Blessed Gifts

Each holding onto a hand of their mother and walking on either side of her, twins Artemis and Apollo, who had just turned three that morning, looked around the hallway they walked in. Everything was crafted out of pure white marble and illuminated by a series of flaming white orbs that floated above them.

"Everything looks so beautiful!" Apollo exclaimed excitedly in a bubbly childish voice. "To think that one day, we would be living here!"

Leto looked down at her right and smiled at her son with short and wavy golden hair and cheerful bright blue eyes. What enthusiasm he possessed. Even from birth, he had been a very attractive babe, whose charming presence can lighten up anyone's spirit. She was certain that he would be a brilliant and powerful god once he had come of age.

Then, she turned to her left and looked down at her daughter with blackish-brown hair that fell in graceful waves to her chin and enticing dark midnight blue eyes. Unlike her younger twin brother, who was fawning over everything loudly and chattering away, she was silent and eyeing her surroundings in quiet curiosity.

Leto too smiled down at her. Artemis was never one for many words, but she could enchant anyone with her presence just as easily as her brother. Her beauty, grace and mystery could intrigue all eyes and their attentions. She also knew that Artemis, like her brother, would also become a very powerful and formidable goddess when she grew up. Why, Artemis was her mother's midwife in Apollo's birth, and that made the Titaness already know that her daughter was indeed one of a kind.

She did not know exactly what gave her those ideas of her children being powerful. It may be motherly intuition or it may be sense. But whatever it was, she knew that it was true.

Artemis looked up at the loving royal blue eyes of her mother and asked, "Mother? Why did Father summon us? And when can we go back to Delos?"

Before Leto could answer, it was Apollo who piped in. "Father is surely going to give us our birthday presents!" he chirped. "I wonder what he will give us! Probably something amazing!"

"Your brother is right," Leto affirmed. "Your father summoned us here to give the both of you your birthday gifts. We shall return home after we have seen him."

Artemis said nothing. She only nodded her head in understanding and resumed looking all around her.

Finally, the three of them stood before tall golden doors that shone in light. Both Apollo and Artemis were so entranced by how tall and how shiny the doors were, and both were aflame with curiosity of where the doors led to. Only Leto knew that answer.

"This is the throne hall, children. This is where your father sits as king of Mount Olympus," she explained knowingly as she too gazed at the golden doors. She thought of the fact that on the other side of those doors, her one-time lover, the father of her beautiful and lovely twins, sat on his throne, awaiting his children's arrival.

Leto then turned to face her children and knelt so that she was on eye level with them. "Children, I need you to be on your best behavior in front of your father. Greet him properly and treat him with respect. Is that understood?"

Apollo immediately made a salute and smiled to say that he understood whereas Artemis just nodded obediently.

Suddenly, Leto could hear the doors opened and immediately rose to her full height and turned. Fear overwhelmed her in that instant, thinking that it was the one goddess who she had no wish to face right now.

But luckily for her, it was not the dangerous queen with graceful long reddish-mahogany hair and honey eyes, but a goddess with shoulder-length dark blonde hair and piercing platinum-grey eyes who looked to be in her mid-teens.

The young goddess immediately made eye contact with the Titaness with wavy shoulder-length hair the color of dark brown and kind royal blue eyes, and the two little children that stood on each of her side. She smiled immediately.

"Hello," the goddess greeted kindly. "You must be Leto. I am Athena, a daughter of Zeus."

Leto nodded her head once in greeting. "Hello," she replied just as kindly. "Zeus is in the throne hall, yes?" she inquired.

The goddess, Athena, nodded in affirmation. Then, her attentions were directed to Apollo, who stood right beside his mother and staring at her, and Artemis, who was hiding shyly behind her mother's skirt and looking at her curiously.

"Hello there. And what are your names?" Athena asked with a smile as she knelt to be at eye level with the children.

Gulping down her fear of this new stranger, Artemis slowly approached shyly from behind her mother's skirt and replied, "My name is Artemis."

Immediately after, Apollo jumped closer to Athena and greeted cheerfully with spread arms, "My name is Apollo! And today is our birthday!"

"It is?" Athena asked in surprise. "So the both of you are twins?"

