I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Story 13: I Got No Love to Give to You
Location: Alfheimr, Land of the Elves.
Flying islands, floating rivers, a purple/blueish sky, and two moons. One moon was made out of pale purple minerals while the second one was made out of pale green minerals. Light and darkness coexist in a sense of total peace. Welcome to Alfheimr, the land of the elves; a place that has never seen war or been touched by serious conflicts.
The surface of this realm was covered in a dense forest that expanded forever in each direction. Many creatures call this realm home and two particular groups govern it since its very beginnings.
Those with bright butterflies wings who walk in the day, light elves. White skin like porcelain with pointed ears, long bright colored hairstyles, and big deep bright eyes.
Those with mysterious shade moth wings who fly through the night, dark elves. Darker skin colors that shined like that of a diamond with pointed ears, shorter and shaded hairstyles with luminous small eyes.
The two are humanoid creatures that possess long longevity and beauty. Their deep eyes lack pupils, and many lack vocal cords or even mouths which led to them developing telepathy to communicate with each other.
These particular creatures preferred to stay inside their realm and avoid involving themselves with outside problems yet they still welcome visitors as the exchange of resources brought joy to the denizens of this realm.
Such an exchange brought a certain god here.
Tavern: Wings of Astral Dust. Year: 1500 AD (1500 years after the Great War).
As the night replaces daytime, the lively dark elves enjoy the night. The chatting and drinking continued peacefully while Hephestus waited patiently for his client to finish analyzing the bow he had prepared for the elf.
"So how is it Caspius?" Hephaestus asked.
The light elf called Caspius Altises was carefully checking each corner of the bow. His deep amber eyes were shining with excitement.
"Hephaestus-dono, this is far too good to be true." Caspius transmitted his thoughts to Hephaestus even if he didn't lack a mouth.
"Is nothing. Only the best for my clients. You brought the materials and I took care of the rest."
"I will treasure this bow for all of my life." Caspius bows his head toward the god. "I also sincerely apologize for making you come all the way here to deliver it."
"Is alright. I actually enjoyed the trip and Alfheimr is quite a sight to behold. Your endless forest is shrouded in mystery and makes me wonder how many exotic materials I could harvest if I took the time to explore it."
"If you ever need a guide I could offer my services. Just make sure to let me know in advance."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Well, I have to leave. Is already late and an early morning awaits me, Hephaestus-dono. Please enjoy your stay and remember that I reserved a room upstairs for you."
"Thank you, see ya around Caspius." Hephaestus waved his hand as the elf exited the building. The god of the forge still had one bottle of the most expensive elf wine one could buy and some snacks left so he decided to enjoy it before going to sleep. His hair was a bit shorter now and his usual toga was replaced by a brown explorer outfit which include boots and a hooded jacket. His beard was much nicer than back in the day as he took much better care of his appearance.
Time had passed since he ended his relationship with most members of Olympus. These days after the war he had begun to travel even more than before as he tried to keep his connections with clients outside of his realm of origin. He enjoyed the diverse array of clients he had gained over the years and he wasn't going to throw it into the trash just because his former faction decided to go to war without justifiable reasons.
He didn't worry as much about the result of the war since Athena, Artemis, Apollo, and Hestia were alive. Hades didn't participate either so that meant that his clients were safe and sound which was good for him.
He was happy and that's all that mattered. Travels, work, and good food; Hephaestus was living an enjoyable life, to say the least.
As the god enjoyed his food and drink, a visitor entered the tavern. The visitor had their body covered by a white cloak made out of the highest quality of materials.
The conversations and music stopped as soon as the visitor made its presence known. The eyes of almost everyone present turned to the visitor as if everyone was being charmed.
The scent of the visitor quickly reached Hephaestus's nose and his mood quickly soured after realizing who it was. "... Danmit all to the tartarus."
The visitor walked through the place until it reached Hephaestus's table. The visitor didn't have the courtesy to even ask for the right to take a seat before sitting down across the god.
