Chapter Ninety-nine: The rest of me

I look at my Mother Selene who is looking as graceful as ever. I peek over at my Father who is smiling proudly at me.

“You are one of the bravest childlings I’ve ever come across, and I’m proud that you are my own.” He says with his booming voice.

“We all watched your battle with Fedori, daughter. I’m terribly sorry we could not assist. You see, you are the only one who could withstand his consumption powers, as you yourself are a merger. The two cannot interact with each other, unless one of you was severely weakened, which is what happened in the fight you had with each other. If we were to intervene, he could have captured us, and we would have, let’s say, been reduced to nothing. It would take a long time for any one of us up there to recuperate our powers.” Selene tells me, explaining how our Godhood works. “If I were being completely honest with you child, then no one knew that you were going to be a merger Goddess. We had ideas, but nothing set in stone. I would not relay any information to you were it not factual.” She continues.

“Was there no way to give me a sign though, or any help?” I ask, wondering why I was left to do the majority of it on my own.

“We tried to provide you as much information as we could when we met you before. I know it wasn’t enough, it’s never enough. If we so much as stepped onto mortal plaines, then Fedori could have been on our tail and that was the end of that. In any case, as you may have already figured out, Zeus is the oldest. He decides what is to happen and what is not. The rest of us there are the other originals, so usually things like this are decided upon a vote. But a lot of the others try to get Zeus favour, so usually they decide to vote with his choice.” She sighs softly, a slight hum coming from her lips. I see my Father place his hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

“I’ll explain from the start, so you have a better understanding of our ways and your start into life. A lot of the originals were against us bringing you into the world. The rightful path for a childling, whether you’re a full blooded original child, or a child of a minor God or Goddess, is to be borne into the Kingdom of Eos, our home-world. Hidden in its own universe and can only be accessed by Gods and Goddesses, or children of those. We can also decide to close it off to whomever we want.” She starts, her soulful voice says, sounding sad as she speaks.

“We eventually provided our plea, Solaris and I wanted to bring a child into the universe. Neither Solaris or I, have children, either with or without each other. We two, the two who were never meant to be, wanted a child. We brought our plea forward to Zeus for over a millennium, and he always decided against it, saying it would be too dangerous, knowing Fedori was on the prowl for power. If he managed to gain the power of a childling from two originals, no one knew what would have happened. It wasn’t long after the seventh time we asked, Zeus decided to impose a ban, one that would not allow any original having any, or in some of the others cases, more children.”

I look at her and can see a crystal tear falling from her face. I shuffle closer to her on the bench to give her comfort, which she accepts, moving her hand to mine to hold it.

“Not long before you were born, we received word that Fedori had consumed yet another minor God. However, this one was a creator of matter named Vulcan. By consuming him, he was then able to crate those things you had seen, the dark creatures I think you called them. He moulded them and shaped them to fight alongside him, at his whim. That’s when Zeus turned to us.

Him and Hera, his wife, did not want any more children, the last one not turning out so well. The others in the room were not interested in having children with each other, leaving us, Solaris and I.” She says, looking to the distance fondly, as if she was reliving a happy memory.

She continues. “We were ecstatic, knowing that our wish, after so many millennia, was going to be fulfilled. We made plans for you, readied a crib in the realm we shared, spread the news that your arrival would be soon.”

She then grimaced, but her face was still beautiful as she did so. “The way Gods conceive from what you know of is…different. I won’t go into details, but just before you were born, Zeus brought up our announcement in the Throne room. A lot of them there were already aware. However, what we did not expect, was for Zeus to ban you from being provided for here.” Her voice’s usual melodic hum breaks slightly, as if out of tune. I look at her and see her upset expression. Looking over at Solaris I see he also has a look of disdain on his face, but he lets Selene continue.

“He had decided….that you were not to be brought up as a normal childling would. He decided that you would be sent to a world of our choosing and would be brought up there, with the mortals, away from us…and well, you know the rest.”

I sit there and think for a few moments, unsure what to ask.

“Why?” Is all I think of, just wanting to know why I was left on my own.

She looks at me in pain. “You weren’t discarded.” She says, as if reading my thoughts. “We both loved you the moment you arrived.” She gestures to Solaris as she speaks. “We wanted you with us, to be brought up the right way. But Zeus did not allow this, as he knew you were going to be powerful. A child born of two Originals who should never have been in love in the first place. At first we thought it was jealousy, him and Hera would never be able to have a child so powerful. But then we found out. We found out, after you were sent, that it was because you were going to be the one to fight our Nephew, Fedori, or as we knew him, Erebus. You were either going to take him out, saving us, or die, and us along with you.”

I wrinkle my nose, trying to understand. “How did he know? How did he know it was going to be me?”

She looks at me with her gentle expression. “It was prophesised to him many years ago, and he was only reminded of it after Vulcan died…as the prophecy mentioned it.”

I sigh, understanding why I was not with them when I was born, but it doesn’t make me feel any better about now.

“So what now?” I ask, unsure about my future.

She smiles sweetly, her eyes lighting up. “Now….now you are free. Your mate has been returned to his home.” She pauses, before continuing. “Your immortality, well we’re uncertain about that. As you heard Zeus, Mother Gaia will decide on that, and no one knows her will. It’s just something you will figure out in the future. If this does happen, you will have a place by our side, forever.” She looks down at Athena and smiles. “You are, and always will be a Goddess though, daughter. Your powers will continue to grow and develop, until you know what they all are, the same as we all started.” She glances at Solaris quickly before looking back at me. “I doubt you’ve even figured them all out yet, knowing how special you are.” She brushes a strand of hair from my face before smiling sweetly at me. “You’ve been accepted into Eos so you are free to come here as you will. You can never bring anyone with you though, remember that.” She says in slight warning before continuing. “You can come and visit Solaris and I whenever it pleases you.”

I smile at her and look at Solaris, wanting to ask something that’s been on my mind for a while. “Are my adoptive parents in a realm of yours?” I ask, catching him by surprise.

“They are. Like with the other creations, my own reside in my realm when they perish in their mortal life.”

I think for a moment. I don’t want to disturb the peace so I ask him a favour.

“Can you please tell them I love them and miss them, and that one day I hope to see them again.”

Solaris looks to Selene and smiles, then reverts his gaze back to me. “I will. One day when you return to us, you can visit them.”

I smile, appreciating he’ll pass my message along. I look back at Selene.

“Will much time have passed since I left?” I ask, knowing that last time I was away for quite some time unknowingly.

Selene nods. “Unfortunately time passes here much more quickly than it does down there. You will have been away for about a week.”

I sigh, but nod in understanding. “And will Lukas be the same?” I ask, hopeful. I dread to think if he’s drastically changed.

A big smile plasters her face, causing my love for her to increase. “Your mate is still severely malnourished, but that can be treated. His mortal wound is gone.”

I feel the smile on my face reach its highest, and I feel giddy to get back to him. I see Athena watching me intently, also feeling she’s blooming with happiness at the news about our mate.

I stand up from the bench, excited to get back to him. I see Solaris stand, wanting to say something more, looking to Selene for confirmation. She looks at him through her eyelashes and nods, a small smile on her face. I look to my Father.

“I wish for you to know your true name.” He says, more of a request then a statement.

I give him a quizzical look, then realise what he means. My current name would have been my given name by my adoptive parents, not from them. I give him the go ahead by nodding.

“You are a merger Goddess, and the name your Mother and I gave you is Sarelias.”