YAY! I got another chapter fixed in one day, I hope this roll stays on lol
I do not own the rights of PJO or THO. Only R.R. does
Five months later
Life around the palace became much livelier after my meeting with the Olympian council. All the minor gods and goddesses, along with the nature spirits, were getting ready for the coming of the new baby that was going to be born from me, the first of the goddesses to have sworn to remain a maiden forever.
In the middle of the Spring Equinox, a meeting of March 22nd, my labors began. When my desperate screaming of pain started, all of the gods stopped what they were doing and rushed to my side, keeping hands suspended above me worriedly. In my blind pain, I barely heard Artemis shoving through all of them, telling everyone to give me some room, get out of the way so she could help me and that she needed to bring me to my bed chambers so she could help with the labors.
Telling all the male Major gods to remain here to stay out of her way, they come and stand outside my room or come inside with her to help. Artemis, taking charge of the situation, told the goddesses to follow her to my room. Wanting to start the birthing quickly, Artemis teleported me straight into my bed, followed a few seconds later by Demeter, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite appearing in various colored lights.
"Well don't just stand there like idiots, you're all women there are things that I need to help her give birth to her child," Artemis screeched at the other goddesses. Rattling off a list of items that she needed quickly, she turned her attention back at me, "okay honey I want you to start taking deep breaths, everything will be okay, just stay calm," the change in her demeanor was so quick I thought I was dealing with a entirely different entity.
After a few minutes passed that seemed to last days, the other goddesses came back with the supplies that Artemis asked for, piling them all on the table that they must have moved to Artemis's side before they left. Ordering them to arrange the items in a neat order so she could reach for them all, Artemis being so quick and methodical. Satisfied with her work, she switched back to her kind voice and in a voice so kind but firm in telling me to push I couldn't help but to obey.
They always say the first birth is the hardest and I can tell you that, even with the goddess of child-birth helping, took forever for my baby to come. And after the whole event had transpired, the nature spirits and minor godlings told me that all the flames on Olympus were so erratic that several torches actually light some houses on fire.
After what felt like eternity of pushing and mind numbing contractions, a piercing wail entered the room making me break into a wide grin. Artemis asking for Athena to take the child, settled the little pink baby into Athena's arms. Though still there was still the pain of labor coursing throughout my whole body and I knew that Artemis also knew it because she could also still feel the pains too.
Instead of cooing over the first baby, she went back to work helping me push the other baby out. Surprise crossed the other open handed goddesses' faces, going back to waiting for the other baby to come out, while Athena cleaned up the first born baby, glancing every so often at me. As before the pains felt like they lasted forever, as I was sure they only lasted for thirty minutes or longer, but I was intent to bring my children into this world.
Pushing harder with new purpose, my final push/scream ignited a vase of flowers right on my bedside table incinerating them right on the spot and shattering the vase completely, sending shards all over the room. Clearly upset with the new world, my little one wailed loudly like the first one, Artemis, cradling the baby in her arms lovingly, handed the baby to Hera but pains still racked throughout me and hoping that they would end soon, Artemis went straight back to help, with stunned silenced goddesses.
All the while I screamed with pain, I knew that this must be the last one because the pain began to recede as I pushed one final time to bring my third child into the world. Once the last of the pains ceased I heard an ear-piercing wail fill the room, knowing that my third child must have been a boy because the first two did not scream so loudly, at last my sister Hera and niece Athena came over with two beautiful girls held in their arms.
The two girls looked so pretty, with alabaster white skin that faintly glowed steadily, from the inner hearth that I know would be strong in all three. Stepping aside, they let Artemis through, who took my third child to be cleaned and knowing that I would love them all equally and that they would all be great heroes when they were older.
Smiling broadly, I glimpsed at Demeter, to see her walk over to the door and call all the male gods to come into my chamber to see the babies. Walking in, all the male gods had smiles on their face, except for Dionysus and Ares (which was not that big of a surprise for me). Looking at the children, I knew that they had already caught all of their hearts in their little hands and that I would never have to worry about them being in trouble with any of them.
"Well, I see that we had a little more surprise then just the one child expected, Hestia, for now you have two healthy girls and a strong baby boy," Zeus declared with a huge grin, like they were his own children but reverted to a somber out look," but now I don't know what to do because we cannot bless all three of them."
Afraid he might declare for two of them to be banished, I sat tensely in bed before Athena proclaimed in her methodical logical voice,"then how about each baby is blessed by only four of us? That should keep the blessings even."
"Brilliant idea as usual, Athena," Zeus beamed at his daughter, who he conceived on his own," Though you must proclaim them with names so we may direct the blessings specifically to them," he stated to me with a brotherly loving face.
"Another swell idea of Athena's," Apollo mockingly whispered as he approached my little son in Artemis's arms and softly intricated him from her arms, to start humming to him in gentle baritone.
