Day 3
- Meg's POV -
"What is your sphere of influence?"
I stared at Artemis. What was she talking about? "What's a sphere of influence?" I asked.
She looked at me in surprise for a moment. She elaborated, "A sphere of influence is the domain over which a god has control, or is responsible for. Usually a god instinctually knows their domain. Stronger gods, such as myself and Apollo, can even acquire domains. That's one of the major reasons why Apollo has so many; he just kept on finding new things he wanted to be god of."
"So I can just choose whatever I want?"
"Not whatever you want. You should figure out what your primary domain is first; what your role in the world is."
My role in the world? What did that even mean? "How do I do that?" I asked.
"You know how Apollo became the god of the sun, right?"
I thought back. "People got confused and thought that Apollo was in charge of the sun. When enough people were confused, Helios went away and Apollo actually DID become the god of the sun, right?"
She nodded, "That's correct. If enough people believe that you're in charge of something, then you can become in charge of it. If enough people believe that you're a god, you can become one. And if a god or monster gives up, if they believe that the world doesn't need them anymore, they can fade. Don't underestimate the effect that someone's feelings and beliefs can have on the world."
Oh.
That made sense.
That made a LOT of sense, actually.
My dress.
Sally's dress.
Sally had given it to me, a complete stranger. She'd told me about Percy and his friends, how they'd saved the world, how they helped everyone. Being with her, experiencing her kindness, it had been the first assurance that maybe, just maybe, I could trust these people.
That trust, that kindness, was symbolized by the dress I wore. Every friend I made, every kindness I experienced, reinforced what Sally had told me. I knew that that dress was not responsible for all the kindness, all the friendship. But it reminded me that people cared about me in this world, people who were NOT my stepfather.
Who were not the Beast.
That Nero was lying.
Sally's warmth and kindness in giving the dress may have imbued it with slight protective qualities, but it was my own INTERPRETATION of what that gift meant, of how it mattered to me, that ultimately imbued it with the strength to protect Apollo.
And those cords, the ones that led me back to the land of the living, they were formed of the nature spirits' belief in me. That belief had granted me divinity, like it had the emperors.
I was a protector.
But I was more than that.
I had protected Apollo during his quest, that's true. Even when he had died, I had kept him safe. But after I got back, I protected in a different way.
I had looked at Zeus and seen a Beast. But I had also seen hope. A possibility of change.
Apollo had given Lit a second chance, even with all the terrible things he had tried to do, had done in the past. He refused to give up on him.
Apollo himself was an example. I'd seen him in the beginning, heard his arrogance, and seen him change and transform through his experiences. When placed in different experiences, he grew.
And so I had given Zeus that same chance. I opened up the door for change. It would be up to him to take it.
Something clicked into place.
I knew my role.
I stood up straight and faced my honorary sister.
"I am the Goddess of Rebirth and Redemption. If someone wants to change, I will nudge them on the right path. When they believe that they are trapped and that it's too late for them, I will open up a door. Even after someone dies, I will give some who failed to earn Elysium the option to be reincarnated, a second chance to do things right. I am not the Goddess of Mercy or Forgiveness. The hard work, they will have to do themselves. I changed, Apollo changed, even Lit changed. It only seems right."
Artemis smiled at me. I became aware of my surroundings, and of myself. Every molecule of my body was tingling with energy. I was shining as bright as the sun.
"Congratulations, Meg McCaffrey, Goddess of Rebirth and Redemption, on unlocking your Divine Form."
"So, I'm fully goddy now?" I asked.
Artemis looked taken aback for a second. "Um, yes…?" I could see her silently thinking to herself Goddy? What kind of word was that?
"I'm also gonna be the Protector of Southern California," I blurted out. "I'm gonna protect all the nature spirits there, and the demigods in the area. The Meliai can help me. I want demigods to be safe and not be constantly attacked. I want to make Southern California a safe haven."
Artemis beamed at me. "You're ambitious, like I was. I'll help you. As goddess of the hunt, I can help to drive monsters out of the area. I won't be able to help all the time — other areas need help too — but I can get you started. A safe haven… that would be wonderful."
Slowly I stopped shining and went back to normal. But I knew what I would do now.
Everything alive deserved to grow. And I would give people the chance.