Chapter 2: Awakenings

Feel the sun dance with the moon.Sydney Forest, I’m Gonna Fly, (1997)

The years had passed with great speed for the gods of Olympus. In peace, there were no great quests or upheaval. How could there be? After the solidifying of the three kings, all the other gods found their domains and places of power with ease.

Young deities frolicked amidst the splendor of the city of the gods. The Muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, practiced their singing with their mothers. Their divine voices weaved melodies that echoed through every nook and cranny of the city.

A swift-footed god darted among the assembled deities. Hera exclaimed, “One side, Hermes!”

His mischievous laughter filled the air. With boundless energy, he was quick to say, “Sorry, mistress of magic!”

Meanwhile, Hestia was tending to the Flames of Olympus. Hyperion’s eternal fire was giving her trouble as she was only able to touch very little of the fire before it started to try and consume her fully. Beside her labored Prometheus in the construction of the Great Hearth that would contain the flames while also diluting it, so that gods might be able to grab the primordial flame without being consumed.

As the gods continued to play around his palace, Zeus took his seat upon his throne. Beside him, Metis stood with the loving loyalty that could have only come from genuine affection for her future husband.

At the edge of twilight, as the sun was setting, and the moon was meant to rise, Zeus called out, “Helios! Selene! Come!”

With a bright, crashing effect, two lights fell from the sky. One formed into the tall embodiment of a man. He was fair skinned with glowing blond hair. His eyes were like fire, and he wore a garment of red and white. Beside him, there stood a woman of fair beauty. Her hair was white. She wore a dress of white-gold starlight.

They looked up to Zeus with hope in their eyes.

“Cratus has told me of the injustice done to you by Hyperion and my father,” he started. “But if I am to help you, I think it is best if I hear it from you.”

“Father thought my sister and I grew too close,” Helios said.

“He feared if we were to become romantically involved, that we might destroy him as Cronos destroyed Ouranos and even as you cast down Cronos,” Selene explained.

“Was there truth in you two becoming too close?” Zeus inquired.

Metis gave him a look that warned him that this affair was none of his business either way.

Selene blushed and looked away while Helios stood his ground with Zeus. Neither said anything out loud, however.

Zeus held up a hand to prevent either from feeling further nervousness or any expectation of answering him.

“You do not need to answer. Know I have no intention of punishing either of you for having interest in one another, if you do. However, that does leave us in a bit of a predicament. Neither Hestia or Prometheus are unsure how to recreate Hyperion’s flame or even how to move it back into the sky, and we need the sun for daytime as we do not have Chaos making day as they did for our Primordial ancestors.”

Helios nodded, knowing it would mean he would be forced to return to the sky.

“Further, we gods have grown accustomed to their being a moon in our celestial body,” Zeus added.

Selene lowered her head in sadness as she realized the same thing Helios did.

“I would not dream of asking you to return to your prison in the sky,” Zeus said with kindness. “Instead, I would ask that for half the day, you be in the sky, Helios, and in the other half, you would be in the sky, Selene.”

“But then ... how are we supposed to see one another?” Selene wondered.

“If I may?” Metis asked.

Zeus motioned for her to continue to speak.

“If you would like, why not allow yourself up in the sky for three days every twenty-eight days or so. And every day, it will be less and less of you in the sky, until the eleventh or twelfth day where you will not need to be in the sky at all for three days.”

“Which will give us more time to be together?” Selene said.

Zeus nodded. The two siblings looked at one another. Their answer was decided long before they voiced it.

After their agreement, everyone cheered and celebrated. Wine was poured and the raucous jubilation infected everyone.

“They do understand that very little has changed, right?” Metis whispered.

Zeus laughed as they headed to his private meeting room. When the door shut, he smiled. “It is not about what is true, Metis. They believe I am being gracious because I heard their case and listened to their friend, Cratus. That makes me better than father and Hyperion.”

“Is that what we need to be doing?” Metis asked, skeptical. “The bare minimum?”

“It is not the bare minimum though,” Zeus countered, quickly becoming annoyed by her advice. “I could do nothing. But this endears me to them and keeps me on my throne.”

Metis rolled her eyes. “I suppose you’re right. What about my father and Poseidon?”

Zeus sighed. “Metis, we have been over this. The sea is my brother’s domain. I cannot interfere. If Oceanus has a problem with Poseidon, he needs to talk to him.”

Metis could see she would get nowhere on her father’s behalf. “Very well. Have you considered my other idea?”

“Sending invitations to Ra and Odin?” Zeus asked. When she nodded, he exhaled once more. He leaned against the table in the private room. “I have. I do not think it is the right time for that.”

Metis was about to argue. Instead, she shook her head. “If you aren’t going to listen to me, why am I your advisor?”

“I do listen to you, Metis,” Zeus said, reaching out for her.

“And why are we doing this? We have made no progress on our wedding. I feel as though I am wasting my time, Zeus,” she said.

“No. No, my darling, it’s not like that.”

“You’re going to be a great king, Zeus,” Metis said, turning from him. “I just do not think I will be by your side if there is not a real place for me here.”

Zeus stepped forward, but Metis was quicker. She left the meeting room without saying any more. He slammed his fist into the table. Command on Olympus was so much easier when she did as he wanted. He would need to make her more docile if he were to keep his throne.

They laid in the bed together. It was not lavish as it might have been on Olympus, but it was large and with enough blankets for the two deities.

Hera laughed playfully as she had not in a long time.

“So you’re using the Titans to build everything?” Hera wondered.

“Only the dead ones,” Hades defended with a smile.

They were both naked in his bed. The room was big, but sparse of anything else. No frills of any kind existed for the Lord of the Underworld. Neither could be happier if they had all of Olympus; it was the embrace of the other person that made the time worth all the while.

“You are ridiculous,” Hera remarked. She stood up to get dressed.