"I am older than him by nine days," Artemis said informatively. "But he likes to act like he's the oldest."

Apollo stuck out his tongue at his sister for the comment, which made Athena giggle.

"Well, I wish you two a happy birthday then. Our father is sure to gift both of you with great things," Athena told the both of them happily before she ruffled both their hairs and stood to her full height. Then she leaned in towards Leto and whispered into her ear, "Hera is away from Olympus at the moment. So do not worry."

Leto pursed her lips at the mention of Zeus' wife and nodded her head in acknowledgement. Athena gave one more smile to her and the twins before walking away.

Suddenly, a voice called out from inside the throne hall.

"Apollo? Come in please."

Apollo yelped in excitement and Leto swooped down to give him a quick kiss on the top of his head before letting go of his hand. He dashed into the hall in a few seconds flat, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

The young boy found himself in a huge hall, made out of marble like the rest of the palace with several tall gold pillars that had stenciled silver patterns on them. It was mostly unfurnished, except for a long strip of carpeting that was weaved out of gold and silver threads and led to a marble dais that held atop two platinum thrones which were fixed to the floor.

There was a man who sat on the bigger of the two platinum thrones, looking at Apollo with a smile. He had silvery-blonde hair that flowed majestically to his shoulders, with a short mustache and beard, and a pair of metallic grey eyes that, although looked serious, held kindness and warmth.

Apollo immediately knew who that man was.

"Hello, Father!" he greeted as he rushed up the steps of the marble dais.

Zeus chuckled wholeheartedly at his son's enthusiastic greeting and immediately picked him off the floor when the boy reached his legs. He sat Apollo down on his lap and began to tickle him in the stomach. A bubbly laughter escaped the boy's lips and he exclaimed, "Father, stop! That tickles!"

Zeus laughed but stopped nonetheless. "Apollo. My golden son. How are you?"

Apollo beamed when his father called him 'golden son'. It made him feel special, and he regarded that little nickname as sacred, meant for him and him only.

"I am fine, Father. Thank you for asking."

"And how are your mother and sister?"

"They are fine too. This morning, Mother made us a delicious meal of sweet wild berries in goat milk for our birthday. You should try some one day! It really is tasty!"

With a soft smile, Zeus nodded his head. "Maybe one day, my golden son. Now, let us get down to business."

Knowing what that business meant, Apollo started fidgeting on his father's lap with excitement.

"I have a wonderful gift for you, Apollo. Indeed, you will find it most to your liking," Zeus explained. "Do you wish to have it now or would you like to wait a few more days?"

At this point, Apollo's eagerness had reached a maximum and the boy could no longer tame it. "Now, Father! I wish to see it now! I'm so very excited!"

Zeus laughed and shook his head in amusement. "Of course, you would. No worries, you may have it now."

And then, Zeus reached his hand to behind his throne and pulled out the most amazing things that Apollo had ever seen.

It was some sort of weapon, he could tell. It was completely crafted out of gold in the shape of an arch with a strong shiny string that went from one end of the arch to the other. With the weapon, Zeus also held a long cylindrical leather bag with a bunch of thin and long sticks with feathers at the end. Like the weapon, the sticks were all made out of gold.

"What is that…." Apollo asked breathlessly as he stared at his mysterious gifts in awe.

Looking at the items in his hand as well, Zeus answered, "This weapon is called the bow. And the things in the bag are called arrows. These will be your weapons, and one of your many attributes."

Then with his other hand, Zeus took out one golden arrow. Apollo saw now that while one end of the stick had feathers, the other end ended in a pointed and sharp tip. Zeus carefully gave the arrow to him, and Apollo was careful to not touch the pointed end. Instead, he felt the stalk of the arrows and was amazed by how smooth the gold was.

Zeus carefully took the arrow away and put it back into the bag. Then he handed both the bag of arrows and the arrow to Apollo, who took it graciously. "The bow is small now to fit your stature. But as you grow, then so will it. The arrows in this quiver will never empty, so there is no need to reclaim those which you have shot," Zeus explained.

Apollo said nothing and continued to gaze at his glorious gifts. But in him, hesitation was slowly growing.

