Zeus wanted to hide behind the goat.

The old woman seemed to block off the exit, even though she was all hunched over and wrinkly. There was a vibe from her that seemed to say, "Disobey me and you'll get hurt". So, naturally, nobody left.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Not at all.

The woman standing right in front of him was the same one that he met all those years ago, in the other cave that was somehow non-existent anymore. And she seemed to be staring right at Zeus with creepy yellow eyes that glowed in the dim candlelight.

Everyone seemed paralyzed by fear and caution. Well, everyone except the goat, that is. It was walking around, acting like there isn't a scary looking old lady blocking the exit, which it was for her to do, since she had impenetrable fur. Zeus had found that out the hard way.

Finally, Addie decided to speak up. She cleared her throat and tried to keep her voice from shaking. "Excuse me, ma'am? Do you need help?"

The old woman replied without taking her gaze off of Zeus. "Why, no, nursemaid of Zeus. I believe you are the one who needs help. And this is the boy who will free us all." She pointed a bony finger at Zeus.

Zeus was considering bonking the old woman on the head. Here she is again, years later, and still talking crazy things about him saving the world. I'm just a kid! He wanted to scream at the old lady, who was acting like she didn't say anything at all. He got the courage to speak up.

"Um…ma'am?" he said tentatively, thinking that any minute now the woman was going to use crazy dark magic on him and turn him into a rat. "I think you got me mixed up with the wrong person. Just like you did when you talked to me in the other cave." He immediately wished he hadn't said the last part, because the way Addie was glaring at him made him wish he did get turned into a rat.

The old woman chuckled, a creaky sound that reminded Zeus of old trees and that were getting blown by the wind. "My, what a modest child you are! I can see your nursemaid raised you well. But, I guess not so well that you aren't rebellious, too! That is a good trait for the savior of the world to have!"

Zeus gave up on correcting her.

The old woman walked with surprisingly fast speed towards the stools, where she sat upon one and gestured to Addie and Zeus. Zeus looked around, wondering why she didn't ask anyone else to join them, then realized with a shock that everyone else were frozen in their places. Everyone…except the goat.

The old woman seemed to be reading his mind, because she said, "The goat is part of this story too, Zeus." She made a sign to the goat to come over to her side, and, to Zeus's amazement, the goat actually obeyed her and placed her head under the old woman's hand.

"Amazing." Addie said in wonder as she sat on the stool opposite to the woman. "She never listens to anyone."

"Oh, she would listen to me." The old woman replied.

"Why would she?" Zeus asked as he came closer and sat down. He got the feeling that the old woman is a lot more than she seemed.

"Because, my young prince. I am Gaia, goddess of Earth and mother of all living things." The old woman smiled, showing perfect teeth. "And I'm about to tell you your destiny, Zeus."

Oh man, Zeus thought through his shock. What has this old lady been eating?

He looked over at Addie, expecting her to have a look on her face that she often had when he made up excuses about why he didn't do his chores. But the look on her face was strangely calm and accepting, like she'd been waiting for this to happen.

Then, Zeus slowly realized as his emotions finally came through the disbelief. She really is…Gaia? Addie could see through any lie, and that did kind of explain why she had been in the cave with the tree. That cave must have been one of her sanctuaries, Zeus realized.

The old woman—Gaia, he corrected himself-had been watching him with a smile on her face. A smile that seemed to hit some part of his brain where his earliest memories are hidden. Where the smell of earth and long blond hair lingered.

"Are you…" Zeus tried to keep his voice from shaking. He had so many questions to ask. "The one who brought me here?" He may not know much, but he was pretty sure Gaia wasn't his mother. Her children were supposed to be as tall as the sky themselves and so strong that they could lift mountains out from the earth. Zeus was scrawny and short for his age.

"You are a sharp one." Gaia said, petting Amalthea on the head. "That is another good quality. And before you ask, I do know who your mother is. And the reason why she gave you up."

Zeus felt like he had just been punched in the stomach. Gaia had plucked out his deepest desires and had tempted him like putting an apple in front of a starving man. All doubts about Gaia are gone now. She was definitely who she said she was.

Zeus sat forward, eager to listen. Gaia sensed his readiness and began the story.

I think I should start from the beginning, when the world is new.

Once upon a time, when this world is not as civilized as it is now. I had a husband. His name is Ouranos, god of the sky. His eyes were the deepest of blue and I immediately fell in love with him.

Soon after our union, our first children were born. They were triplets. They each had fifty heads and one hundred arms. I named them the Hecatoncheires, and I couldn't be prouder of them.

Ouranos disliked them on sight, but he tolerated them. But when my second triplets were born, the Cyclopes, who each had one eye on their forehead. He could take it no longer. He took my children…and tossed straight into the pit of my brother, Tartarus.

You couldn't have imagined the grief and anger I felt, as I watched helplessly as he picked them up and tossed them in without a thought. But I managed to suppress my anger and my grief. I would avenge my children, but not yet.

Later on, the twelve Titans are born. Ouranos loved them, because unlike their siblings, they were tall and beautiful, with their own personality.

