Chapter 8

Hello people, I am sorry to say that this is the last chapter. SOB! It's so sad. After weeks of writing, this story finally comes to an end. I love you all, my dear readers. It is with a heavy heart that I write this chapter. How many words have I written, how many days have I been caught up with this romance story that I write. I bid you adieu with luck and love.

WOAH, where did THAT come from? Well, I AM sad. I hope you guys liked my first fan fiction EVER. I will miss writing and posting every week. I won't stop writing but it will take longer than usual. Love to you all, with sincerity.

Days passed, and then weeks turned to months. The past months were terrible, we did nothing but hide. I was sick of it, he was sick of it; we were both so sick of it. But I had to. I loved him too much to let him go. I wanted nothing else but him.

"I'm sick of this, Artemis! " Orion said, kicking over a log into the fire

"I know but I have no other choice" I said as tears streamed down my cheeks

"Yes, you do!"

"What then? Tell me Orion; tell me what I have to do to make you happy?"

"Just stop, stop doing this. I just want to go back to before that bitch oracle even said that stupid prophecy"

"I know, I want that too, but I want to help you."

"Why? I'm just a mortal; I'm just a little stain in your life. One day, you'll look back and see that I wasn't worth it."

"Don't say that, you mean the world to me, which is why I have to do this"

"I can't let you do that Artemis" A voice from behind me said. I looked back and saw my father, Zeus.

"Father, why are you-"I started

"Orion, I will just be talking my daughter somewhere to talk, if you don't mind, which I'm sure you won't" he said

"Yes, sir" Orion said

He nodded and went inside his tent. Zeus and I walked to a clearing in the middle of the forest.

"Artemis, I am proud of you, but I do not approve of this affair. You deserve better than him, maybe if you weren't the GODDESS OF VIRGINITY, I would allow you to marry. You chose your path and now this is your consequence"

"Father, is this the reason of the oracle's prophecy?"

"Ask Nemesis. Whatever will happen, shall happen"

"Why does he have to die then?"

"Because you have broken your vow"

"My vow? I did no such thing!"

"Artemis, He will die, no matter what you do. I, personally, chose how Orion would perish"

"HOW COULD YOU!"

"I had to; If Orion continues living you would never come back to Olympus."

"I HATE YOU, you know I love him"

"I'm sorry, but I must. Goodbye, Artemis" Zeus said before disappearing

Just like that I was left alone in the middle of the clearing, to weep. I returned to the campsite, I quickly wiped away the tears and faced Orion.

"Hi" I said, putting on a fake smile

"What did he say?" He said, his face dark and emotionless

"Nothing"

"Tell me the truth, Artemis. I am going to die"

"Orion, I just wanted to-"

"I know exactly what you were thinking. You need to stop protecting me"

"But I want to do this for you!"

"I need you to stop, this isn't life unless I'm living and I feel lifeless"

"Orion-"

"I LOVE YOU; I WOULD MARRY YOU IF I COULD. I JUST WANT TO LIVE"

"I love you, too. I guess you're right, let's just go back to normal, before all this happened"

"I'd like that" He said, smiling

He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead

"Thank you" he said, pulling back

"You're welcome"

Just then a monstrous roar came from the middle of the forest. We looked around and saw nothing but trees and the cliff that fell to a steep fall.

"What was that?" Orion said

"No, it can't be" I said as the sound of rustling leaves came closer. A shadowy figure came and leapt up from behind the trees. A huge thud was heard beside us. After a few seconds the monster was seen in plain view. It was the scorpion. My father chose the undefeated scorpion to battle Orion. It was disgusting. It was 8 feet tall and 15 feet long. It had six large, hairy legs, its beady eyes looked around hungrily, the pincers were snapping wildly, probably looking for something to kill. The very worst was the stinger; it dripped with green venom, lethally pointed, like it was getting ready to inject venom into someone.

I pushed Orion behind me.

"Just stay here. I'll do it" I said, getting my bow from my quiver

"No, this is my fight. I have to prove something to Zeus if not for myself"

"Orion, I'll survive this, you might not"

"I should face this myself, if I'm meant to die, I will, with honor and integrity"

He unsheathed his sword

"You'll need this" I said tossing him my bow and quiver

"Thanks, love" he said, grabbing it from midair before walking past me

He was there. He stood there with all the courage and confidence I had ever seen. Orion, that crazy fool.

The scorpion was ransacking camp; its stinger hit the tent which melted like ice under the noonday sun. He kicked over the fire, creating a fire on the grass. The fire quickly spread around our camp and had us trapped beside the cliff.

