The Fall of the Ancient Pantheon

Ch.4 The Apology "Gift"

A sudden flash of lightning, as though summoned by an unseen hand, heralded the arrival of the minor goddess before us. Selene appeared, her skin as pale as snow, and her eyes shimmered with the same deep blue hue that marked her mother’s lineage. Her dark hair, tinged with a subtle golden gleam, seemed to glow with the same energy that crackled through the air.

With a dignified bow, she addressed us in a voice as soft and melodious as a whisper, "You summoned me, my lords?"

Hades' response was a low, venomous purr, more filled with bitterness than cordiality. "Selene, yes, child. I require you to speak of the gift you bestow upon the children of your kind."

The tension in the air was palpable. I could sense a deep, unspoken history behind his words—a history that likely stemmed from Hades' past pursuit of Selene’s mother before he found his own peace with Persephone.

Selene rose with grace, her form now poised as she turned to face Zeus and me. “I was given a gift by the mother of my father," she began. "The ability to bind the fates of two of my children, ensuring their continued existence."

I gave a small nod for her to continue, and her eyes flicked to Zeus for confirmation, seeking his approval. Once she received it, her voice became even more measured, and she spoke with deliberate precision. “Before I reveal the nature of my father, I must first share the origins of my gift. Only then will you understand how I came to possess it.” She raised her hands, her fingers tracing an air-quote gesture as she spoke the word "gift."

A flicker of confusion crossed my face, and Selene’s lips curled into a sad, knowing smile. “Yes, my lords," she continued. "I do not consider this a gift. I believe my father’s mother bestowed this upon me not as a blessing, but rather as an apology.”

My brow furrowed. "An apology?" I asked, my voice low, a sense of foreboding creeping into my chest.

Zeus, ever the protector, spoke with a rare tone of concern. “Did something go wrong? Was there harm done to you or your mother?”

Selene shook her head, her voice barely audible. "No, my lords. The harm was not done to me, but to my mother. It is the result of what my father did."

Her words were laced with sorrow, the weight of them pressing heavily on the space between us. I instinctively stepped closer, as any father might to offer comfort, but Selene recoiled, taking a small step back, her eyes filled with unease.

Her next words, spoken with a fragile intensity, hung in the air. "There is something I must tell you, something that only my mother, Lord Hades, and I know. I beg you—please—keep this secret. If it were to become known, I fear my mother’s reputation as the goddess of maidens would be irrevocably tarnished. Her grace would be lost forever."

The gravity of her plea struck me like a thunderclap, and for the first time, I felt a pang of deep concern for this child before us.

Selene inhaled sharply, steadying herself before continuing. "I am the product of an unwanted union. More than three centuries ago, my mother was abducted and defiled by my father—a Titan of chaos."

The room fell into a stunned silence. The words hung heavily in the air, their truth sinking into the very bones of the gods present. The tension was palpable, and for a moment, time itself seemed to freeze.

Selene’s voice, barely a whisper, cut through the charged air. “I see that the three of you are stunned by my answer. Let me make it clearer.” She paused, eyes cast downward, the weight of her words heavy. “My mother did not willingly conceive me. She was captured and taken to my father’s cell in Tartarus. I’ve been told she has no memory of what happened, but she woke up there, in his cell... and was defiled.”

The silence that followed was deafening, suffocating. My stomach churned, and I could feel a cold fury rising inside me. The goddess of maidens—defiled by a Titan of Chaos? The thought alone made my blood run cold. What kind of creature could do this to her? What kind of twisted fate had led her to this? Although the name of this titan is important, but on the side of caution, we don’t ask the unspoken question.

Zeus was the first to break the silence. His voice exploded like thunder, shaking the very air around us. “Who did this to her?!” His anger sparked with the raw energy of a god who had been wronged, and the air crackled with electricity.

“I did. I confess to kidnapping the goddess and placing her in that cell.”

The simple confession sent a shock wave through the group. Hades stood there, his eyes not meeting ours, his voice low but unyielding. He had done it?

The storm that had been brewing in Zeus’s chest broke loose, and before I could even react, a bolt of lightning was crackling in his hand, arcing dangerously toward Hades. In an instant, he had become Jupiter, his Roman persona taking over completely. I could see the thrill of battle in his eyes, the same unrelenting hunger for war that had once made him a force to be reckoned with in the old world.