"Father," Apollo began. "This is wonderful. But…."

Zeus raised his eyebrow at the sudden note of hesitation in his son's voice. "But?"

Apollo pursed his lips, unsure of whether his words would anger his father or not.

"Tell me what troubles you, my son."

Knowing very well that he needed to own up, Apollo admitted softly, "I am unsure of how to use this… bow and arrows. I do wish to learn though, for they are weapons given to me by my father and must thus be used with pride in my hands."

A small smile appeared on Zeus' lips then. "No worries, my son. I shall send you to my brother, the centaur Chiron. He will train you in the use of these weapons and teach you in many other topics."

Finally feeling rest assured, Apollo began to smile again. But before he could say anything, Zeus continued on.

"But the bow and arrows will not be the only gifts you will receive, young one," he explained.

The sky blue eyes of Apollo widened. "There are more gifts?!" he exclaimed chirpily.

Zeus nodded in confirmation. Then, he placed both his hands on Apollo and said seriously, "I am sure that you will grow to be a great god, Apollo. And a great god will have many names. So thus, as your skills and knowledge grow and you have many mortal lands under your patronage, you will thus gain epithets."

Apollo grinned at the thought of having many names. He knew it had to be important if a great god were to have many epithets, and couldn't wait until he had gained his many names.

Zeus then patted his back and proclaimed, "Now that is all the gifts I have for you. Though it may seem like little, those of which you gain in the years to come will be much more. All you have to do now is wait and find a way to gain them."

Apollo felt satisfied with the gifts he received at that moment but was happy to know that he would gain much more as he grew. He kissed his father on the cheek. "Thank you, Father. Indeed I am thankful."

Zeus smiled in return and ruffled Apollo's head of golden hair, which made the boy giggle. Then he lifted Apollo off his lap and set his feet on the floor. "Now go and get your sister, for it is now her turn to receive her gifts," he instructed.

Apollo nodded his head and bowed in respect. When he straightened up, he waved goodbye before running off towards the door, the golden bow in one hand and the quiver of arrows in another.

When he exited, he found his mother leaning against the wall, carrying his sister in her arms. Her royal blue eyes went to him in an instant and she smiled when she saw the gifts in his hands.

"What beautiful presents!" Leto exclaimed happily as she set Artemis down. "Did you thank your father for them?" she asked.

Apollo nodded n confirmation. "That's not all! He also said that when I grow older and gain more power, I will have many epithets. That means if I get bored with one name, I can use another!"

Leto smiled proudly at her son for being blessed with brilliant gifts. Then she looked at Artemis, who was listening attentively to Apollo as he explained about the golden weapons in his hands, which he called the bow and arrows. She noticed the way Artemis gazed at the bow in amazement and longing, and instantly knew that her daughter wanted a similar gift.

"Artemis?"

Artemis looked up at Leto instantly. "Yes?"

"It is your turn."

Leto had half-expected Artemis to be as excited as Apollo. She recalled the way her son had dashed into the hall the very second he had been called. But Artemis did not squeal in excitement nor did she hurry inside. She looked at the golden doors hesitantly, staying where she was.

"Sister, what are you doing?" Apollo asked curiously. "It is your turn. Father is waiting."

Artemis pursed her lips in hesitance and looked up at her mother, her eyes showing that she was looking for comfort. "I'm afraid Father may not like me," she quietly said.

Leto smiled comfortingly at her daughter and knelt to meet her daughter's midnight blue eyes. With a hand cupping Artemis' cheek, Leto assured gently, "Do not worry of what you do not know, my daughter. And besides, if your father does not like you, why would he ask for both you and your brother to meet him?"

Artemis realized then that her mother was right. If Zeus did not like her, he would have just called for Apollo only.

"Now go, my daughter. Do not keep your father waiting," Leto instructed her before kissing her on the forehead. Artemis gave a small smile to both her mother and Apollo before walking into the hall.

Artemis was immediately breathless at the sight of the huge magnificent room she was in. She admired the golden pillars with stenciled silver patterns, the gold and silver threads which weaved into the strip of carpeting and the smooth polished marble dais ahead of her. But her attentions were immediately taken by the god sitting on the beautiful platinum throne, who was smiling at her warmly.