I saw my chance for revenge. I gathered the twelve of them and said, "My children, whoever could defeat your father with this sickle of adamantine shall be the new ruler of the world. Who is brave enough to avenge your mother and your siblings?"

None of them were brave enough. Their father was practically undefeatable. It would take a whole lot of power and cunning to do so. But I didn't give up on them. I kept encouraging them, pleading with them, until finally, one day…

"I'll do it, mother."

It was Cronus, my youngest son. He is not as strong as his older brothers, but he is the wiliest and trickiest of the Titans. He will succeed.

So we hatched a plan. When Ouranos comes to bed at night, Cronus will lay in wait, hiding, and take Ouranos by surprise. Cronus's older brothers, Iapetus, Hyperion, Crius and Coeus will hold him down, and Cronus will use his sickle to cut Ouranos to pieces, so that he will have to retreat back to the sky and lose his human form.

The plan succeeded. Ouranos is defeated and Cronus is the new king. I was proud of him, and waited for him to free his imprisoned siblings. He would, after all. He promised me.

Time went by. The Titans had children. Cronus married his sister Rhea, who had been in love with him even before he overthrown their father. The world was slowly populated with new Titans.

He still didn't free them.

By now, I knew the reason why: He was afraid of them, just as his father did. I knew nothing had really changed, and Cronus was going to be a tyrant, swallowed by his greed for power.

So there is a new prophecy. Given by the Oracle of Delphi. A child of Kronos and Rhea will overthrow him, just as before.

Naturally, Cronus got paranoid and afraid. At that time, three children were already born to him. They were Hestia, Hades, and Demeter. Cronus was especially fond of Hades, the boy. But that didn't stop him from swallowing the three toddlers whole.

Rhea was heartbroken. She could hardly watch as her fourth child, Poseidon, was swallowed right after his birth.

She tried to hide Hera, her fifth, among the children of Oceanus, who were totaled two hundred back then. It was easy to hide her, as there were many daughters. But when Hera reached ten, Cronus discovered her and swallowed her too.

Rhea could take no more of this. She went to me to hatch a plan. When her sixth and final child was born, the baby would be taken away by me and be raised by a nymph in one of my sanctuaries, hidden away from Cronus. It was decided that Rhea's servants, the Curetes, would guard the cave. The child would not know his true identity until he is of age. As for Cronus, he would swallow a rock wrapped in a blanket so he wouldn't suspect anything. His mind was very far gone by that time.

The plan worked. The child knew nothing, until now.

Zeus's brain felt like it was going to explode form all the information. He sat there, frozen, trying to process it.

"Does that mean…" he whispered after a very long time. "I'm the son of Cronus?"

"What do you think?" Gaia said, acting like she didn't just change Zeus's life forever.

Zeus stared down at his hands that he saw a million times every day. They looked the same as they did, but somehow Zeus felt changed, like he was different person than a few minutes ago. His head felt tingly.

"So…I'm supposed to overthrow my…father?" It felt weird to say that out loud.

"Yes, but that wouldn't be for a long time. You aren't ready and your powers haven't developed yet. Besides, you'll need allies, like your brothers and sisters." Gaia smiled at him. She was plotting something, Zeus could tell.

"How am I supposed to do that?" He still couldn't get his head around the idea of having siblings in the first place, much less rescue them and actually interacting with them. He wondered if they'll hate him because he was the only one who was saved. What would he even say to them? They probably knew each other way better than they know him. Would he be excluded? All of these worries made Zeus slouch.

"Worry about saving them first before you try to talk with them." Gaia said, reading his mind once again.

That made Zeus feel worse. How on earth was he supposed to sneak onto Mount Othrys and make Cronus throw up his siblings? Zeus was pretty sure Cronus wasn't the talking type, not after what he just heard.

"Don't worry Zeus, I will send you some help. You will succeed." Gaia saw must have saw his face.

"How can I succeed if I don't have any powers?"

"You'll get them when you are old enough. It depends on the immortal."

Gaia stood up, ready to leave. But Zeus had even more questions. He called out the first one on his mind.

"Is this your true form?"

Gaia turned toward him with a surprised look on her face. She certainly hadn't expected him to ask that.

"No, Zeus, it's not. But one day, I'll show it to you. Be careful, though. An immortal's true form can be deadly, especially to mortals."

Something about the way she said that tugged at Zeus, but he didn't know why. But that was quickly forgotten as Gaia left the cave, and to Zeus's amazement, so did the guests, following her like dogs led on a leash. Zeus inhaled, surprised by the freshness of the air. He'd gotten so used to that earthy smell he forgotten it was even there.

Just then, Addie cleared her throat from behind him. Zeus whirled around. She'd been so quiet he'd forgotten he was there. Which was totally not like her at all.

"Did you know?" Zeus asked numbly.

"Yes." She replied, Amalthea the goat stood in front of her like a wall of fur.

Zeus considered yelling at her, crying, running away…but he couldn't bring himself to do that. After all, this was the woman who had raised him ever since he was born. She was family, whether they are related by blood or not.

So instead he simply just hugged her. The two of them stood like that, with Amalthea trying to sneak between them, for a long time.