Disclaimer: I do not own SNK (AOT). This is just fan made fun. Enjoy!

Thick Walls

Artemis could have enjoyed the trip ahead of her a lot more if not for the company, and their insistence to not go any faster then a trot. Yeah, I'd love to trot my foot straight up your ass... She fumed quietly, nevertheless keeping Finnie at an unbearably slow pace.

Trying to bide her time by complaining in her head and counting every big rock they passed, Artemis eventually let out a sigh, leaning back in her saddle to look up at the darkening sky. Well, at least the day is ending. Oh wait, it's going to be dark soon... Artemis sat up straight.

"Um... Captain?"

"What?"

"The... Uh, sun is uh... Not in the sky anymore..." Artemis scrunched up her nose as she realized how ridiculous she sounded.

"What are you talking about?" Rivaille replied lamely, looking up to see the sun disappearing behind the tree tops. He let out a sigh, "Could you not have just said that it was getting dark?"

Artemis looked away, heat rising in her cheeks. "W-well you got the point, right?"

Levi rubbed his forehead in agitation. Why is she so insistent in being difficult?

"So..."

"What?" Levi asked, trying to keep a level tone with younger woman.

"The sun isn't going to be up soon. Which means... It's going to get dark..." Wilde talked slowly.

He looked over at her, even more agitated by the way she was stating her point. Then he noticed her movements. Wilde was looking around at the darkening forest, looking a little to serious. Almost like even the smallest sound might be a possible danger.

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

Wilde blushed. "N-no, I just don't think that the horses would fair well at night... I-It might damage their eye sight... Or- or something..." She stammered, looking in the opposite of his direction.

Levi suppressed another sigh, snapping his reins to urge his horse to move faster. "There should be an inn up the road a few miles, if we move faster we should be able to make it there before it gets to late out."

"I'll put the horses in the stable around back, go see if they have any rooms." Rivaille ordered.

Artemis nodded, turning away and heading to the still open doors. Walking in a warm smell of fresh baked bread and a certain kind of cleanliness hit her nose.

"Hello?" She asked, walking up to the front desk.

"Oh, hello there, young lady!" The owner (or so Artemis assumed) startled her from behind. "What can I do for you?"

The woman had a bright smile and soft light, almost blonde, brown hair that flowed past her shoulders, her eyes sparkled kindly in the light of the lobby. "I was wondering if you had two rooms available..."

The woman frowned as moved around the counter to face Artemis from the other side. "Are you here with someone?" She asked, looking around for someone who may have been Artemis' travelling companion.

"Yes, he's just stabling the our horses. If that's alright..."

"Oh, of course!" She said, the smile returning. "Unfortunately, we only have the one room open... A bit of a busy night."

"Oh, well I'm sure they'll love sleeping on the floor." Artemis answered mechanically.

The woman blinked a few times. "Ah, not on the best of terms with your companion?" She asked kindly.

Artemis exhaled a sort of laugh. "Not in the slightest. Honestly, I don't think we've ever really gotten along, and things just seem to get worse."

The woman gave a knowing nod, her face getting a little more serious, but still kind. "Well, sometimes it may seem that way, but time has a way of changing things. I'm sure you'll figure out your problems soon."

Artemis scrunched up her nose. "I'm not sure its that easy. We don't exactly click like we used too... Granted that's all his fault."

The older woman, took Artemis' hands in her own soft tanned hands. "I think the problem is that you're to willing to put all the blame him, instead of realizing that you may carry some of the blame yourself. Maybe the problem is you won't forgive yourself, and until you do that, you can't forgive anyone else."

Artemis stared back into the woman's brown eyes, the words sinking in slowly. Shit, that's deep. But wait, does she...?

"So, one room was it, dear?" The owner asked, pushing a book full of signatures her way.

Artemis shook her head out of thought. "Yes, thank you." She answered, taking the writing utensil from the woman and signing both her name and her captain's into the book. "Oh, and I'll apologize now in case anything should happen." Artemis added, already imagining what kind of fight might occur. They could barely ride on the same road without wanted to strangle each other. Sharing a room could turn into a catastrophe.

The woman laughed as she walked towards a back room behind the desk. "Don't worry, dearie." She said, tapping the walls with a wink. "We've got thick walls here."