"What do you want?" Hephaestus asks.
"..." The visitor stays silent for a few moments. "... I want to talk."
"Talk? The time for talking was a long time ago."
"... Hephaestus…. Please hear me out."
"Get out and don't show your face ever again, whore. I have nothing to say to you so get out of here."
"... Please." The visitor's hands reached out towards his.
The eyes of the god were filled with anger as he smacked her hands away from his.
"Don't you dare touch me! Get out of my face, Aphrodite!"
The name echo through every direction of the tavern. Everyone's eyes were locked into place as they watched the discussion.
Aphrodite took off the hood that was hiding her face. Her long silky pink hair wasn't as bright as back in the day. Her charming face was now replaced by one of sadness and regret. One could tell that she cried regularly.
"I can't keep going like this. Please release me from the curse. I can't watch any more deaths." Aphrodite said.
"I won't. That curse is your punishment and it has been a blessing in disguise for all of the realms. You used to play with love and not take it seriously. The so-called goddess of love causes mischief and chaos around the realm by interfering in the love of others. Forcing men and women to love people they never had feelings for. Promising women that already have marriages to other men. How many stories have I heard through the ages? As soon as I put that curse on you all of that came to a halt didn't it."
Aphrodite lowers her head in shame as Hephaestus's words cut deeply. "I know… I know I mess up big time."
"Mess up? Aphrodite, you did so much damage to so many couples and people. You were banned from entering Earth, from interfering with the affairs of mortals, and several realms banned you from even entering. I'm surprised you didn't start a war with a different pantheon just because of your escapades. All of that happened shortly after we stopped being husband and wife if we can even call our past a serious relationship. I can only feel relieved that I ended our marriage before you cheated even more."
"I'm… sorry."
"Take your words back. You don't mean them."
"I do."
"No, you don't. You never cared. Ten years, we might be gods but time still affects us. We still grow old and we have emotions. I loved you with all of my heart. I never cheated, never looked at other women, and yet none of that mattered. You cheated, you had children of other men behind my back, you lied, and you enjoyed escapades with those that were close to me. Ares and I shared a mother but you didn't care."
"I…"
"I know that the cheating involves two but you could stop it and yet you didn't. Did you ever stop to think that maybe telling me to end the marriage before all of that began would have been a good thing to do? I would have been heartbroken but I would have accepted."
"... I didn't….. I just didn't see the need back then. You were happy."
"Happy with lies and empty promises; a cruel fantasy that lasted 10 years. You never stopped to think that I wanted a real relationship with you. I wanted a family with you. I wanted us but you never saw that." Hephaestus grabs the bottle and drinks it down.
Those who were watching decide that it best to not interfere. Slowly but surely, elves begin to walk outside of the tavern or go upstairs to their room.
"I'm sorry." Hephaestus apologizes to the patrons and workers. He gives them a bag filled with coins as payment for the inconvenience.
They shake their heads and bring several bottles for the pair. They knew that the night was going to be long for the pair.
The atmosphere is still tense as Hephaestus continues to drink.
"... I hurt you….. I deserved all of the shame that I have gained. I'm not a saint and I doubt that I could ever make it up for all the things I have done but I asked this of you. Release the curse. I can't watch more of their deaths."
Hephaestus stays silent.
"This curse is the worst punishment a goddess such as myself could ever endure. All of those that I had true feelings for had died in the worst possible ways and the curse makes me experience their deaths and the pain they go through. I watched all of them die, I felt their pain and their fears as if it was my own. If I try to prevent their deaths, the curse makes their deaths even worse."
Hephaestus shows no emotion.
"Adonis, Ares, Anchises, Hermes, and many others. I can recall their deaths vividly even if I was present. This curse is a nightmare that never ends. Not even my dreams are saved from the curse. Every night I watch their corpses reaching out to me for help and yet I'm unable to help them. Ares…. I can still see his body being consumed by Trihexa. His soul was destroyed by that monster without a single drop of mercy. His screams filled with pain and anguish still haunt me to this day… please, release me."
