Blessed

The prophecy

Zeus flashed them both in Hera's bedroom. He laid her gently to bed and l spent the next few hours just watching her sleep. He swept some of the rogue hair strands from her face and she scrunched her nose in her sleep. The fact that they were separated and that she obviously had some sort of epiphany combined in a gush of feeling starting to well up inside of Zeus. He took her small hand and was surprised when a ball of a light pink energy traveled from his hands to Hera's.

Her eyes snapped open and a breath hitched in her throat, "What was that?!"

"What did you feel?", Zeus asked.

"I felt you. I felt how you feel. I never knew how much I mean to you. I'm so sorry...", Hera rushed her words starting to cry.

"Hey, shhh, don't be sad. We both hurt each other, I'm just glad you came back to me."

"I'm serious, I'm never leaving again."

Zeus smiled at her determined little face and pulled her to him. They fell asleep embracing each other.

After few weeks she told him she was pregnant.

Zeus was extatic.

When she was near birthing, he gathered all his family and subjects to a great ceremonial hall and threw a feast in Hera's honor. Everybody came and enjoyed in a good fun. With a corner of his eye Zeus noticed three figures at the entrance of the hall. The Moirae were just standing there unnoticed, their heads bowed down. No one among gods liked them because of their powers so they weren't willing to enter. Soon the guests noticed their presence and the conversations died as everyone was interested in why were they here. With a sigh, the oldest of them Clotho said "Of powerful parents a child will be born."

The middle one, Lachesis continued, "By everyone she will be blessed."

The youngest, Atropos, finished "In her hands she will hold the destiny of us all."

The sound of broken glass pierced the silence. Ares jumped at his feet and pointed at Hera's belly screaming "My destiny will not depend of the will of an unborn brat!" Murmurs started breaking all over the hall and words like unacceptable, monster and no way! could be heard.

Zeus saw Hera wrap her arms around her swollen belly and anger overtook him "ENOUGH! ARES! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Ares fell silent but his distaste was visible on his face. The Fates moved so he can exit the door and then turned around to leave as well. Zeus wasn't going to stop them but he had to warn Atropos through a mind-link "You will never touch the life thread of my daughter. Ever. Or I will kill you and your sisters."

"I wasn't planning on cutting her thread, my king. That child is a gift of Nyx. She's already blessed and has dominion over moon." she answered as she was leaving.

Zeus waved his hand teleporting everyone away, he wanted to be with Hera and his daughter. He noticed, however, that not everybody was sent away. Hades and Poseidon stayed.

"What?" he asked not looking at them.

"We heard some rumors." Poseidon said. "Our dear aunts and uncles are planning an attack on us as soon as little bird gives birth." Hades added using his nickname for Hera, "They want to take baby bird away."

Hera paled and asked him "Are you sure he can't get away?"

"Not while I'm alive, little bird." he answered.

"So we need to think of a plan to protect my daughter." Hera said determined and Zeus couldn't help himself but feel proud. He had to tell her he felt that way when she takes over and fights for the Pantheon. Then he remembered how he transfered his feelings to Hera in a form of light energy and he had an idea. He mind-linked ten of the missing Olympians to come to him. He didn't try with Ares. Soon, Athena, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Apollo, Artemis, Hestia and Demeter rejoined them.

"My brothers and sisters, daughters and sons, we are facing a threat. The Titans are planning on attacking us, to try to take my new daughter away. You must help me protect her. You heard the Fates, she will be blessed by the gods and I want all of you to bless her so our destinies would be safe in her hands." Zeus said looking each of them. Their faces were serious. Some of them nodded, some of them didn't show any emotion.

"Of course we will do it.", Hestia said, and Zeus felt grateful to her.

"When will this be?" Aphrodite asked impatiently. She was in a hurry to find Ares.

"It can only be done when she's born." Zeus said.

After that, everyone gave their consent to bless the child and went away. Zeus spent that night awake looking at Hera and felling his daughter move inside her mother's belly.

