I am Artemis

Stone

Kaori(Artemis)

When he was finally asleep I made him look like a hound again. I felt so bad leaving him. I had come to care about Inu a lot. I wiped the tears from my face. I summoned paper, quill, ink, and a table to write on. I wrote one for Acheron, Apollymi, Inu, Bet'anya, and Styxx. As soon as I was stone Inu would go back to Apollymi's realm with the letter for him and Apollymi. I pictured the place where Bet'anya stood frozen in stone. I was there. I was amazed by all the statues in stone. I glanced at all of them. I came across a statue with a woman's hands rested upon her stomach. I stepped forward and placed my hands on her face. I leaned my forehead against hers. I searched her memories to make sure that this was Bet'anya. It was. This woman was the only thing left of Artemis's mistakes to fix. Apollymi may have turned her to stone, but it was because Artemis let Acheron die. I took a deep breath and showed her everything I knew. The things I needed for her to tell Styxx. The information she needed to see her baby boy again.

"I, Artemis, call upon all of my power. To trade places with one who doesn't deserve to be stone. Come forth and transfer her fate to me. The fate that was changed due to my actions." I cried out as stone began to spread outwards from my chest.

I fell to my knees clutching my chest. My vision turned black as my body turned to stone.

Goodbye Acheron.

Bet'anya

I gasped as I opened my eyes. I glanced around finding stone statues all around me. I let my hands fall to my stomach. My baby was gone. I looked down and saw a stone statue kneeling in front of me. I didn't recognize who it was. I knelt down and gasped. Artemis. It was Artemis, and there were fresh tears on her face.

"What? How is this possible? How am I no longer stone?" Artemis's statue glowed.

Remember what I showed you.

Pain flooded my mind as I was shown bits and pieces of books and pages. A moment later I looked at the statue in front of me.

"My baby's alive? As is Styxx? Why did you free me?" A warm glow surrounded the statue.

You were innocent. We aren't our parents. We should never be punished for the crimes done by our mothers or fathers. You were turned to stone because of me, of Artemis. You didn't deserve it. You had committed no crime. The only thing I can never fix is bringing Rhyssa and Apollodorus back for Styxx and Acheron. They both went through the same pain as children and that's why Styxx hates Acheron, but it is not either of their faults. It is mine. Everything that happened to so many can be traced back to my actions. So go, go to Styxx and Urian, your son whom Styxx has met. I wish you all the happiness in the world Bet'anya. Do not fear. Apollymi nor her son will come after you. I have made sure of it. You are safe, I swear it.

The glow around Artemis's statue began to fade.

"Wait! Why me and not the other gods and goddesses?" The glow quit fading.

You are like me. You are understanding and different from the other deities in the different pantheons. You do not treat humans as things, objects. You see us for what we are. You were willing to become one of us. That is rare among the gods. I am a new Artemis. The old Artemis was cruel and heartless. She didn't think about the consequences her actions would hold. This new one see's things for what they are. As do you, Bet'anya. You do not judge based off of what you hear. You make your own decisions upon your own experiences when you meet someone or listen to the situation. Never lose that. It is rare. Do not hate Apollymi or Apostoles, her son. They had an entire pantheon after their lives. We do things we come to regret when in pain or when those closest to us have inflicted crimes against us. Go Bet'anya, Styxx has everything you both need to start new lives. Farewell Bet'anya. I wish you both the best.

The glow was gone. Tears were streaming down the statue's face. A portal opened and I saw sand.

Go, Styxx awaits you.

I ran towards the portal without a second glance back at Artemis.

"Thank you, Artemis. For giving me my life back." With that I jumped through.