As she walked at a fixed pacing to the dais, Zeus could not help but be entranced by the beauty this daughter of his possessed. She seemed like the darker version of her younger twin brother; whilst Apollo had bright golden hair and bright blue eyes that were the color of a clear and bright afternoon sky, Artemis had hair of black and brown shades with midnight blue eyes that closely resembled the night sky.

Zeus knew that Artemis was similar to Leto in more ways than one, and not just in looks. She had gained her mother's hidden beauty; the very beauty that had attracted Zeus to Leto in the first place. The beauty in her did not only apply to the outside, but also to her personality. It was already obvious in the way Artemis had gained his attentions without doing anything but walking.

Artemis met his eyes and she gave him a small smile, to which he returned with his own. When she had climbed up the dais steps and was standing in front of his legs, she curtsied as a show of respect.

"Artemis. My silver daughter. How are you?" he asked her kindly as he lifted her from the floor and onto his lap. "You look even more beautiful since the last time I saw you."

A faint blush bloomed across Artemis' cheekbones. "Thank you, Father. That is a very nice thing for you to say," she told him nicely.

A chuckle escaped Zeus' lips. "What manners you have! Your mother must be teaching you very well," he complimented. "Speaking of which, how are your mother and your brother? I hope the three of you are fine, yes?"

Artemis thought about it, and then shrugged her shoulders. "I guess you could say that. Apollo and I always play games on the beach every day, but we make sure to come home on time for meals and lessons with Mother. She teaches me how to weave and sing and dance. Apollo joins in only for the singing and dancing."

"Very good, very good," Zeus praised proudly. He then shifted himself in his seat slightly to get more comfortable before asking, "So you have seen your brother's presents?"

Artemis nodded her head. "Do you think it is nice?" he inquired.

"I thought it was lovely," she replied with a smile.

The warm smile on Zeus' lips had never left once. "Well, my darling silver daughter, your gifts will be just as lovely."

That seemed to make Artemis excited as she starting bouncing with cheeriness on her father's lap. "It will? What is it, Father?"

Zeus gently placed a hand on her dainty shoulder and shook his head slowly. "I am not holding any of your gifts at the moment," he admitted.

The smile from Artemis' face disappeared and her eyes became ridden with sadness. "What? Really? So I will have no presents?" she asked in disappointment, and Zeus swore that he could see her eyes tear up then.

He quickly assured her, "No, no, my girl. You will have your presents. I have promised you that, and I keep my promises."

At this point, Artemis became confused. "I don't understand, Father. You said you do not hold any of my gifts at the moment, but yet you say I will have them and it is special." When Zeus nodded his head in confirmation, Artemis pressed, "How and in what way?"

With bright grey eyes and a cheerful smile, Zeus answered, "Your gifts are special because you can freely choose whatever you wish for. Be it one of the many extravagant jewels of the palace, a shell from the depths of the ocean or a molten rock from the Earth's core, anything you want."

The young girl's mood lightened instantly and her rosy lips spread into a grin. "Really, Father? That is so wonderful!"

"I'm glad that you think so. Now tell me; what is it which you truly desire?"

For a long time, Artemis gazed at a random corner of the throne hall, looking very deep in thought to herself. Zeus did not rush her, keeping quiet and giving her all the silence she needed to concentrate. Throughout the whole silence, he was very curious as to what his silver daughter would wish for. Something in him told him that it would be very big.

Finally, after a few minutes, Artemis finally spoke.

"I have made up my mind and wish for six gifts, Father," she said in a serious and solemn tone.

"Then tell me these wishes, my silver daughter."

Artemis nodded and took a very deep breath before she began.

"First of all, you must know that I wish to be acknowledged sometimes with Apollo, for both of us share a strong bond that can never be broken. I wish for a bow and arrow like Apollo's. But instead of golden ones, I wish for silver ones. I wish for many names like my brother. I hope to become a great goddess when I grow up, and wish to be known for my greatness by my many names."

Zeus nodded his head once in acknowledgement.

"Secondly, I wish to have allowance to wear a chiton that reaches my knees. My favorite activity has always been to run in the wilderness, and a long dress restricts me from running fast. I only wish to wear long dresses when I am not in forests."