Hephaestus looks at her face. The sorrow, the tears, her sadness, none of that made him feel any emotion. His heart didn't feel anything for her except anger. "That what you feel right now is exactly what I felt when I realized the truth about you. Can you understand how broken I felt after learning that my "wife" had been lying to me? My bed was tainted by the fluids of other males. Your lips are tainted by those of others. Your words were all lies and not a single time did you mean any of what you said to me back then. The kids that I never got, you gave to others. Your womb mothered children that weren't mine. You choose to hide all of those pregnancies and lied to me every damn time. You destroyed the concept of love for me. This heart of mine hasn't recovered to this day. No matter how many women I kiss, no matter how many I take to bed; I feel no connection. I feel no attachments. I can't even start a damn relationship with those women that had tried to approach me."
Aphrodite's tears continue as she listens to her ex-husband's words.
"Tell me, why do I deserve so much pain? Why do I have a mother that threw me into the ocean as soon as I was born? Why did I get a wife such as yourself? Why do I suffer so much when I just want to be happy? I just wanted to be loved. I loved you with all of my heart. I was willing to give my life for yours and yet even when you're the goddess of love you never took my feelings seriously. You never stopped, you didn't take a second to think how your actions were going to affect me."
The goddess watched as the god broke into tears. The emotions behind those words were something she couldn't ignore. She had been betraying him with men that she didn't even love such as Zeus and although she loved Ares back then it was still a massive sign of disrespect. She followed her lust in many cases.
No words escaped her mouth. Her words couldn't fix him and she knew it.
Hephaestus looks up for a few moments. "I need to leave. I'm too tired….. Athena was right maybe I should take a long trip to somewhere far away…." He then raises his right hand before he begins to draw a flame circle and a few runes.
Aphrodite feels a burning sensation in her neck and after a few moments, the curse is no more. Her face is in shock.
"Go and never show yourself to me ever again. Do whatever you want but leave me alone. Just know this, if you keep doing the same things you have been doing for years, someone will punish you or maybe even take your life. Gods and goddesses need to be better; we shouldn't play with the lives of others." Hephaestus stands up and walks towards the stairs.
Aphrodite watches in silence as the god disappears. She touches her neck and stays in her seat for a while.
Millions of things are going through her mind and not a single one involved nights of debauchery or sexual escapades. She was afraid to even try. The experience with the curse had scarred her. She was afraid that she would bring death to more lovers.
She believed that she was eternally cursed but her chest hurt even more. Hearing him was beyond soul-destroying. His pain was all thanks to her and she didn't know how to fix it.
"... Hephaestus…"
The goddess got up and her body moved while following one single desire. She climbed those same stairs while the eyes of the workers of the tavern followed her.
She didn't know if it was the right thing to do but she was willing to try.
Staff POV.
Screams and objects being broken were heard for at least 10 minutes. Silence quickly replaced them before the soft moans of one goddess were heard for the following 2-4 hours.
The staff waited patiently for the conclusion. They speculated about the possible result.
The wait was a bit long but they got their answer when Hephaestus was the first one to come down. His face was filled with disgust and he didn't say a word.
"...I'm an idiot. Why did I fall for that? Why did I take her in my arms? Why?" The god asked himself while regretting his actions. His heart felt nothing.
The god exited the building without looking back.
30 minutes after and Aphrodite also came down. Her face looked not better than Hephaestus's. She was silently crying. No joy was visible on her face. One could have expected her to be injured in some way but she looked physically fined.
"Why? Why did I expect him to have any feelings left for me? I….. destroyed that heart of his. Nothing can't fix this. I'm an idiot… I don't deserve love." Her hair turned darker until it was completely black. Her eyes did the same. The heart pupils had changed shape as a broken heart replaced them.
An aura of depression and sadness was now surrounding her.
The staff watched in fear as the broken goddess exited the building. Not one dared to approach her in that state.