I didn’t hesitate. I threw myself between my brothers, my hands raised, forcing them apart. This cannot happen. Not now, not like this. We couldn’t afford another war, not in this era. And certainly not with the stakes as high as they were. Ares has weapons now—modern artillery, weapons that could end gods if used right. We can’t risk that.

“Stop!” My voice rang out, stronger than I intended. I planted myself firmly between them, trying to force them to see reason. "We don’t need another war, Jupiter! Not now!” I turned to him, my gaze hard. “Let Pluto explain himself.”

“Move aside, Neptune!” Zeus growled, his voice so full of rage it shook the surrounding air. “This is between Pluto and I!” His words were barely out before another lightning bolt cracked across the sky, thunder crashing violently overhead. The entire world seemed to bend under the weight of his fury.

For a split second, I felt the presence of my Roman counterpart surging beneath my skin. That ancient power, that burning desire for war and destruction—it pulsed like fire in my veins. The weight of his anger threatened to consume us all.

But I had no choice. I had to stop this.

I turned back to Hades, my voice now cold and unforgiving. “Explain quickly, Hades,” I said, my tone sharp as ice. “I may be on par with our brother, but I will not allow you to use our kin for your own games.”

I glanced at Selene, who stood there trembling, her hands clasped tightly together. She was a minor goddess, caught in a struggle between gods who had long since overthrown the Titans themselves. She had no place in this conflict, and yet here she was, dragged into the storm.

Hades finally spoke again, his voice shaking but resolute. “Jupiter, I was not acting of my own free will.”

The words hung in the air, but they did little to calm the storm within me. My gaze hardened, and I took a step closer, narrowing my eyes at him. “Explain, now.” My tone left no room for hesitation. “I’m not in the mood for your tricks, and I certainly don’t feel like protecting you from Jupiter’s wrath.”

Hades hesitated for a moment, then took a slow breath. His eyes dropped to the floor, heavy with something like regret, guilt, maybe even sorrow. “All I remember,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper, “is that I was doing my rounds in my realm. I was in the Field of Heroes... making sure the glamours were still in place, keeping the spirits encased in their own glamoured cells. I have mentioned to the both of you that Persephone has mentioned that the underworld has felt over the past few decades. This lead me to doing more frequent rounds around my realm."

From what it sounded like, both Zeus and I sensed his sincerity and our Roman personas resided with the tension that was starting to build.

“Do you know the cause?” I whispered as I felt Neptune’s presence dissipating.

“Unfortunately I do not, but” Hades turns his attention to the young goddess and states in a questioning tone, “I am sure you do, Selene my dear. Seeing that you are tethered to not only your parents, but the Titan of Creation herself.”

Selene nodded and turned her attention to Zeus and I to address the elephant in the room, “The Titans are awakening. The glamours around the world are fading for the titan of illusion is now awakening to the worlds power as he continues to devour the power we used to keep them there. I assume Lady Persephone sensed that the magic in the realm was fading, for it is her domain.”

I felt the aura of Jupiter reside as Zeus came to his senses, moving his attention to Hades, “I would help you investigate brother, but either of us are permitted to enter each other’s domain.”

I nodded in agreement, there is not much we can do, “I can send a proxy to assess the situation, maybe we can figure it out.”

“I am assuming your sons then?” Hades asked. Zeus and I nodded in unison.

“I will make arrangements with my guards then.” Hades then turned to our young guest, “I hope you are not frightened my dear, just a bit of family squabbling. Now I will request that you continue.”

Selene nodded and turned to face the three of us, “my lords, my scar is what you would call a gift from the god and goddess of creation, so to say. They implanted in my arm a piece of the earth titan herself.” She then hovered her hand over the scar.

“I see, so you have her blessing to be able to bestow onto your children the same as she does us?” I asked. She nodded in agreement.

“Now that this is established, how does it work for us gods? How does this work for us immortals?” Zeus asked with a bit more curiosity.

“As I am aware, all us gods and goddesses are destined one partner. As you are aware, Lord Hades has already found his.” She glanced at Hades with a small smile, “and I can see that he has accepted this gift.” She then turned back to use and stated, “As for you, Lord Posideon and Lord Zeus, you have yet to find yours.”

“I knew Hera wasn’t mine, which would explain why I was never faithful to her.” Zeus mumbled, “but I cannot agree with her gift if she were to bestow it upon me! I refuse.”

“I cannot say I agree with my brother,” I answered honestly, “but the fates showed me mine. She seems to be a mortal.”