Staring into the foggy, lunaresque surface of the Oracle; Rosaine watched as Kaina was directed to the river Lethe. With a sigh, she waved her divine hands, deactivating the world's most beautiful window; then walked slowly to the throne and sat, looking down at herself. Since becoming Epona, her new default body was not the one she had grown into as a mortal; and every time she left the Realm of the Goddess, she automatically became translucent, like a ghost. She automatically became solid upon her return. And the human body of Rosaine Dhianna-MacCallan would be an illusion, an image she would have to project. It would of course be simple for a Goddess, but it would still take some getting used to.

Her gifted form had very long, dark hair; and she wore flowing robes that sparkled like moonlight on snow. She still wore the band of diamonds around her left bicep, and her bag of arrows and her bow rested against the throne. She would still have to alternate Realms, performing her divine duties and still living her original life. Unless…

She retrieved her bow and bag of arrows, changed her wardrobe with a wave of the hand, and transported herself immediately to Epona's Temple in Partholon; manifesting in the privacy of her bedroom. She put her bag and her bow inside her closet, took off her diamonds and put them on her nightstand. Opening her door, she strode out into the hall. And bumbled into her father.

"Where have you been?" he demanded.

"What?"

"Midhir sent notice four days ago that you were missing!"

Rosaine grimaced as she remembered the time difference between Realms. "Oh. Sorry."

"Sorry? You're sorry? What do you have to say for yourself?" Cuchulainn demanded. "All of Partholon is on the lookout! And you think you can make it better with 'I'm sorry'? How do you possibly explain—" Time froze when Rosaine attempted to take herself back in time. She could tell because looking outside, she could see the water spurting from the fountain was not moving. Rosaine was not the one doing it, and she looked around in wonder.

"Never do that."

Rosaine's eyes snapped to the beautiful, stern Goddess Demeter as She strode forth. "Reversing time is something no deity is permitted to do. Ever."

"But we can pause time?"

"Pausing time is not comparable to taking it back, Epona." Demeter's voice was laced with scorn, clearly telling her She and likely all the deities knew that Rosaine was only a replacement deity. "When you pause time, nothing is harmed!" Demeter continued, "But had you reversed it four days, you would have taken Kaina right back to imprisonment. And I assure you, Hades would not have been amused."

Rosaine knew Demeter was correct. Every deity was ruler of one aspect. Apollo was the Sun God, Persephone was the Goddess of Spring. Hades was the Death God, and removing a soul from His Realm was not her right. Of course, it hadn't been her intention.

Demeter's expression softened as Her intuition told Her this. "You'll learn," She said succinctly, and faded.

"—The devastation we felt?" Cuchulainn continued railing, as time resumed. "What's your excuse for disappearing for four days?"

Rosaine didn't care for being lectured like she was a little girl. She was, after all, a Goddess; and there were other deities watching. Her displeasure was registered on her face as she stepped forward and lay a hand on Cuchulainn's shoulder. Suddenly the hallway was a screen, showing him the past with moving images. Cuchulainn gawked at the beautiful vision of the Realm of the Goddess that surrounded them.

"I am not revoking My favor as a means of castigation. I have something else in store for you."

"My body will fade from this Realm and when I am gone, you will be imbued with all My powers."

"Rosaine Dhianna-MacCallan, you are to become Epona!"

The image changed one last time, showing Rosaine falling to her knees while Epona's body dissipated like a dream, and yelling wordlessly in shock as unbelievable power poured over her. Then the images of the past faded and Cuchulainn blinked, thoroughly disoriented. He looked at his daughter, whom he was now seeing in a different light.

"You're…Epona?"

"Yes. And you need to help me. It will be hard, but it's the only way."

"What can I do?" Cuchulainn asked, his voice rough with emotion.

"I need you to tell them I have died."

"What?"

When she opened her mouth, the voice that came out was not her own. "Rosaine no longer exists."

Cuchulainn staggered back as his daughter faded into nothing. He looked wildly around, but there were no other witnesses.

Tell them… whispered a voice he couldn't hear.

Cuchulainn bowed his head, trying to accept the changes and the most difficult thing he would ever do, the only lie he would ever tell. He could already feel himself changing. But it was one lie. One lie in a lifetime that had to go on.

He raised his head and strode towards his beautiful wife.

Rosaine's heart felt heavy as she watched her mother cry; and she reflected upon their final words to each other. Dutifully, she waved her hands above the Oracle. "I need to speak with Demeter," she announced, and the surface began to ripple. Then Demeter's stern face materialized.

"Yes?"

"What happens when someone drinks from the river Lethe?"

"Well, they are reborn without memory, into an arbitrary life."

"Are we allowed to make exceptions?"

"Yes. What are you thinking?"

Epona smiled back at her, with a radiant beauty. "I want Kaina MacCallan to be reborn to my own parents, and live a happy life."

Demeter suddenly smiled back. "Then make it so, Epona."

The surface of the Oracle went dark, much like the life of Brighid MacCallan. But, in the months to follow, she discovered she was pregnant again; and Partholon would forever rejoice, for she had received a gift from the gods.

The end