forests and enjoy the act of hunt, and on the white sandy beaches, where we would sit in front of the sea and admire its beauty as we just enjoyed each other's company. How I yearned for those times again when I felt at peace and that nothing in the world could change that.

But I knew very well that those happy times could never come back. However, I did not think of negativity next this time. This time, I thought of how I could achieve that sense of peace once again, even if it wasn't with Orion. I did not think it was impossible. It was completely possible. It is difficult, but it is possible.

To my surprise, I began to feel a new surge of determination that I can achieve that. Partly, I wanted to achieve it for myself, because I knew that I was capable of feeling complete peace again on my own. I had managed on my own for so long now that I was sure that I could do it again. But on the other hand, I wanted to achieve it for Orion, because he wanted me to be happy and not lose another one who my heart cherished.

"Do you believe that I can do this?" I asked him in a murmur, my eyes still shut.

His response was quick. "I don't only believe it, Artemis. I know you can. You are strong enough to do that. You are the most strong-willed person I know and you are also the bravest. I know that you would be strong and brave enough to do it."

I sighed and held myself closer to him as I whispered, "When you left, I thought I had lost the will to carry on living. I thought that my life could never be the same without you. When you were taken away to the Underworld, I felt as though a part of me had died with you. You didn't know how painful the years had been. You didn't know how lonely I felt after that."

Slowly, I began to open my eyes and saw that his teal green ones were already open and was gazing right into mine, looking at me with so much care and concern. But then, there was a sudden change in his eyes when I started to give him a small smile.

"But now I know for sure that I shouldn't have to be lonely," I finally realized. "You have always been with me, Orion. The good memories you have given me would forever remain in my mind, and that I could remember all those happy moments we had together. The love of yours which you have gifted me would forever remain in my heart, and that I can breathe easy at the thought that you still love me and that I have your love. What's more, I could always see you as the constellation of 'The Hunter'. The stars that had been born out of your body and found place in the night sky would always be there to greet and they would always shine the most brightest, reminding me of your beautiful self."

Orion's eyes became more filled with happiness with each word I spoke. Seeing him so happy sent my heart swelling with emotions of the good kind. Seeing him so happy actually made me smile so happily; something that I hadn't done in a very long time.

Shortly after, that smile became accompanied with a playful smirk, and he said in a cheeky voice, "Speaking of which, thank you for the stars. I'm glad to know that I have managed to make you happy by being of those heavenly diamonds that complement the beauty of your silver moon in the backdrop of the vast night sky."

Seeing the smirk and hearing his playful voice suddenly reminded me of the Orion who was always jolly around me and never seemed upset so often. His jolliness, I recalled, had never failed to put a smile on my face. And now, at this moment, I was smiling, because I knew for sure that the jolly side of him still lived on.

"That way, I can still see you every time," I told him in quiet happiness. "You never fail to appear each night."

His smirk turned into a soft and loving smile and he proclaimed in a quiet voice, "And I will never do such a thing. Trust me."

Hearing those two words suddenly made me recall of the time I had my first fight with Orion when I had just taken him as an apprentice hunter and also of the time where he had set up that picnic on Leon and had requested that I allowed him to carry me across the ocean. Those two events had centered on his permission for my trust and proclaiming that he would not soil it. And surprisingly but thankfully, he stayed true to his words and did not take advantage of my trust. Thus, because of that, I trusted him once again at this very moment, knowing that he was saying no wrong.

As I pondered on that thought, I began to realize that it wasn't all.

Orion had also kept his promise to never hurt me physically or mentally. He had kept me feeling cared for and protected. He had offered me a haven within his arms. When he had given me his love, it was like a breath of fresh air and a new ray of warm sunlight to me.

And with the thought that he had kept his promise to me no matter what, I began to kiss him.

He was taken aback for a split second at the sudden touch of lips, but he responded quickly. Like our very first kiss back in the clearing at night, it was soft and gentle and loving and passionate. It was one the most blissful sensations I have ever experienced in my long life. I began to feel alive and everything around me seemed so ethereal. In short, the whole moment was beautiful beyond words.

But I knew that this kiss was special. This kiss would officially seal the love we felt for each other. In this very kiss would lay good memories and good intentions. In this very kiss, there was nothing but intimacy, passion and commitment; the three components of the perfect pure love. In this kiss lay something that from the very beginning had been a new experience for me.

And that experience was me falling in love for the first and only time with the perfect man.

We separated slowly, still keeping our foreheads pressed against each other's and feeling our breaths on each other's faces. I shut my eyes in order to concentrate on the beat of my heart as I began to feel him with my hands; feel his silky soft bronze hair, his strong shoulders, his lean and muscular arms and his face. He began to feel me with his hands too; my long hair, my sides, my arms and my face.

Interlaced with his soft breathing, he whispered, "I have found acceptance in a woman who I knew I could never be her equal and yet she treats me as one. I have found joy in a woman who shares my love for the hunt and the beauty of the forests. I have found friendship in a woman who calls me her friend. I have found peace in a woman who always manages to soothe me in my darkest hours. I have found love in a woman that could be none other than you."

Orion pressed his lips to mine for a short second before pulling away and whispering lovingly, "I love you, Artemis. I love you forever. Never forget that. Never doubt my words. I love you."

With a smile, I whispered back with all the love I had for him in my heart, "And I love you as well, Orion. I love you forever."

And finally, I opened my eyes.

Only to meet the white marble ceiling of my room.

I remained motionless for a while, just blankly gazing up at the ceiling as I allowed all that had happened to set into me. It was then I realized that what I thought from the beginning was true.

It was a dream.

But then again, I did not think it was. As I slowly sat up and looked around my dark room that was only illuminated by pale streaks of moonlight that were coming in through the windows, I brought a finger to my lips and touched them gently. Immediately, I could feel a tingling sensation; a common effect for me after I had kissed Orion.

It couldn't be a dream. It was too beautiful to be a dream.

Suddenly, a thought came into mind and I turned around, stood up on the bed and perched myself on my large window sill. Sitting cross-legged, I looked out at the starry night sky.

Orion's constellation was still there, being the first thing that I saw when I looked out the window. But for some reason, the stars that made up his shape were twinkling more brightly than usual.

I knew then that it could not be coincidence.

And I remembered then that Orion had fulfilled another promise to me.

He had promised to never fail to show up in the night sky, and he had kept that promise.

Tears streamed down my cheeks slowly then. But this time, they were tears of happiness.

Author's Note:

Officially THE LONGEST chapter in the entirety of Promises! Seriously! This took me since last Thursday to write and I had only finished it just an hour ago! But no matter!

Honestly, this chapter got me touched beyond words. I cried at some parts and I felt happy at others. I just hope that some of you would find this chapter to your liking. It really took a LOT of work :P

Anyway, I am announcing that this very chapter is the second-last chapter before the epilogue! I plan to publish both the last chapter and the epilogue on the same day. Meaning that Promises will come to an end on Friday! AAAHHH! Too many author feels!

I would like to write a longer author's note, but I'll save that for Friday! See you!

Muse of Fanfiction