Orion took an arrow and set it on the bow; he took one last look at me before aiming the bow. As a tear dropped an arrow flew to the scorpion.

It squealed and looked around to see the attacker. It set eyes on Orion and ran to him; its stinger was waving around, hitting trees, bushes and animals. Each thing its stinger touched was vaporized at once. It was nearing Orion and I couldn't move. Zeus had, once again, interfered with my life.

Orion rapidly grabbed arrows from the quiver and threw the quiver to the side once it had been emptied. The scorpion paid no attention to the flying arrows. An arrow flew straight to its eye and clawed it until the arrow got out. The damaged eye popped out from the socket and fell on the ground.

Orion got his sword and started to attack the beast when it was preoccupied with its eye. He ran to it and jumped onto its back. The scorpion started to fling itself to the fire to shake Orion off. He held on for dear life with the help of its eyes which he used as a handle. Orion cut of three of its legs from the right and it fell to the ground (due to gravity which is the pull of the earth to all things with mass, which Sir Isaac Newton had discovered and was able to make the three laws of motion due to that discovery, this isn't really part, I just wanted to see if you were still paying attention).

Orion leapt off its back and started cutting off the remaining legs. He rolled the wiggling body to the edge of the cliff. He raised his sword.

Suddenly he dropped his sword and he collapsed beside it. I stared in shock for a while before I ran to his side.

I dropped on my knees and touched his face.

"What's wrong?" I said, half hysterical

He looked at me, then his side.

He was stung.

I pulled the stinger off his back, but it was too late. The venom was spreading around his body.

"NO!" I cried, I got the sword from his side and started stabbing the scorpion. When its body was limp and its head cut off I rolled the remains down the cliff.

I ran back to Orion, with tears continuously streaming down my face

"O-o-orion, w-why?" I cried

He held my face with his hand. His brown eyes intensely looking at me, his face filled with sweat and dirt.

"Artemis, it's not your fault. This was meant to happen" He whispered

"NO! No one's meant to die! I love you!"

"Shh, it'll be alright"

"NO, IT WON'T! IF I NEVER MET YOU, THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED TO YOU"

"If that were to happen, my only regret would have been never meeting you. I love you; you made my life worth living. I would die a hundred times for you to see my love"

"B-b-but-"

"I know, it's unfair, but maybe someday, we'll see each other again"

"I'm counting on that"

"Artemis, I love you." he said

He pulled me into him and our lips met. The world stood still for that one moment. The fire had stopped, the wind was blowing, the trees dancing and the sun was about to set.

When we parted he closed his eyes and breathed his last breath. His eyes slowly closed and my heart closed forever as well.

Tears ran through my face and I sighed.

I cupped my hands on his mouth and spoke a few words in ancient Greek. A silver wisp of smoke came from Orion's lips and I caught it in my hand. His body shimmered and disappeared.

I stood, said a blessing, breathed into the cupped hand and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, then vanished.

I looked up into the sky. The stars were brighter now. I saw him once again and I couldn't help but smile.

"Hello, Orion"

THE END

It is finally done! I'm sorry for the very long wait. It took me some time to think of an ending then put it in words. My description sucks, doesn't it? I'M SORRY! I hate details. It ended! Now when your science teacher asks "where do stars come from?" you don't answer "It is a ball of gas in space". That is the wrong answer; instead say "It came from Artemis's breath!" That is totally the right answer. Is she says otherwise, sue her for not acknowledging the truth about stars. I'm going to miss writing this. It was fun and my very first fic. I hoped that you enjoyed it! I'll miss you guys. I will be writing a new story soon about someone else. WAIT AND SEE! Or leave a review on a pairing you personally like. SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.

P.S. I copied the part of Orion turning into stars from titan's curse.

P.P.S I am not Rick Riordan, I do not own his books, He owns the part of how people turn to stone.

Riordan, R. (2007), Titan's curse, New York, NY., Hyperion books.

Artemis: BYE EVERYONE!

Orion: Why am I still alive? Anyway, bye people!

Apollo: Don't forget to review and tell her to write about the fabulous me!

Aphrodite: I would much rather look in the mirror than read

Me: BYE!

Hephaestus: Artemis, I have that sword you wanted me to make!

Artemis and Me: Yay!

Apollo runs away as we chase after him with the sword

Apollo rides the sun chariot

Apollo: HAHAHA

We ride a fighter jet and start shooting at him.

BYE! Wait until the next fic!