Chapter 1
The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus had been restless for many days now. Their eyes had been turned towards a house at the tip of Olympus where they eagerly awaited the announcement that a child had been born - a child of Zeus and Hera.
When the day finally came for new life to grow in their domain above the world, and they had learned that it was to be a son, all of Olympus cheered. Zeus declared that there was to be a gathering like no other where every God and Goddess was to be in attendance to celebrate the birth of his heir. The immortals flowed readily into Olympus in great heaps, bearing gifts and blessings and prayers for the new baby. He was to be their pride and joy - the future king of Olympus. Little Hercules.
Hera picked up her son and held him close. "My boy," She whispered as she rocked him gently against her breast. "My little Hercules."
"Don't hoard him," Zeus grunted, "Let me see my son."
Hera handed Hercules over, her dainty hands resting against the place on her chest he had just been. Her soft pink dress shimmered with light and reflected in her eyes and she gazed lovingly at her son and husband. Zeus lifted Hercules up to the summer-blue sky and began to inspect him. He turned him to the left, then to the right. Hera bit her lip to keep herself from protesting as her husband flipped him over completely, his tiny white tunic falling over his face. With a satisfied huff, Zeus straightened him out and set him back down into his golden bassinet. He wiggled one massive finger in Hercules' face and cooed, a sound most unbecoming of a king of Olympus.
Hercules grabbed onto his finger and gripped it hard. Zeus was lifted into the air and held aloft as Hercules babbled nonsensically and wiggled his toes. The shock on Zeus' face must have mirrored her own, because her husband suddenly let out a great, booming laugh.
"Oh, he's strong like his dad, is he?" His face was lit up with elation.
"Perhaps one day he may even surpass you, husband."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," Zeus grumbled, slowly extracting himself from his son's steel-like grip and assuming his place next to her. "I won't go easy on him."
Hera smiled at her husband. "Then he'll be strong in body and in mind, if he has your stubbornness to contend with." She laughed softly, the sound like the ruffling of a spring breeze. Zeus took ahold of her hand and held it lovingly between his.
"I'm so proud of you, Hera." He leaned in to rest his forehead on hers and she returned the gesture of affection, closing her eyes.
"Thank you, husband. We are truly a family now."
The sounds of the celebration slowly filtered back to her as she heard the familiar, quick fluttering of a certain winged-shoe messenger god. Turning her head, she caught him racing through the crowds of gods with little to no heed of the guests he was flying past, unnoticing or uncaring of the many he startled on his rapid ascent to where they stood. He stopped just short of her, the abruptness of it causing a light wind to blow through her unpinned hair.
She raised an eyebrow at him, a simple gesture to let him know he needed to subdue himself before trouble arose.
The quick-footed god jerked his chin in understanding and gave her a sweeping bow. When he lifted his head once more, a charismatic smile had graced his youthful face and he held out to her a bundle of flowers he had been hiding. She took them from him with grace.
"Why, Hermes, they're lovely." Hera said as she studied them. She thought she could hear faint music-like singing emanating from the flowers, and she narrowed her eyes.
"Yeah, aren't they?" He bounced in place, as if he couldn't keep himself still. "You know, I had Orpheus do the arrangement. Isn't that too nutty?" He scratched his chin and played with the staff in his hands. Then he caught sight of Zeus and lurched over to him, leaving Hera with another hair-disturbing breeze.
"Fabulous party," Hermes fiddled with the tip of his staff again, a cheeky smile rising onto his face. "You know, I haven't seen this much love in a room since Narcissus discovered himself."
Hera glanced over at Narcissus and indeed found him in front of a gold-laced mirror and busy fiddling with hair that had fallen onto his forehead. She let out a whimsical laugh.
As Hermes and her husband began to drivel on about current affairs, souls, and tidings of humans, Hera let her eyes slip down the courtyard. If Olympus had a heart, she knew it would be here. The floors were made of polished limestone, and the pillars that surrounded them had been formed by Helios using clouds and sunlight. The sky was always soft and orange - at least until Selene came, pulling the night with her. The all-seeing eye, some called her. For she brought the moon, and none could run from it.
She was jerked away from her musings by the deafening roar of her husband's voice. The guests all turned with her to watch the Olympian God walk to the tip of the stairs, Hercules in arm.
"On behalf of my son," He addressed the crowd loudly. "I want to thank you all for your wonderful gifts!" He gestured to a considerable pile of jewels, toys, wishes and other treasures. The heap emanated an almost blinding level of shine, and Hera had to blink twice after looking away. She moved to tap her husband softly on the shoulder.