Zeus found that wish quite strange, but still reasonable. He nodded his head.

"For I love the wilderness so much, I wish to own every mountain, plain, clearing, meadow, glade and forest as my domain. I do not require any city to be dedicated to me, but it will be alright if I have at least one."

"I see…"

"Fourth, I wish for eighty nymphs as my retinue – sixty daughters of Oceanus, all of the age of nine, to be my choir and twenty Amnisides Naiads as my handmaidens to watch over my animals and my silver bow while I rest."

Zeus nodded his head as he rubbed his bearded chin. Such a large number of nymphs his daughter required, but all for a good cause.

"Fifth, I wish for the ability to help women endure the pains of childbirth. I was the one who assisted in Mother's birth of Apollo, and I have seen how much in pain she was. It hurts me, and I wish that all women could have an easy birthing of children."

That surprised Zeus a bit. Artemis was only three years of age, yet she so quickly wanted to assist in childbirths. But he knew that his daughter would be able to do the job, for she had caused her mother no pain as she was being birthed.

"And what will be your final wish, my silver daughter?" Zeus inquired curiously.

Artemis felt a jumble of nerves inside her as she thought of her final wish. It was a decision that she had pondered a lot about, but she was sure that it was what she wanted.

"I wish….. to remain a maiden throughout eternity. I wish to not be forced into marriage. And I wish that no man would try to claim me. If they should ever try to attempt to do so, then I wish to be able to strike them down with my silver bow and arrow for their insolence."

Now that truly did surprise Zeus. Still so young, yet Artemis had already made the firm decision to remain a virgin forever? So far, the only virgin goddesses in the pantheon were Hestia, the Goddess and caretaker of the Hearth of Olympus, and Athena, his astounding older daughter and the Goddess of Wisdom. Can Mount Olympus accept another virgin goddess?

Zeus gazed into Artemis' enchanting midnight blue eyes and saw just how earnest she was about each wish and how hopeful she was that he would bestow it upon her. It made him smile, knowing that he too wanted to fulfill her wishes.

"Very well, my daughter. You shall have all of these wishes. You shall have a silver bow and arrow and many names like your younger twin. You shall be allowed to wear a chition that reaches your knees so that you can run freely in the wilderness. You shall have patronage over all the wildlands and the creatures who inhabit it. You shall have sixty Oceanids - all of the age of nine - as your choir and twenty Amnisiades Naiads as your handmaidens. You shall help women to endure the pains of childbirth. And finally, you shall be granted eternal virginity, and no man will be your keeper."

Artemis felt her heart swell with emotions at the news and grinned so widely that she felt as though it would be able to split her face into two. Truly, it was wonderful to have wishes come true.

But Zeus continued on. "However, I will make a condition for your last wish."

A condition? Artemis wondered what condition would come for wishing to be an eternal maiden. She could only hope that it was not a terrible one.

"And what condition would that be, Father?" she asked quite anxiously.

With seriousness in his voice, he answered, "The condition would be that you can so freely choose to no longer be a maiden if you wish to do so. I may make you completely immune to the powers of the Love Goddess Aphrodite, but you will still be able to act upon what your heart tells you."

A wise condition, Artemis realized. Though she was sure that she would never want to not be a virgin, she was thankful that her father had given her a chance to think of her options in the near future.

"I understand and accept this condition. But may I ask; when can I receive my gifts?"

"Tomorrow, you may visit Hephaestus and request him to forge you your bow and arrows of silver. Then, you may stand before Oceanus and request him for sixty of his daughters. Then, you must make your way to the river Amnisus in Crete and request the twenty Naiads. When your task has been complete, only then can you carry out your activities in the wilderness."

"I must get them myself?" she asked astonishingly.

Zeus nodded his head in confirmation. "Now, I am not saying that I do not wish to do it myself. But I have a feeling that you will grow up to be an independent goddess, and this can be a way to show your independence."

Ah, now Artemis finally understood. Gaining her own gifts would give her one ultimate gift; the gift of independence. How smart her father was.

"Thank you, Father. This is truly a wonderful birthday gift," she thanked graciously. Carefully, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Zeus smiled at the loveliness of his silver daughter. His wonderful daughter.