A broken goddess and a god that can't feel love anymore, maybe they were destined to never be a real couple but this one event started to change the future for both.
Story 14: Loved by the Flames.
Location: Mount Olympus.
The halls of Olympus had grown quieter and more unwelcoming over the years. The cheerful atmosphere had mostly died down after the deaths of many of its members. Gods that once shared rooms were now separated and what united them was mostly gone.
Yet even now, one small group stayed together.
"I win." A lady said as she place her cards on the table. Her hair was burning like flames. An aura of positive and welcoming energy surrounds her. Her body seemed young although she was much older than the rest of those present. Her caramel skin was covered in bright runes and flame symbols. She had several tight bandages surrounding her right arm for some reason. Her eyes resemble a sunset that never ends. A simple yellow summer dress adorned her figure.
"Oh come on. This sucks." A young man replied. His curly black hair almost covers his eyes. His rare orange eyes shine like the sun itself. His skin-tanned skin was covered in bright yellow vessels. A small lyre hung from the rope that was tied around his hips. He was only wearing a pair of black pants and sandals.
"Oh, my little brother is mad?" Similar to her sibling she was young but the complete opposite when it came to her appearance. While he had black hair, hers was in between white and silver. It was so long that it reached her knees. She had blue vessels covering most of her pale skin. Her eyes were dark and blue but as wide as the moon itself. A golden tiara sat on top of her head while a bow rested on her back. A blueish long dress covered her whole body and kept her intimated parts covered from prying eyes.
"That changes the score to Hestia-5, Apollon-2, and Artemis-3," Athena said as she started to collect the cards.
"If you paid more attention you might win more, Api-kun," Hestia said as she patted the head of her nephew.
"Hestia-baba stop that. I'm not a kid anymore."
"And I'm not a baba, Api-kun." Hestia's eyes turned sharper at the words of Apollon.
"Oh no, Athena quick. Start a new game before they start fighting." The huntress goddess said as she felt the anger of her fellow gods increasing.
"Now, now. Thou better shalt stop before I get angry. There's no space for any of thy shenanigans today. The weather is nice and there hasn't been anything going on so let's keep it that way." Athena said as she closes her eyes and smiled. The aura that she displayed was much more dangerous than both of them combined.
Her team members feel the dangerous big sister aura coming from her. Even if Hestia was older, Athena was the one that rule and kept the peace among them.
"I'm sorry, Hestia."
"Me too, Apollon."
The pair quickly apologize and decided to leave her antics for another day.
"Very well. Let's start-" Before Athena had the chance to say another word, a large explosion shook mount Olympus occur. "What was that?"
Athena stood up.
"I got no idea," Apollon says as he snaps his fingers twice. A large window appears in front of him and images from the outside of mount Olympus start to be displayed. "It doesn't seem like we have been attacked by outside forces."
"But what was that explosion." Artemis quickly grabs her bow and gets ready for combat.
"Most likely came from somewhere inside. Gear up and let's investigate. Knowing Zeus, old fart will likely ignore it unless his ass feels a strong presence." Athena says before her armor is equipped in a flash.
"It was such a peaceful day," Hestia says as he gears up as well.
The other two members do the same and thus they depart to investigate.
Mount Olympus wasn't a small residence. It had been the home of a lot of gods and their subjects, from the harem that Apollon had created with his many lovers to the crew of huntresses that had offered their lives to Artemis; they needed quite a large place to accommodate such a large number of beings so finding out where the explosion came from wasn't going to be so easy or so they thought.
"Lady Artemis!" Not even three minutes went by before one of the huntresses arrived before them.
"What happened?" Artemis asks.
"Lady Aphrodite, her room is engulfed in flames."
"What?" Apollon asks. "How?"
"Nobody knows. Aphrodite had been isolating herself in her room for months and only her children were allowed to go in. Lord Eros and the others had been seriously injured while trying to go into her room." The huntress explains.