"And what about our gift, dear?" She gently reminded him, knowing he was about to move off the topic.
He moved his free hand up to rub his tan jaw and considered the question. "Well, let's see here. We'll take⦠Hmm, yes!" He snapped his fingers in quick revelation. He brought his hand up before his face and twiddled his fingers.
"A little touch of Cirrus," His fingers began to gather clouds. "And, hmm.. A touch of Nimbostratus." He yanked on the clouds sharply, and a distinctive form began to take shape within them. "And a dash of Cumulus!"
Something within the clouds stirred, and the guests below went silent with anticipation. Zeus held the cloud closer to Hercules, and the child gurgled with delight at the new toy. But when he reached out the grab at it, a head pushed its way out. Hercules retracted his hand, but the head only pushed further out of the cloud and into the boy's arms.
"His name is Pegasus," Zeus said with obvious pride, "And he's all yours, son."
Pegasus fell out of Hercules' arms as the cloud dissipated, but two wings had appeared to save him from his fall. A winged horse had been their gift, then. Hera felt strong satisfaction with that fact as she watched the beautiful, pure-white creature fumble its way back into her son's arms. A worthy gift and friend.
"My boy," She thought again, "My little Hercules."
"How sentimental."
A cool voice shook the joy off her skin. She turned to see the other guests stirring in their places. Shadows began to snake up the pillars of the courtyard.
A dark-haired god broke from the crowd and advanced to the steps, his pale skin dancing under the sunlight. Unease crept up her neck as she watched the ruler of the underworld saunter up the stairs, his eyes as gray and cold as steel-flint.
Her husband, however, shared no such ill feelings about his brother. He clapped his massive hands together in delight, and the shadows dispelled.
"Hades!" He bellowed. "You finally made it. How are things in the Underworld?"
Hades reached the top and graced her with a low bow, reaching to brush the top of her hand with a kiss. The touch sent a shiver up her spine. He didn't deign to respond to her husband until he had found a ledge on which to lean lazily upon. His eyes scanned the courtyard.
"Dark, gloomy." He answered in an uncaring tone. "And, as always, full of dead people."
He perked up a bit once he noticed Hercules, back in the safety of his bassinet. He pushed himself off the wall to move towards him, and it took every trace of restraint in Hera's blood not to act on her motherly instincts and step in-between them. Hades was her husband's brother. If he trusted him, she had to as well. Perhaps it was the clinging scent of the dead that made her feel so uneasy.
He stopped just before the crib and leaned in.
"There's the little sunspot." He cocked his head and scanned the child's face. He reached into his black cloak to pull something out, and Hera tensed. "And here," He pulled out a toy. "Is a little sucker for the sucker, eh?"
He reached his hand out to give Hercules the toy, but Hercules instead latched onto his fingers and squeezed them with the strength of ten men. Hades swore and jerked back, wrenching his hand away from the baby. He grimaced as he held his fingers gingerly, the joints noticeably damaged.
"Powerful thing, isn't he?" He bit the words out, irritation plain on his beautiful face. Hera knew his wounds would heal quickly, but she gave her husband a silent push to break the growing tension.
"Come on, Hades." Zeus coughed, making his way to where Hades stood with a cheerless expression. "Don't be so stiff. Join the celebration!" He threw one massive arm around Hades and led him away from the baby and towards the crowd of gods gathered below. Blue flames danced across his brother's skin as he extracted her husband's arm and pushed himself away.
"I'd love to," He said, "But unlike you gods lounging about up here, I regrettably have a job that you so charitably bestowed upon me." He looked pointedly at Zeus before starting to make the downwards trek back towards the gates of Olympus.
He waved a pale hand in the air as he passed Hera. "I just wanted to see the boy."
Zeus frowned at that, a sight that would have caused any mere mortal to go pale with fear. "You should slow down, Hades. You'll work yourself to death." The words hung in the air for a moment before a large grin spread across his face. A laugh like thunder rolled out of him, shaking the ground they stood on. "Work yourself to death! Oh, I kill myself!"
The gods of Olympus laughed in unison, their cheer re-ignited by her husband's humor. Hera didn't laugh, however, as she watched a slow smile turn the corners of Hades' lips. His echoing steps didn't falter as he replied, his voice too faint for anyone but her to hear.
"If only, brother. If only."