"You are most welcome, my dear. Now go. Return to Delos with your mother and brother. I will see you very soon."

Artemis nodded obediently and kissed him on the cheek once more before allowing him to lift her off his lap. When both her feet were on the floor, Artemis curtsied in respect to him before turning to walk out of the hall.

Leto and Apollo were surprised to see her exit empty-handed.

"Father didn't give you any presents?" Apollo asked in disbelief, accompanied with a hint of sadness in both his voice and eyes. Leto too could not believe that Zeus did not gift anything to her. Surely he was not that cruel, was he?

Artemis shook her head with a smile. "No. Father gave me many presents," she corrected.

That made both her mother and brother confused. "If he gave you many presents, where is it?" Apollo asked curiously.

Taking the left hand of her mother with her right and the right hand of her brother with her left, she said, "There is really a lot to tell you both."

So as they walked down the hallway, preparing to leave for home, Leto and Apollo listened attentively in amazement as Artemis explained her gifts.

Leto could never once stop herself from admiring the beauty of her children.

Now, she was sitting on a chair near the fireplace, doing some needlework as she gazed at her sleeping children in their bed.

Her twins shared one bed that was close to her own bed and that could fit the both of them, though both wished for a bed of their own when they grow up. Artemis slept on the right on her side, facing Apollo who slept on the left on his back. Both their breathing were quiet and gentle.

Sometimes, as she looked at them, she always recalled how difficult it had been for her when she was carrying them in her. She remembered how each land refused to let her give birth, as they had been ordered to by the jealous and wrathful Queen Hera. She thought she had lost all hope.

But then came a floating island which was not fixed to the earth, and thus was not affected by Hera's rule. It had also refused to obey the queen's rule. The island was Delos, the island which Leto and her children now resided on and who Leto knew had once been her beloved older sister, Asteria.

Leto always wondered about whether it had been worth it to go through so much trouble to bring Apollo and Artemis into the world. But each time she pondered on the thought, she would always decide that it was indeed worth it.

She was suddenly pulled out from her long train of thought by a sudden presence in the area. A presence who she knew all too well.

"It may be unwise to be here," she said softly into the air. "Queen Hera will be most upset."

A voice suddenly spoke to her in her head.

Hera will not be a problem. Come outside, Leto, for I wish to speak with you.

Leto did not refuse, though she did feel hesitant. She did not wish to anger Hera any more, but knew that whatever Zeus had wanted to speak to her about must be important.

Being as quiet as a mouse, Leto got off her chair and set down her needlework on the wooden table nearby before making her way to the door. She opened the door slowly, stepped outside, and shut it slowly, all while not making a sound.

She saw Zeus standing on the shore with his back to her. He was staring at the ocean, with the bright moonlight shining upon him, making him look even more ethereal than he already was. He turned his head to look at her when she approached his side.

Leto will never deny the fact that Zeus was glorious. Even if they had only coupled on a bed once, she thanked him for giving her beautiful children. She could only help that he would feel that same type of love for them as she did.

"You wish to speak with me?" she asked gently.

"Yes," he replied just as gently as he turned to face her. He towered over her by a foot, and she had to tilt her head up slightly to look at him as he tilt his head down slightly to look at her.

Zeus took a deep breath before speaking. "The twins seemed to have enjoyed their birthday. I am glad for that."

With a smile, Leto nodded her head. "They did indeed. Apollo cannot wait to start his lessons with Chiron whereas Artemis is all prepared to set off tomorrow to gain her desires. Truly, I must thank you for gifting them so wonderfully."

"Ah, but I have not finished gifting them, Leto."

Leto's eyes widened in surprise. He was not finished? What else could he possibly give to them?

"What else is there?" she inquired.

"Many more great things," he replied. Leto only kept quiet until he started talking again.

"The birth of the twins has cemented a new order in the pantheon; a first in history. For they have shown a great amount of power in them, even from their birth, I only found it right that they receive their own places in the pantheon, once they have come of age."

