Category: Greek Mythology

Rating: M

Couples: Athena/Thanatos (no idea where that came from :P)

Warnings: AU, Hints of Lemon as well as Blood

Chapter: 3

Copyright: Greek Gods © By Whomever they belong, Plot & OC´s © by me

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Who?" Hera asked. "Who is it?"

Here Athena hesitated, before answering. "Me."

"You?" Zeus shot up, thunder sounding in the distance. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Never." Athena did not flinch as her father's very hair crackled with electricity.

"You are a virgin-goddess." Hades said. "Sworn to virginity."

"No." Athena turned to him. "I never took an oath of virginity, I merely decided..."

"You…" Demeter began.

"I made the only choice that could be made." Athena cut her off. "Fate cannot be dictated, not even by the gods. If it is my fate to marry so that Olympus will prevail, I will gladly do it."

"Why?" Zeus asked, pain in his eyes.

"Prophecy's come true, no matter what." Athena lowered her eyes. Her words rang true. "As for why it is me, I cannot say. I can only say that it is me."

"Then we have no choice but to let you go." Poseidon said. "May you find happiness in this."

"May you find happiness." Four others echoed. Zeus remained silent, head buried in his hands.

Athena looked at him, waiting for a word of him, but he did not even move. After an awkward silence she turned away, bowed to the others and swiftly left the room.

When the door closed behind her, the divine king flinched at the sound.

"You should have said something to her." Hera said, touching his shoulder.

"What?" He looked up. "What can a father tell his child when she is forced into an eternal marriage?"

"She wasn't forced, Zeus." Hestia tried to comfort him. "She made her choice."

"That was no choice, Hestia. She herself said it." He rose from the throne. "Excuse me."

Zeus left through a side entrance, desiring nothing more than to be away from all this. In the elaborate gardens, pride of Demeter, he lowered himself on one of the more hidden benches, staring at the fountain in front of him. It depicted the twelve Olympians, Athena's marble counterpart standing in front of his, smiling serenely.

He felt a sudden desire to smash it, to erase that serene and warm smile from his mind. He rose from the bench, stroking a marble cheek.

His child, the apple of his eye, forced into the never-ending darkness of the Underworld so that the home she would never see again could prevail. Persephone had eaten the pomegranate because she was unwilling to leave Hades, only returning to the world above because of the tears of her mother and the suffering of mankind. Athena had no such thing. And he knew her well enough to know she would prefer to be miserably for the rest of eternity, than to have someone else suffer.

He heard the sound of horses from the courtyard.

He looked over the wall and saw Athena standing next to her chariot talking to Hera. Hera enveloped the War-goddess in a hug, before stepping back so she could leave.

When Athena looked up for the last time their eyes met and she smiled serenely, just like her statue. She did not look back as her chariot departed with the sound of thundering hooves. Her owl flew next to her, easily keeping up with the swift horses.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"A swift return." Nyx opened the door for Athena. "My daughters told me you visited them."

"I wanted to get this all behind me." Athena said, entering the house. "Where's your son?"

"Doing his job." Nyx answered. "The Titans care nothing for the mortals and do nothing to prevent collateral damage. He is extremely busy." She studied Athena. "You do not seem surprised."

"I am the Goddess of Wisdom." Athena stroked the soft feathers of her owl. "Solving riddles disguised as prophecy's is no hardship to me."