****

It was a lazy afternoon, Zeus was laying on the grass in Hera's garden and she was resting on a chair beside him. It was only a few days left until Selene's birth. Hera decided to name her that. Zeus was absolutely smitten with the girl. He could tell she was going to be powerful as she was able to show him her feelings and moods from her mother's womb. Sometimes he would brag outloud about how she will strengthen the Pantheon, or how he will consider pairing her with a powerful god so he could have powerful grandbabies and Hera scolded him for thinking only about the prosperity of the Pantheon. But that wasn't true. It wasn't just about that. He loved Selene although he didn't even know her yet. She was the fruit of his and Hera's renewed love and he was determined to protect her at all costs. Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the silence and Zeus was immediately on his feet in front of Hera. He could hear the footsteps and the clinking of swords. There was a batlle raging just in front of Hera's doors!

Zeus summoned his lightnings and told Hera "Go to your room, protect Selene."

"Be careful." she said and teleported away.

Zeus floated to his throne room, lightnings raging around him and there was met with bloody battle. The floor was slippery from all the blood that was spilled, blue like ink. He didn't see any of the Titans only their lakeys in form of the disgusting black scorpion creatures. He took down dosens of them with his lightnings and went to the main entrance where he saw Hestia and Hades fighting off two of the Titanesses'. Themis and Phoebe were attacking with energy blasts. Hestia isn't a fighter but her protective shield is second to none and she has Hades in it. Hades on the other hand, looks like he's having fan throwing balls of hellfire on them.

Zeus swoops in and lands a punch on Themis while his lightnings attack Phoebe. Surprised by the attack, Phoebe loses focus and Hades shoots her with hellfire bringing her to her knees.

"We're not going without her, nephew!" Themis says.

"She belongs to us! Nyx gave her to us!" Phoebe added.

"If she belonged to you, Nyx would put her in one of your dried up wombs! Baby bird is ours!" Hades declares to their aunts and Zeus is impressed. He's not the only one who loves Selene.

"Not all of you think that way" Phoebe smiles cruelly and Zeus is petrified for a moment which allows Themis to hit him hard in the jaw and send him flying. "How do you... No! He wouldn't!"

Zeus teleports to Hera's room in a blink of an eye and all his fears come true when he sees Ares standing in the room with a beautiful green eyed baby in his arms and bloody Hera on the bed.

***

"Give her back!" Zeus thunders and Selene starts to cry sensing the strong emotions of her father.

"I will not! The only good strategy is to give her away or to destroy her! Why would you risk all of us for the sake of her?" Ares yelled, "I made a pact with the Titans. We will give her to them."

"You let them in and look what you did! Look what you did to your mother!" Zeus went to Hera and was relieved when her eyes flickered open. She was weak and vadly hurt. Her energy was drained and Zeus could see that Ares didn't use magic to get Selene out. He cut Hera open with a dagger. He looked at the madman holding his newborn and felt helpless as he didn't know how to take Selene from him. With a corner of his eye he noticed another silhouette approaching them from the left. It was Eris, the goddess of discord and Ares's lover. She caught him by surprise when she took the baby from his hands and sent a pulse of energy so strong that it threw him through the wall. "Hurry, you must go and fulfill the prophecy. Collect Theia on the way she's willing to help."

She gave Zeus the baby and he took Hera and teleported away. He mind-linked the Olympians and told them it's time for a power transfer. Hades appeared first so Zeus gave him the baby and told him to protect her and Hera. Zeus looked for a familiar power signature of his aunt Theia. He wanted to find out what was she up to. He knew he could trust her. She was the only person alive his mother confided in after she saved his life from Cronos. Theia was in the south wing. He teleported to her. She was with her son, Helios. Helios tensed when he saw him but Theia smiled tenderly and went to him. She took Zeus in embrace and told, "I know your son betrayed you, and that his blessing would be missing so I'm willing to help protect your little one."

Zeus eyed Helios not trusting him. " Don't worry about my son, he just came to protect me. He didn't want any part in this attack, he was trying to disuade them but..." Theia explained.

" Ok, let's go." Zeus said hurriedly.