Leto could not stop the gasp of surprise that escaped her lips. Although she knew that Apollo and Artemis were destined for greatness, she had not expected them to be instated as principal deities. Being a member of the Olympic pantheon was the highest honor any god or goddess could ever hope to achieve, and Leto could not believe that her children had managed to attain that honor.

"By the Fates, that is wonderful," she said breathlessly.

Zeus smiled at her happiness. "Ah, but that is not all."

Leto truly was curious about what other gifts Zeus had in store for them. "What else?"

Zeus took the moment too look at the bright moon above them. Leto followed his gaze, wondering what was it about the celestial being that enchanted him.

"I have spoken to Helios and Selene a while ago," he said suddenly.

Leto looked at him surprise. "The Sun Titan and the Moon Titaness? Why did you speak to them?"

He met her gaze once again and explained, "They feel that the twins are appropriate candidates to be patrons of the celestial bodies and have come to a decision which has been approved by me. I proclaim now that Apollo will be the new God of the Sun and Artemis shall be the new Goddess of the Moon."

Leto could absolutely not believe it. Not only were her children the newest members of the pantheon, but they were now the new deities of the Sun and the Moon? That is just one more piece of good news that seemed too good to be true.

Zeus continued on as Leto looked at him in astonishment. "The next gift would be considered the greatest gift."

"And what gift would that be?" she asked.

Leto swore then that she saw a sort of affection appear in Zeus' piercing grey eyes. His smile looked so soft and gentle that she could feel the tenderness of his heart.

"They will be known by many names respectively," he slowly explained. "But together, they shall also be known by many titles. They shall be called the Twin Archers, the Celestial Twins and the patrons of young boys and girls. But most importantly, they shall be known as the Letoides - the children of Leto. They shall honor your name with theirs."

And suddenly, Zeus lifted a hand to tuck a strand of brown hair behind Leto's ear. She blushed as she felt his knuckles brush against her cheek gently, actually liking the feel of it.

"My last gift shall be to you, Leto," he proclaimed softly.

"To me?"

He nodded. "What gift should you give me?" she asked. "You have already blessed me with wonderful twins. Surely I could receive no more from you."

Zeus shook his head gently. "Ah, but you will indeed receive one more gift."

His hand cupped the side of her face gently as he stared lovingly into her eyes.

"For a long time, you have been known as the Titaness of the Unseen. It was your hidden beauty that had attracted me to you. The beauty that lives in both your appearance and soul. But for your selflessness and your devotion towards the children, for your kind and loving nature that takes care of them, I proclaim you now as the Titaness of Motherhood; patron of mothers and the bond between mothers and their children."

Leto could feel a swell of emotion in her heart. These were too many good things happening all at one time. Surely this must be a dream? There was never such thing as a perfect moment.

But she knew it wasn't a dream when Zeus leaned in to kiss her on her forehead. She gasped slightly at the feel, but smiled afterwards as she shut her eyes slowly.

"You have blessed me with two wonderful children. For that, I thank you," she heard him whisper, his lips soft against her skin.

But when Leto opened her eyes, he was gone. However, the smile did not leave her face once, and she shut her eyes once more to enjoy the happiness that came from her heart.

And so, with the years to come, the twins – known by many names, but more well-known as the Letoides – indeed grew to be powerful deities and formidable Olympians.

Phoebus Apollo, the golden son of Zeus and Leto, became a powerful archer with his golden bow and arrows, a powerful healer with his vast knowledge of medicine, a wonderful musician with his sirensongs and beautiful hymns and ballads, the All-seeing One and Master of the Sun.

Phoebe Artemis, the silver daughter of Zeus and Leto, became the great huntress and caretaker of the wilderness with her silver bow and arrow, the patron goddess of midwives and the Mistress of the Moon. Too, she was well-known as one of the three virgin goddesses of Mount Olympus.

They are indeed twins that have been blessed aplenty.

Author's Note:

Alright! Hope you enjoyed this very long one-shot. I really did enjoy typing it :)

Anyway, in case none of you know or you inquire about it later, Delos is the island that allowed Leto to give birth to Artemis and Apollo. Delos used to be Leto's sister, Asteria, who transformed herself into the island just so she could escape Zeus' advances.

So once again, hope you enjoyed it!

Muse of Fanfiction