"... Danmit why did it have to be whore. Seems like a job that has to be taken care of. Let us see what mess the whore made this time." Athena said as she took the lead.
The group ran through the halls at full speed and before long they found themselves in front of a wall of not just fire but molten metal as well. The metal seemed to have a life of its own as it tried to block the path of anyone who tried to enter.
"This is not just fire. Eros, what happened in here?" Athena approached the naked winged god. His pink wings had been damaged and his chest had many cuts.
"I…. I can't say."
"Eros, thy mother is in there. If we have no information on what's going on she's likely to die."
"She asked me to stay silent about it."
"What is that whore trying to hide?"
"I can't say." Eros evaded the question.
Athena was getting annoyed. She was about to punch the hell out of the god when a particular sound reached their ears.
The cries of a baby came from inside the room.
The gods were taken by surprise. Athena quickly turned back to Eros. "She was pregnant? All of this is because she was pregnant? The baby is the one behind all of this?"
"..." Eros stayed silent. He didn't have the guts to tell everyone the truth.
"... Idiot." Athena stands up and goes back to the wall of molten metal and flames. "Hestia, can thou do this?"
"The flames won't be a problem but the metal might be too much for me. If Eros was injured like that we can bet that the power of the child is far too dangerous to be ignored."
"We'll have to try. Artemis, Apollon we're going in. Offer support from the outside while Hestia and I go in. The mission is to calm down the baby."
The group quickly takes positions. Athena takes the lead as she summons her shield while Hestia stays behind her. The twins pull out their weapons and prepare their arrows.
Athena rushes into the flames with her shield up while being followed by Hestia.
As soon as they entered the room, the molten metal starts to attack them.
The twins start to shoot arrows at the molten metal structures that try to attack their teammates.
"Hestia, does thou sees the child?" Athena says as she covers herself with the shield while also enduring the flames. The molten metal continues to attack her and she blocks the attacks with her shield.
"I think I do. At the end of the room. Aphrodite seems unconscious." Hestia says as she evades one of the attacks.
"We're moving forward." Athena moves on while trying to reach its target. Hestia follows closely behind until they reach the baby.
In a charred bed, the unconscious body of Aphrodite is found. The flames had injured Aphrodite but they did not consume her for some reason. Close to the goddess, a really small baby which was engulfed in flames is also found. Its bright red eyes were in this distress and looking for something.
"Is so small! Is just a newborn? Did she just give birth today?" Hestia asks while her hands reach out toward the child.
The molten metal tries to attack the pair once more time.
"Is okay, I'm not here to hurt you. Calm down and let me carry you." Hestia says with a smile.
The molten metal stops alongside the cries of the newborn.
Hestia grabs the newborn and carefully embraces it. The baby quickly settles down in her arms.
"There you go. That's much better. Now relax, we're not going to attack you so calm down your flames." Hestia talks to the newborn in a calm tone.
The newborn seems to understand her words and the flames around the room start to die down.
All flames died down in a matter of seconds. The flames around the newborn also disappear and the real form of the baby is revealed to Hestia.
"Athena, you got to look at this."
Athena lowers her shield and approaches the child. Her eyes grow wide in shock at the sight.
"Mother Gaia, this…. Is impossible!" Her sight turned to Aphrodite. "What has thou done to my brother?"
An hour after. Aphrodite POV.
Her eyes began to open up and the first thing she saw was an angry Athena. Her children surrounded her as they took care of her injuries. Her eyes looked around the room and they quickly found a young baby girl with Ashburn hair and flaming heart eyes happily giggling in the arms of Hestia.
"Talk whore. There are many questions thou must answer." Athena ordered.
The children of Aphrodite turn their eyes in anger toward Athena.
"... Is not what you think…. It was just a night that…. I messed up even more. I tracked him down to Alfheimr. I asked him to release me from the curse. I apologized for everything, he vented all his feelings to me. He free me from the curse and asked me to leave him alone….. I tried to make amends and maybe help him by offering him my body. He wanted nothing from me so I use my charms to increase his lust. It wasn't a good experience for either of us. Felt empty, and emotionally draining; he had no love left for me and I am to blame for it. I…. didn't think I was going to get pregnant. I didn't realize it until the last month."
"Last month?" Artemis asks.
"Look at her, she's smaller than most babies. I had no symptoms either which made it more of a surprise."
"How do you know is his?" Apollon asked the biggest question.
"... I haven't slept with anyone since that night. I have been unable to feel lust or even love. I promised that is his but it wasn't in my plans to let him know." Aphrodite admits.
"Thou planned to hide it from my brother?" Athena summons her spear.
"I hurt him too much and he asked me to stay away. Showing up with his child as if nothing happened was going to hurt him even more. I can't keep doing that to him."
Artemis stops Athena in her tracks. "Not the time for fights, sis."
"... Very well. What is thy plan then? Raise the child in secret? Hide her true parentage?" Athena asks.
"... I don't know anymore…. She seems to dislike me." Aphrodite admits.
"Huh? But she's your child?" Apollon says.
"She is but she reacted negatively to me. As soon as she was placed in my arms she began to cry and her powers went rampant. You saw what she's capable of. She's… just like her father." Aphrodite looks at the baby and her heart sinks as the baby turns to her and grows silent.
Her blazing heart eyes seemed to look deep into her soul and whatever she found wasn't to her taste.
"She is one of us this doesn't make sense. She should love mother." Eros says.
Her children are confused at the fact that one of their own would dislike their mother.
"... But does Aphrodite loves the child?" Hestia asks.
Everyone's eyes turn to her.
"Children are perceptive to things like this. As your daughter, she might possess a deeper connection to emotions. You are a goddess of love after all so I ask you this Aphrodite, do you feel any love towards this child?" Hestia continues.
"..." Aphrodite is in complete silence as the realization hits her. "... I can't feel anything…"
"You're going through some rough times right now. The current you can't take care of her, Aphrodite. I don't know if it's permanent or something momentary but you can't be this child's mother right now. So I ask you this, let us take the child to Hephaestus." Hestia offers.
"What? Are you joking right?" Eros stands up. "She's a child of love, one of us."
"But she's also a child of the flames from the forge. You already had a taste of what she can do. You can't control her if she goes rampant." Hestia continues. She looks at the baby. "Would you like to meet him? Your daddy?"
The child is silent but quickly responds with happy sounds when she speaks with Hestia.
"See? She needs someone that can understand her powers and he deserves to know about her existence. Not me, not any of you, not Aphrodite but Hephaestus." Hestia continues.
Eros and the other children turn to their mother for guidance. The children look worried about her. Her black hair and her broken-heart eyes weren't good signs for a goddess that should be as bright as a star.
"... Take her." Aphrodite answers. "... This is the best I can do…. I don't even know what name to give to her. Hephaestus might have what it takes to raise her but I also ask that all of you offer him some help. He's going to need it."
"... She's my grandniece and not the first child I have taken care of. It would be my pleasure to take care of her." Hestia replies before she pokes the baby's nose.
Athena looks at the baby. She hoped to become an aunt to Hephaestus's children one day but she never expected that it was going to be like this. "... I'll make sure that she's a better goddess than thou. That I can promise."
"I join in as well. How can I say no? She's too cute." Artemis plays with the baby.
"Hephaestus is going to need us more than ever. We should contact him, he must be out of our realm." Apollo looks at Athena. "You wanna make the call?"
"... I'll go outside. Prepare everything for our departure." She turns to the children of Aphrodite. "If any of thou tries to interfere with Hephaestus's life with his daughter, there will be hell to pay." She then turns to Aphrodite. They never liked each other. Their views and attitudes clash but today she was willing to put all of that away. She bows her head. "Thanks for being cooperative. I'm not a mother but I can tell that this is hard for you. I'll protect her alongside the rest and once you're ready to see her again I'll make sure to bring her myself."
Aphrodite is taken by surprise. Tears start to roll down as her emotions go rampant. "Go… I don't want her to see me like this."
The rest of the group bowed before exiting the burned room with the young goddess with them.
A few minutes later. Athena POV.
She walks back and forth as she comes up with how to tell his brother about this. "Blessed Gaia, offer thy wisdom to me in this difficult situation." Athena stops and takes a deep breath. She slowly draws the circle and creates the connection.
"Yes? Who calls?"
"Hephaestus, can you hear my voice?"
"Loud and clear. How are you, sis?"
"Tensed…. Hephaestus could thou take a seat somewhere, there's something I need to inform thee."
"... Give me a second. I'm in a cave right now."
Seconds go by in which Athena gathers courage.
"Ready."
"Does thee remember a night in which a bed was shared between thee and Aphrodite?"
"Are we talking about back when I was married to her? We did sleep on the same bed."
"No, that. I mean actual sleeping as a "couple."
"... She told you about that night? I apologize. I shouldn't have let my lust guide my actions."
"Is not my place to judge thou, brother. I have learned something much more important about that night. Aphrodite….. she became pregnant due to that event."
"... lies. That's a cruel lie."
"I don't create lies, Hephaestus. Only the truth comes from my mouth. The child was born today….. we have it with us. She….. looks a lot like you."
Silence. Nobody says anything. The tension is high but the soft sound of tears breaks the silence.
"... my child?" His voice begins to break.
"Yours and nobody else's. She went rampant with those powers of hers. She burned the whole room and melted any metal found within it. She is a daughter of the same forge as thee."
Athena listens as her brother breaks down completely. Athena started to sob as well as her emotions became stronger than hers.
This was a moment that none of them expected to happen this soon or in this way. It was an event that not even their wildest dreams could make up.
"I need to see her. I'll depart for my home as soon as possible."
"Expect us there. Be safe, brother."
Athena ended the call and then she wiped the tears off her face. "Miracles do happen."
Sometime after. Hephaestus's residence.
The group waited patiently for him. They didn't know his exact location but they knew one thing, he was rushing to get there as fast as possible.
Suddenly, a portal opened up above the residence and from within a god came crashing down. His explorer attire was a mess but the god didn't care. His eyes were focused on the small bundle of joy that was carefully held within the arms of Hestia.
Everyone watched as Hephaestus slowly approached the girl. The nameless child focuses her eyes on him as well. He noticed her skin matched his and her hair was the same. Her eyes were the one thing that resemble her mother at least for now.
The silence was making the situation even tenser but not a single one of those present dared to say a word.
With a few centimeters separating them, Hephaestus slowly reached out with one of his fingers to touch the child. The nameless child seemed to react and tried her best to catch it within her tiny hands.
She seemed to accept him.
"... I don't know what to say….. This feels like a dream."
"Is real, Hephaestus. Aphrodite….. She left the name up to you." Athena said.
"Me?... I… thought about the names that I would like to give to my children if I ever got the chance… There's one that I came up with after thinking about Eurynome and how she took care of me as a child… Eurydice. She would have loved to meet you." Hephaestus says before he begins to sob.
Athena pats his back as she remembers the old goddess who had been slain by Poseidon long ago after she rejected his rule as the king of the oceans and seas. "Is a beautiful name, brother."
Eurydice continued to play with her father's finger while he continued to sob.
This might have been the happiest day in his whole life.
*Notes of the author: Ares died while being devoured by Trihexa…. So metal and well deserved. So, there's a new goddess in Olympus and the most unexpected among all. Well, see more of her later on. And yes I know about Orpheus's wife but the name stays no matter what. See ya another time.*
*Extra message: A God with A Different Take is going to be remade from scratch. It was coming but I needed time to think about when and how to start it. Enjoy it while it last because I might take it down. The arcs will stay similar but the characters and stories might differ a lot. That's all I got to say for now.*