Get over it, you stupid old trout!
Olympus was in celebration.
Heracles sat next to his New Wife Hebe. It was their wedding, and everyone was enjoying themselves.
Hera, Queen of Olympus, Goddess of Marriage and Family and endless persecutor of Zeus's Children eventually sat up to take a walk.
She went over to the gardens, a proud smile on her face. She had dropped her vendetta against Heracles since he had saved her from the Giants, and Hebe was her daughter, so she had reason to celebrate, but it's best to take a break in a party now and then.
She looked at the night sky, the stars glowing bright.
"Never thought I'd see the day where I'd like one of Zeus's Spawn." She said to herself.
"Neither did we." Came a voice, beautiful as the moon, and with a quiet anger only a discontented bear could have.
Hera turned, to see some of Zeus's Godly 'Spawn'.
Artemis, Goddess of Archery and The Hunt, her white normally plaited hair undone for the party. It was she who had spoken.
Apollo, God of Music and Archery, his normally warm, calm expression now replaced with a cold, angry one.
And Dionysus, God of Parties, Wine, and Madness, usually at the heart of the party, especially one like this, not even showing a hint that he had drunken wine tonight, his face, often jovial, often violently angry, was now cold.
"What do you want?" Hera sighed, impassively.
"What we want is an apology, stepmother!" Growled Artemis, looking a hundred times more fearsome than the bears she often chased.
"An apology?" Hera was outraged. "For what!? You were by-products of Zeus's-"
That was as far as she got before Dionysus punched her in the gut.
Dionysus did not usually attack other Gods. Not really. The occasional drunken brawl, yes, but to truly attack a God out of Rage was unusual for him.
And it hurt.
The Twin Archers pulled him back, though they too looked furious.
"FOR WHAT!? YOU KILLED MY MOTHER AND DROVE ME INSANE! YOU KILLED MY MOTHER AND DROVE ME INSANE!" Dionysus screamed, looking as if he had gone mad a thousand times.
"You harassed OUR mother!" Yelled Artemis. "Have you no shame!?"
"Have I no shame!? Your father cheated on me for your worthless mothers!"
"Artemis was on her in less than a second, punching her face.
"You think they DESERVED what they got!? They were willing, granted, but THEY weren't responsible for the Cloud-gatherer's unfaithfulness! In fact, Most of the thousands of other woman you murdered or worse did nothing wrong!" She screamed, red in the face.
"Enough." Came a voice.
It was Pallas Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War who spoke.
She came up, motioning for Artemis, Apollo, and Dionysus to leave.
Reluctantly, they did.
Hera wiped some Ichor, the blood of the Gods, from her nose.
"Walk with me." Said Athena, her black hair in a party bun. She had traded in her usual battle armour for a dark blue chiton.
Hera consented. Athena was one of the only stepchildren that she truly respected.
They walked to the balcony.
"Will revenge turn back time?" Asked Athena.
Hera growled. "It'll make them pay!"
Athena sighed. "Hera, you try to kill babies who have done nothing wrong."
"They were-" Hera stopped herself. Athena had a point. Zeus was the wrongdoer, not the children.
"They're your family too, Hera. Whether you like it or not, and the Goddess of Family must set an example." Said Athena, walking off to rejoin the party.
Hera sighed. She hated guilt.
...
Dionysus had largely cheered up from becoming drunk.
Apollo had quickly calmed down.
Artemis, however, was a different matter.
She fumed.
Her anger was more intense than a volcano erupting in London.
After a while, Hera came up.
"I'm sorry." She said, before any of her stepchildren could say anything.
They blinked, surprised.
"What I did was wrong, I admit it. I swear off killing stepchildren, here and now. That goes to Zeus's lovers as well."
The three stared at her, open-mouthed.
Dionysus fell backwards, either from wine or shock.
Hera became aware that the room had suddenly turned deathly silent.
Artemis regained her senses. "I forgive you."
Hera smiled. She had finally become a better family Goddess, and more importantly, family member.
...
Just a quick one-shot I cooked up quickly.
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