Smirking lightly, I didn't even have to think about it for a split second, the names I would choose for them were there in my head waiting for any scenario. "My first born daughter's name shall be Alicia Hollyhock, my second daughter shall be Krystal Angelica, and my little warrior's name shall be Jeremy Blackwell," I beamed at the names that I chosen for them.
"They are absolutely wonderful names Hestia," cooed Aphrodite to my daughter Krystal.
"And now that each child has been given a name, each one of you shall choose a child to bless," Zeus declared.
To my dear little Alicia went the gods Apollo (who he sadly surrendered to Athena), Hermes, Hera, and Demeter. My little Krystal got Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Artemis. And my little warrior went Ares, Poseidon, Athena, and Zeus.
"Begin the blessings," Zeus demanded, not unkindly.
"To you Alicia, I give you the golden voice of sunlight. May your voice ring loud and true. And all who hear you be marveled by your voice," Apollo gave.
"Alicia, may your steps be light and swift gracefully and may your travels be safe and clear of obstacles," Hermes gave.
"I give you, Alicia, the insight of maternal care and that you shall always be able to help someone who is in need of your advice," Hera blessed.
"Alicia I give to you the knowledge of nature and the power to grow plants by will or harness the green life around you," Demeter gave last.
After all of their blessings to my daughter Alicia, she became surrounded by a mist that glowed faintly with the colors gold, light blue, sky blue, and forest green. After a few seconds of twisting around her delicate form, the light began to sink into her skin to where the light no longer showed.
Next I watched as Krystal was blessed.
"Krystal, I give to you the endurance of the blacksmith so that you may always overcome your obstacles and the ability to bend metal to your will," Hephaestus gave.
"I give you, Krystal, the natural beauty of the top five most beautiful women of this world and a voice to charm any man to do your bidding," Aphrodite said happily.
"May all parties that you are at be filled with merriment and that you may heal or cause madness," Dionysus scoffed with puffy drunk red eyes.
"Krystal, I give to you finally the grace of the gazelle and cunning of the wolf. May all animals feel your love for them so that they will come to your aid, along with the sharp focus of every great archer," Artemis lastly gave.
As before, my daughter Krystal was surrounded by a mist that glowed with the colors deep crimson red, neon pink, mad purple, and moonlight silver. Within seconds, like her sister, these lights sank down into her skin and became hidden.
Last to come is my son.
"To you Jeremy, I give you the skills of the top sword fighters and that your arms may be strong so that you may hold your weapons strongly," scowled Ares.
"Jeremy, I shall give you will over water and to be able to breathe within my domains," Poseidon gave.
"I give you, Jeremy, the gift of the best knew analyzers, so you will see multiple possibilities in fights, and complete memory recall," Athena gave.
"I finally give you Jeremy, the gift of leadership and sense justice and finally to summon electricity at will," Zeus gave at last.
And last I saw the lights play around my son in the colors of bloody red, sea green, stormy gray, and electric blue. Swirling around him, the colors danced and at last they too settled down enough to go into him as well.
"I think that these children will be great even among all of our other children. But you should know Hestia, which these children will need to listen to our wishes whenever we call on them but we shall still be lenient with them because they are your first born." Zeus stated with a thunderous clap of his hands," but now we will need to send these children to their mortal families so that they shall live with them until the time comes so that they will be able to go to Camp Half-Blood."
"I have already picked out where each one of them are going to live and the three sets of parents I chose for each one of them are very respectable people," I stated confidently to them all.
"Then let us call some Auras in here to carry them to their new families," Zeus said, going to my door he called in a voice that could only be of the god of weather," FIONA, MAYBELL, AND CASSANDRA, COME TO LADY HESTIA'S ROOM THIS INSTANT!"
After a few minutes, three shaky wind nymphs came to my room; smiling at them apologetically, I beckoned for them to come over and handed each of them one of my children from the waiting arms of their Godly guardians. Whispering into each one of their ears on where to bring each of my children but holding up a finger to keep them there for a while, as I reached into my bedside table and drew out three rubies, each the size of a finger nail.
Closing my hand around them, I concentrated on them, imagining gleaming silver rings in my head until there was a brilliant flash of silver light from my hand.
"This may not be much but these rings will take in your personalities as you grow and morph into the weapon that will suit you best," I said and with a final gesture of my hand three engraved ebony ring boxes appeared on my bedside table, with flame engravings surrounding the outside, a lining of velvet on the inside and a gold clasp, that also resembled flames, on the front to lock the boxes in place. Placing the rings in the boxes, I handed each one of the wind nymphs a box, also giving them each a note to leave for the parents that I chose.
Bowing to me, the three wind nymphs flew out my window to head for the new homes of my babies.
Well, hope you guys like this chapter, kind of weird for me, as I am a guy and I have NO idea about child birth. You can say I tried to channel Hestia in that moment (well more likely Artemis) so I hope I did the birthing thing credit. Please Review! Love you all! :D
PS There also might be something with Jeremy and Apollo later on so keep your eyes peeled from some of that!