Levi entered the inn to see Wilde standing in front of the desk with the strangest look on her face. "Are you alright?"

Wilde turned to look at him. "I think so."

Levi's frown grew at her empty tone. What the hell could be wrong now?

"Mum, I'm serious! It really is the goddess lady! Mum, please, I mean it this time!"

"Now, now, calm down. You don't want to make a scene like last time, do you?"

Levi turned towards a mother and her child who were sitting by a small fire, the mother trying to read, while the child was pulling at her mother's skirt. "But I'm serious, look! It really is the goddess lady!"

Levi followed the girl's gesture to where Wilde stood, now looking down at her feet, still looking concerned or confused. "What could that have meant? Is she an oracle or something? Do those even exist?" She murmured incoherently.

Levi shuffled back a step, turning his attention back to the girl and her mother.

"Now stop this! I thought you knew better!"

The child face turned into a very angry frown. "You just won't believe me, so I'll prove that it's her!" The child jumped up, running towards Levi and Wilde's direction. "Goddess Lady!" The girl cried, throwing her arms around Wilde's waist, and ultimately shocking her out of thought.

"Lyra?" The white haired woman asked in shock.

"See mum! It's really her!" The girl cried happily, burying her face into Wilde's clothing.

The mother moved nearly as fast as her daughter had towards the startled woman. "Goodness me! It really is you! Oh bless, I never thought we'd see you again!"

The taller woman wrapped her arms around Wilde as well, the two squishing her between them.

Levi moved himself back, leaning against the wall crossing his arms. The situation Wilde was caught him intriguing his attention.

Artemis was just thankful when they final released her. "Well, don't I feel appreciated." She huffed, a little out of breath from the embraces.

Lyra smiled brightly, hugging Artemis again, this time not letting go, although not squeezing her either. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Lyra's mother chuckled, placing a hand on Artemis' should gently. "I really am grateful for what you did. I know it's been years, but we will never forget."

Artemis nodded, then tilted her head. "I never got your name, have I?"

"Or I yours!" The blonde chuckled at the realization. "My name is Gerda, and this is Lyra, as you already know. And the woman who runs the inn is my sister, Lysa"

"Artemis." She replied with a small grin.

Lyra gasped. "You really are a goddess!"

Artemis looked down at the girl in shock. "What?"

"In these stories my granpa used to tell me, there were these gods and goddesses. One of them was named Artemis! She had flowing red hair and a brother named Apollo!" The girl started, naming off dozens of others.

Artemis' jaw slacked a little, then she beamed. "You know, there was an elderly lady in my village who told me the same stories. I think that was where my mother came up with my name."

The girl's eyes shined. "Wow! That's so cool! Mum, don't you think that is so cool?"

Gerda laughed shaking her head. "It is quite the coincidence."

Artemis nodded, about to agree when Lyra cut in. "I don't think it was coincidence At all. I mean, the goddess Artemis was the goddess of the hunt. And our Artemis, in a way, hunts titans. I think it was meant to happen, like maybe the Fates made it happen!"

Artemis was again shocked. The ten year old girl was very imaginative.

Gerda shook her head with a grin, picking up the girl. "Now, now, that's not entirely true. She was goddess of more than just the the hunt, you know." She gave a nod to Artemis, then carried the girl back over to where they'd been sitting near the fire.

Artemis frowned, then remembered everything she'd been told about the goddess as a child, a slight blush coming across her cheeks. She certainly didn't want anything to do with that.

A/N: I kind of want to apologize for this chapter, it just seems really tacky. And in case anyone is curious, the Greek goddess Ἄρτεμις is the virgin goddess of the Hunt, Childbirth, and in some cases, the goddess of virginity as well. And although she isn't the goddess of the moon, in some stories she represents the moon. Now in this chapter Lyra only mentions Ἄρτεμις as the goddess of the hunt, so I'll leave it up to your imagination as to which factor of godhood the OC Artemis didn't want any part of.

Also, because I feel this is necessary to add, I didn't intentionally call my OC Artemis (her name was actually Luna originally) because of the Greek goddess who went by said name, it was really just a name that popped into my mind while writing that seemed to really suit the character.

If you're wondering about any of the other Greek deities that were mentioned, you can always google/bing it, or just PM me and I'll happily tell you all that I know. Farewell until next time (: