Chapter 19: The Blood of Zeus
Zeus at his back, the king of the monsters at his front. Was it sad that this wasn't the weirdest circumstance he had memories of?
The smell of ash and smoke focused him, sharpening his sight as he glared directly at the beast. One last talon to what passed as eyes to Typhon and Ifrit returned to him. They were one. There was no need for communication.
He stepped forward, Ifrit rocketing past him, wrapping Zeus in her feathers. He could feel the discomfort from Ifrit, but she did it for him. She went to the sky, carrying Zeus to the epicenter of his domain.
Typhon did nothing. It was not because it was dumb or unaware. Hephaestus could feel the smug arrogance from here. After all, it had defeated Zeus. Its smugness withered at the sight that came. Swords upon swords, weapons both legendary and mundane filled the skies. Wherever his progeny propagated, a blade was driven into their chest.
The two were still for a moment. Every beast was destroyed by a blade. A focused effort and the monsters that formed were made even stronger, if shoddily so. Yet, it didn't matter. The quality of his weapons was made greater still.
Typhon glared, narrowing its eyes at the small god.
The same smugness was reflected at it. A smirk on Hephaestus' face and Typhon erupted. Its form spasmed as he roared at him, the draconic sounded familiar, if unwelcome. The wings on its back sputtered uselessly for a moment, doing little to hinder its lumbering pace.
Hephaestus' hair ruffled at the force of Typhon's anger. Its progeny were easy enough, the sluggish, almost tired-like quality of its actions befitting the weak monsters that formed.
Still, Typhon was unlike any monster that he had memory of. Two arms become hundreds and legs formed for it to rush in a mad dash. The constant ebb and flow of its form was madness-inducing. The only consistency was the draconic qualities it carried.
The smirk remained. Hephaestus noted that Typhon was able to redirect most of the weapons he fired at it. He had always reserved this bombardment, just in case, and he had been right in doing so. Even with the enemy so massive, the fluctuation of divine energies made aiming precisely impossible, not when a vast majority of his arsenal was incapable of piercing divinity.
Well…most.
After all, it wasn't entirely divine, was it?
"It's like a walking storm," thought Hephaestus.
As more divinity sprouted from Typhon, the more its body became obscured in black thunder clouds. This time, hundreds of noble phantasms formed, each at what EMIYA would call A rank. They fired, barely detonating against Typhon's skin, slowing it down only marginally as it punched through the divine.
Even Harpe was barely effective, leaving wounds that were just covered by Magma.
"I could alter the size," he thought, crossing his arms.
The creature's size was immense, its strength staggering. Yet, it was slow. Even with the erratic movements, it was still a lumbering mountain. Its physical form couldn't do much to offset physics.
Raw power and little else. Utterly massive.
As such, something else came to mind instead.
"Fine then," muttered Hephaestus, "no more restraint."
A familiar black bow rested in his left hand and an arrow to follow in his right. More like a giant screw than a normal arrow he notched it. He could feel Typhon laugh, his small form launching an arrow, a laughable sight to it.
With Tyhon's body kept shifting, a headshot was not viable.
Yet, professionals always went for the guaranteed hit anyway.
"Twist in madness".
The thrums of magic heeded his call, the aria functioning like a spell. His back expanded as the muscles tensed against his bow.
The pristine onyx bow cracked as reinforcement formed on it, EMIYA's bow barely able to handle his current strength. His arrow shone like a rainbow, cracking at the massive surge of energy as he broke the phantasm with his divinity.
"CALADBOLG!"
Space screamed as the arrow twisted everything in its path. Arrogance died this day, for even though Zeus had been able to bruise this monster,
It was Hephaestus who pierced it.
It was a screaming rainbow, a twisting kaleidoscope of color as it impacted Typhon. Its divinity was strong, but it could not hold to the inhuman torque that was Caladbolg. It screamed, the arrow ravaging its shoulder. Like many gods, Typhon was unable to comprehend pain all that well.
It showed.
The earth broke, the island itself beginning to sink as Hephaestus jumped across the shattered earth in this rampant tantrum. It thrashed like a wounded animal, curled around the screw-like arrow. For extra measures he conjured Balmung, Ascalon, and various others.
Typhon's draconic nature shivered at the added damage, its punctured divinity unable to fluctuate hard enough to ward off his attack.
Hephaestus had to swallow a bit, a pit forming in his stomach. Across EMIYA's memories, he had no recollection of Caladbolg digging into the flesh of any creature. It either detonated on impact from the sheer resilience or tore right through it. Also, most draconic enemies would perish from this many noble phantasms puncturing them.
The creature lumbered up.
Typhon looked at him. Even with the shadows, he could see the ravenous eyes, gold in color. It moved to roar and act against him.
So he detonated Caladbolg.
Even in the shadowy remains of the figure, one could tell of the massive crater that was left in its form as it curled around its own knees. The wound shimmered, disappearing almost immediately, but the damage had been done. Golden ichor flowed to the ground, its blood birthing monsters anew. Stronger, more violent, smarter even. His other blades were crushed, dispersing into blue lights.
The beasts were slain, with one escaping before Hephaestus could kill it with a barrage of blades. Still, when he landed on one of the jagged remains of the island, he smirked.
Whatever his nervousness with Typhon, he would not show it.
The air whistled as Hephaestus shifted to the right, grimacing as a spike of some form grazed his waist. Typhon's body was expelling shard after shard of its own body, firing them at him. Weaving from the bone like projectiles was becoming harder and harder. He could swear that Typhon was growing ever bigger, even stronger.
This needed to end. NOW.
"Cute," thought Hephaestus.
"Well then, can you keep up with me!"
He spread his arms out as he jumped from his broken position. His eyes darted around, analyzing everything he could see. Blade met Kitin, a thunderous echo as they crunched into each other. It was a stalemate. If anything, that just made Typhon worse. Whatever it attempted to rear back to do was interrupted by a corona of lightning. It slammed straight into its head, the electrical current spasming its way through the body.
Zeus' divinity ravaged everything it touched. Whereas Typhon was overwhelming, Zeus was devastating. The creature stumbled back, getting its bearings as it finally stood up. Hephaestus reserved his energy, stopping the onslaught for now. It seemed silly, considering he didn't feel the signs of fatigue thus far. Old habits die hard, even inherited ones it would seem.
He turned, facing Zeus. He grimaced a bit, noting that Zeus' human appearance was done away with at the moment. It wasn't the true form that he had heard about but rather that Zeus was fundamentally changing, and his current human guise was no longer suitable.
He appeared like a collection of clouds, lightning arcing around a human-like shape.
"Hephaestus…you're alone."
The core that he saw within this shape was a downpour. He could taste it, like heavy rain.
His divinity returned, though there was a cloudiness to his core now, like a drop of coloured water in a cup. Whatever Typhon had done to Zeus to render him so weak had passed.
"Are you alright?" asked Hephaestus, eying the still recovering form of Typhon.
"For now," warbled Zeus, "this creature is our main concern. It is still waking up."
"..."
The pit he could feel in his stomach dropped even further. Everything he could see and feel was telling him that Typhon was as alert as could be. Yet, Zeus was telling him that this was barely Typhon waking up?
Well shit.
"So the longer we take, the worse it gets?"
"Precisely," said Zeus, his voice airy now, "if the others bothered SHOWING UP WE CAN–"
Zeus' form faltered, the words dying in the winds as he failed to maintain his shape for a moment. Gods were stronger when calcified into a physical form, but that didn't mean it was as simple as it sounded.
Stability was needed, something Zeus lacked.
Typhon rumbled, pausing. Even Hephaestus could feel the weight of its power beginning to grow rapidly, the storm clouds becoming more erratic, the magma under its feet spreading. This island was long gone and yet it still remained standing, soaking in the power of Typhon.
Zeus merely hummed, as Typhon's form resurfaced from the smog around it. As Typhon rose, he began collecting his power once more. Hephaestus clicked his tongue in annoyance. No time to waste on words anymore. He began to rush forward, pointedly ignoring Zeus as his cloud-shaped form
"I can defeat it," grumbled Zeus, "I know it! But I don't have time!"
Hephaestus' hands twitched. A decision made in the moment. His hands came together in front of him. A sword formed, a long blade with a gem in the middle.
It was of a design Zeus had never seen before, entirely alien to him.
"If it's a dragon," muttered Hephaestus, "then I'll slow it down."
He held the blade aloft and the shadows of Typhon waned at the crimson light that erupted from his newest weapon.
It shivered, a foreign instinct echoing in its mind. Something was wrong.
Hephaestus' arms ignited as he swung with a burst of mana.
"BAL!"
The blade hit the earth.
"MUNG!"
What had once been a pillar of light became a torrent of destruction. Everything within it carried the qualities that abhorred dragons. It struck at Typhon, making it squeal in pain. It was supposed to be the strongest, yet as its flesh refused to mend, its beady eyes focused on Hephaestus.
He smirked again.
Typhon shivered and what draconic qualities existed melted away. Hephaestus blinked, noting the wound that once stagnated rapidly healed.
"Hmm."
Zeus was silent, staring at the gaping wound that was left in Gaia's domain. The destruction of the attack was actually quite tame for the Gods. Yet, intertwining an anti-dragon concept into such a thing was unknown to them. It should have been impossible. Gods were unique in their way.
Some were designed to slay dragons.
Others, a god that ruled the sky.
Solitary. Complete.
As Typhon changed into a now turtle-like shape, Hephaestus simply made a new weapon, puncturing the skin once more as he launched it.
A new form, one that resembled a wolf.
"HRUNTING!"
A weapon that leeked bloodlust saturated the field. He kept in hand this time, leaping forward at the malformed animal that Typhon became.
He weaved seamlessly between each attack, taking advantage of his greater mobility. It howled as he rushed up, a long golden gash glowing in the storm that was Typhon. It lumbered back, shifting into a different monstrous state.
The wound healed within seconds and the pattern began anew.
He was rooted to his spot, staring. A human-sized god fighting on even footing with this creature. He dodged when he couldn't overcome something, and struck at every golden opportunity. Each was a weapon of such quality that he didn't know Hephaestus was capable of. It was less than his own divine weapon, yet there was no denying the effectiveness of these strangely named weapons. He was the least injured of the two parties, but Typhon never let up.
Zeus scoffed, looking around. It wasn't a stalemate. If anything, Hephaestus had the same problem Zeus had…still.
"He's not slowing down?" thought Zeus, "Typhon should be eating away at him?"
Knowing how stubborn his nephew was, Hephaestus was likely just powering through it. They needed to finish this.
"If Poseidon were here, even Ares, this would be simple!" he thought.
The idea that three gods would be enough shuddered away as Zeus felt Typhon's power swell once more. The lightning curled around his still, warbled form, his shape shifting between large and boisterous and frail and small.
Hephaestus glared, beginning to summon a different weapon. Suddenly, the sky shone above them as countless stars fell from the heavens. Silver and gold pierced the hide of Typhon, making it bleed and shudder new beasts into the world.
Zeus' form warbled less, settling into something new as Hephaestus slid on the broken ground to a stop.
"Apollo," he whispered, "Artemis."
The celestial twins appeared in a shimmer of light. He could see the fear that existed on their faces. The realization that they were no longer the apex existence within the pantheon weathered them. Apollo's hair was more platinum than gold, while Artemis had grown antlers on her head, like a defensive reaction. A moment and they were with them, a shimmer of other bodies pelting Typhon with arrows. They stared at their father, drinking in the core of his being, open and raw.
"Father," whispered Apollo, "I'm…I'm so sorry. I…I just couldn't move at first..I."
His words failed him, but Zeus did not. Instead, he crushed his son into his embrace, dragging Artemis in as well. Words were not needed. His core said it all. Frustration was present, yes, but it was mostly elation.
Hephaestus narrowed his eyes at the stumbling Typhon, the creature slowly turning towards them. Now it seemed more like a humanoid giant, his face a maw of exposed human-like teeth and searing gold eyes. Though it only appeared visible for a moment before it again shimmered in dark clouds.
He fired a volley of anti-giant noble phantasms. To his chagrin, they did little.
"Damn," he muttered, "so it's not a giant?"
Whatever creature Typhon had adapted into was certainly strange. He dashed forward, keeping Typhon busy as Zeus regained even more of his strength.
"The others," whispered Zeus, his voice relaxed, "where are the others? If we band together, we can…oh."
He couldn't sense what Zeus sensed…but he had a feeling he knew what it was. His siblings remained rooted where they were. They would not heed the call.
Typhon began to rise once more, only to be pinned by thorny vines and a smog of purple smoke. Zeus' form shimmered into greater definition, taller and broader than he had once been.
"Dionysus!"
The god of madness looked as if he had just recovered from a hangover. He blinked, staring at Typhon.
"Gaia made 'em big," he muttered, "never seen something shrug off my revelry like that before. Won't last long. It's stabilizing more and more the longer we take."
He hefted a spear to Zeus. His form was still a mess of clouds, but there was definition now, a shape to his face and larger build.
"Athena's spear," whispered Zeus.
"She wanted you to use it. It can pierce any divinity, supposedly, courtesy of Hephaestus here. She and Ares are busy maintaining the home front."
"...and Hera."
It was a hopeful whisper, one that made his son look away. There were no more words. Only resolve. What had once been a carefree and joyful rebel had shed to become a sterner man. What once was warbled became clear and defined. Zeus stood anew.
A Greek tan on much broader shoulders. Hair that was once white and cloudy had dulled to a more beige shade. His eyes shifted from cobalt blue to an electric yellow.
The easy-going expression, open and even kind, was now hard and arrogant. Zeus stood anew…and his core hidden. He was larger than his children and Hephaestus, even in a physical form.
Zeus looked at Athena's spear, but the granite expression on his face melted into one of pride, and his core opened, just for them.
"My children," he whispered, "Typhon grows ever stronger. I need time to gather enough divinity to shut him down."
His voice was smooth, a baritone that echoed with every word.
Athena's spear glowed as electrical energy pulsated through it.
"Be careful. Typhon's very presence can weaken us. Gaia is its mother, then?"
Dionysus nodded, rubbing his head with an ache.
"She communed with me, gave me a warning while I was napping."
Hephaestus blinked.
"Wait, what?" he thought.
"It is as I feared, then. A part of her has decided we must go and make way…I will not let it!"
The sky rumbled anew, but it did not go unanswered. Typhon stood, having bided its time to gather even more of its still-growing strength. It was like a pressure that sat on their shoulders, trying to drag them to their knees.
Artemis grimaced, the antlers growing larger. Her brother was not much better. A warm hand clasped both their shoulders.
"It's alright to be afraid," said Hephaestus, "we stand together here. Don't rush in and be foolish. Work together and we'll make it through this."
Hephaestus' warmth spread and they nodded.
"So, this is the thing made to kill us…I'm not impressed," snarked Dionysus.
He had seen far too much in his travels to consider Typhon the worst thing he had seen. He knew of many deities within their world that were more terrifying. A number of Indian gods, amongst them. Yet, there were stranger gods still, gods that existed in the outer reaches of their world and beyond.
He was strong, yes, but far from the most terrifying. A fact it picked up on, glaring its beady eyes at Dionysus. His bravado died instantly. He shrugged his shoulders and narrowed his eyes.
"Well, fine then let's–"
Typhon suddenly leaped, their fist already bearing down at them all.
"OH SHIT!"
A hand was raised, words echoing in the world.
"Rho Aias!"
The flower of Olympus bloomed, seven petals that could withstand even the might of Gae Bolg.
Typhon's fist cracked into it, the shock on its face as it was stopped cold. Five of the petals were shattered instantly, leaving two fractured and beaten. Hephaestus' body cracked in response. Bruises bloomed and bones shattered. Yet, they healed and with them the petals.
It was a small trick that Hephaestus had realized some months ago. The connection to his body made Rho Ais reflect not just injuries but his strength. The stronger Hephaestus' body became, the greater his defense. When he healed, so did the petals. However, it was not a one-to-one ratio.
The small lingering bruises remained, growing rapidly as another disastrous fist smashed another four layers. He gritted his teeth, remaining rooted to the spot. The injuries became more difficult to heal as time went on.
Another four were broken.
"Scatter! Lord Zeus, to the skies! It can't fly yet!"
Typhon had wings but never used them, never chased after Zeus. It must have been for a reason.
They all moved apart, the shield sputtering into numerous petals. Zeus, even in his new form, didn't miss a step. He rocketed above, lightning curling around him as he went. The thunder echoed as his power spread across the sky. His divinity was great enough that to shoulder it all took time that not many would have.
But he smiled, staring at the stars.
He wasn't alone.
The family that he had sought for…the ones that held genuine love for him…they arrived! They were here! His son and daughter defended his home. His other children came to his aid. Yet, he knew that fear would have trapped them. Apollo's core said as much. Yet, one had arrived first a time before the others.
Hephaestus.
He looked down at the smallest of his cohorts. Typhon was intent on striking at him, the only physical being left. Much like themselves, Typhon must have been stronger in a concentrated physical form. The others were bombarding Typhon as pure energy, streaks of colors that tried to impair and damage Typhon. They were strong enough to harm, but not concentrated enough to kill.
They were afraid…and honestly, so was he. He needed to be stronger, to be the pillar his children could lean on. Hephaestus could not shift to protect himself.
He was left dodging and striking at Typhon like a bug. Zeus wasn't entirely certain what could happen to him if he was hit by Typhon. Too much was different between them. He would not find out.
His pride had shattered today and his children suffered for it.
"No more!" growled Zeus.
His power surged, any regard for safety was discarded for pure power. His children were risking their safety…then so would he.
Hephaestus dodged even more projectiles, parrying a few with whatever blade first came to mind. Yet, even distracted, he could feel the vast difference. The air shuddered, static sparking on him over and over. Even Typhon stilled, staring up at Zeus. It was destined to be the bane of Olympus, stronger than all twelve Olympians.
It was not there yet, its arms reaching back to strike at the current monstrous levels of power aimed at it.
"No, you don't!"
Caladbolg was formed once more, the blade spinning as it was launched freehand into Typhon. What had once resulted in a massive crater was merely a small dent in its chest once it detonated.
He needed more and a lazy swat at him was all he needed to get it. As the massive fist neared him, he hopped onto it, rushing up the massive limb. It attempted to throw him, only for a blinding light to sear into its eyes and a smog of purple to smother its throat.
It coughed, churning black smog in response. A torrent of black, poisonous air flew towards him, making Hephaestus jump with all the strength his new legs could muster, launching himself into the air. He was wrapped in the familiar embrace of flame and was placed in the face of the beast. Now, bird-like, Typhon stared at him with its one eye open. He held his arm back, a spear forming.
Ultimate.
Unbreakable.
Unbroken.
"Durindana!"
The ancestor of the holy sword Durandal. A spear that was unblockable save for its defensive rival, Rho Ais. It was this conceptual power that he had based Athena's spear off of. He hoped that it would be enough.
He threw it with all his augmented might, his own power bursting for even greater strength within him. It punched through every piece of Typhon's skull. The wound that was left fluttered with countless bat-like monsters all converging on Hephaestus as it closed seamlessly.
A swirl of flame and steel saw him safely on Ifrit's back.
It stumbled, but it no longer cried in pain. Only vengeance filled Typhon's now draconic head, its maw opening for a hellish flame.
It sputtered uselessly around Hephaestus, barely a tickle. Yet, even so, a concern began to grow. The myriad of forms…it implied that much like Hephaestus himself, Typhon held countless abilities.
Just as he had a blade, Typhon had a monster. He knew instinctively that any monster-specific weapon would be met with an incorrect pairing, courtesy of Typhon.
He fired an anti-dragon, it shifted to an avian.
He fired an anti-bird one he had, a spear for slaying Rocs, it just shifted to a lizard.
A response for every situation. He needed something new. Each of them alone wasn't cutting it, not while Zeus was gathering strength.
"Ifrit," he muttered, "keep me stable."
He summoned his bow, a fluttering of something new forming. Caladbolg took form once more. He had other arrows…but a part of him held that arsenal back. The thought of his future enemies knowing even more than they currently did stalled him from unleashing everything.
It wasn't that bad, not yet. Not with everyone here…and it was precisely them that he was leaning on.
He aimed high, his divinity swelling. Silver and Gold twitched, spasming out slightly as they consolidated into their human guises mid-air. Artemis' eyes were wide as her brother's.
"I beseech your blessing, Apollo, Artemis!"
The arrow cracked, the surge of divinity of three Olympian Gods enough to detonate it a hundred times over by itself. Hephaestus' body cracked, a shimmer of gold and silver light flowing through him as he funneled the excess into his own body.
His right shoulder erupted with a wreath of silver divinity, his chest a torrent of gold. The adrenaline must have numbed his sense of pain, for he could fire without concern.
"I offer you this madness!"
He lost his hearing, his sight was slightly blurry as well. Apollo's divinity clashed in his chest, but Artemis was steadier. Volatile, but not as rowdy. It took all of his concentration to keep Caladbolg stable enough to fire, his own divinity holding it together.
The sun and the moon, forged in fire.
This was no rainbow but a pure deluge of electrum.
The winds tore at his face as he launched the arrow, Ifrit hugging him close as the winds screamed.
He felt the reverberations in his lungs, the utter howl of pain.
He gripped the top of his friend's feathers, his vision softening to see. Typhon's head was entirely blown apart, the ozone sputtering from the desolation of everything around it. A torrent of ash spewed from Typhon's exposed neck, a volcanic reaction to its missing skull. It seeped into the air around them.
He could feel it in that moment, a slight strain on his volcanic domains. Typhon wasn't alone.
Gaia, it must have been. Once more, Typhon's body grew, and with it, the power. He could literally taste it, a smog of ash and sulfur. The damage was already healed over, its skull reforming…alongside wings.
It was slow as always, but its massive size was now even more armoured. Five Olympians were not enough to fight Typhon if left alone much longer. He looked up, smirking.
The spear of Athena was crackling with power and he could see the microfractures from here with his keen eyes. To get that far…Zeus must have put everything into it. Yet, there was still more for Zeus to give.
"How much power do you even have?" asked Hephaestus.
He was putting everything into this…and here he was worried about the future.
"Bad habits," smirked Hephaestus.
He glared at Typhon. It stilled, feeling something unnatural forming.
"I am The Bone of My Sword."
The cracks formed on Hephaestus' body, glowing an ethereal blue. There was no fire, merely light.
"Steel is my Body."
Typhon shuddered, its massive frame moving to intercept him.
"Fire is my–"
His words choked as Typhon disappeared. It was instantaneous, the air slapping into each other at the vacuum with a loud snap. He turned, eyeing Typhon's new form high above Zeus.
It was merely a blob of eyes and flesh, rows of teeth accompanied by tendrils. All the eyes were glaring at Zeus, the tendrils reared back to strike at the straining God.
"NO!"
Fire wrapped around him, his feet colliding with a sturdy chest, and it all went black.
-Zeus P.O.V-
Rage was not new to me.
It was the language of my people. Emotions as raw as ours always prowled at the edges of our thoughts. It was what we were, who we were. Chained in our actions, we took every opportunity to revel.
I had been born to be a saviour. My own mother birthed me only to save my siblings. Love had long since withered from her. Yet, when they had been freed, I couldn't help but feel they were the most beautiful things in the world.
They were my family.
My family had abandoned me.
My children came though. They were scared. I knew that. I logically knew it. Yet, the idea that they all stayed behind, even if only a little, infuriated me. The loyalty I had shown and none had come forward of their own violation.
None but one.
He had moved me away from Typhon's sudden shift, slamming his feet into my chest with the rabid force of his phoenix.
I held that spear in my hand as the last of my divinity swirled within it, every bit concentrated to the point.
I held that spear as I watched Typhon tear into his chest with its appendages.
The moment it took for me to raise my arm back, Hephaestus had lost an arm.
As it left my fingers, the flesh and muscle on his chest and face had been torn.
As the spear flew…his legs were shattered in the monster's grip. Even the phoenix had been brought low, gaping holes in its body and wings.
It was everything I had. Everything. The surge of lightning wrapped in the divine symbol of myself and my daughter was enough to finally hit Typhon where it hurt.
It fell, its form shuddering at my full might. I could feel…exhaustion. Yet, it didn't matter.
Rage was not new to me but I learned that there were always greater depths to it.
I couldn't stop. My voice was the wind, my arms the thunder, my rage the lightning. I tunneled depths of strength I didn't even know existed within me. The lightning fell. Typhon wouldn't get up. I wouldn't let him get up!
He harmed me. My family!
My son shivered beside me, preparing to assist. My daughter had collected Hephaestus' broken body, retreating behind me.
Dionysus was wrapping his own noxious power with my own. As my lightning fell, our combined skills drew it deeper and deeper into the slumber it had awoken from. It wasn't enough. I refused!
Gaia wanted a war, then so be it! The shattered remains of the earth around me had been left with no authority. Typhon had made that clear. Lightning surged as I gripped every broken stone, every shattered piece, forming it above me. An island became a mountain and the gaping hole created a sink. I held one hand aloft, keeping my seal above my head.
The other called upon the darkest of our kin. But I didn't care.
"Tartarus!"
The hole shuddered, spewing a bit of smoke.
"Tartarus!"
A second shimmer. I yelled it out, every bit of my authority as I could drum up and more.
"TARTARUS!"
It actually beckoned. I could feel the slither of that dark deity's touch. The way it drummed my worst insecurities, my darkest thoughts. I fed it the damn thing and slammed the mountain on top of its head. I squeezed every muscle and every flex of my own divine might. My intent is inscribed into the stone in every way. No matter where we went, the seal would hold.
Typhon was defeated…at a cost.
My son had left my side the moment the danger had passed. Dionysus disappeared, probably to his home.
I didn't blame him. Being here pricked even my skin.
The winds bent at my will and I knelt beside my son and daughter. Artemis looked lost. It ached at me. She was so full of confidence and here…she could do nothing.
Hephaestus' body was infected. That was the only way that I could describe how Typhon fought. Every moment of being in close proximity to that thing dulled our own power, made it seem stronger than it actually was.
Whatever Gaia had done to it, though…it was dangerous. So dangerous that I doubt there'd ever be a foe great enough to match it. Even my own father was like an ant to that thing.
It wasn't even fully developed. Gods took centuries to grow properly, as my youngest children and even myself could attest to.
"Father," Croaked Apollo.
My fists trembled and I felt exhausted. It was unnatural, this feeling. I hated it. For a moment, I was tempted to have Apollo free me of the disgusting feeling.
The sight of Hephaestus and the sound of his croaked breathing stilled such a thing. I knelt down, eying his broken body.
His teeth were exposed, along with the marrow of his nose and rib cage. His left arm was torn completely, his Phoenix by his side, barely breathing.
Yet, there was no blood. Just black. The inky divinity of Typhon ravaged every part it could touch.
"We must return home. I will bring Hephaestus. Apollo, go to your grounds and prepare for us."
"But father–"
"NOW!"
My voice rumbled the very air. Weakened as I was, my son could not stand against me. He flinched a bit but nodded. Artemis was close behind him.
"Go daughter, I will follow."
She left as well. I knew that Hephaestus was not like us; he remained in the physical realities. I held him close, my divinity strong enough to fight Typhon's poison, now that it was sealed. The clouds became steps for me, as I walked to Olympus.
Have I ever been this careful before? I couldn't remember a time that I had been. Hephaestus shuddered, his hand shakingly reaching out. I stilled, blinking as his phoenix became embers, funneling into his body.
"Rest, Hephaestus. I have this now."
The words gave me strength. Yet, he did not sleep. His marred eyes shifted to me, one caked in the same black residue.
"D-do."
I hurried a little faster. He was still breathing, though the grinding sound of it was concerning.
"Z-z-zeus," he muttered.
I stared, leaning my head closer. His lips healed enough to cover a bit of his teeth, but his healing never went further.
"Don't," he rasped, "be. Kronos."
I stilled, glaring at him. How dare he! He would dare insinuate that I would be such a thing. There was too much. The storm within me was screaming. It needed to go somewhere…and I had the perfect place. Every step I took just assured me more of where I needed to be.
Home.
-Olympus-
Hera stayed seated on her throne. When Hephaestus had rushed out, Apollo and Artemis soon followed. She could have stopped them…if not for her. She glared at the woman who stood across from her, the audacity of checking her nails rather than looking back. They had remained silent, sitting in their thrones, pointedly staring everywhere but near each other. Still, one had to break.
"You," hissed Hera.
"Me."
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Aphrodite hummed, her pink chiton flowing into a more burgundy color. Her hair glittered like the night sky, and her eyes shone that strange kaleidoscope.
"I do. What of it?"
"That thing defeated Zeus. We needed to consolidate here and you let two of our own rush out, for what? Love!?"
Aphrodite was a strange one. Her divinity swelled leagues beyond anyone else's, yet her ability to actualize it was rather weak. Completely mental. If one held the strength, they could resist her.
Thus far, only the oldest of their kind could do so reliably.
Aphrodite sneered a bit, feeling the way her power just washed off Hera's shoulders. Divine strength was only a part of what made a God or Goddess powerful. It was frustrating to her that even though she was by far the oldest, she was still considered a mere Olympian.
"Your lack of love is what drove you to this desperate gamble. What would you have done? Fought Typhon when it was even greater than when it defeated Zeus?"
"My family," she said haughtily, "we would be more than enough together."
A sneer on the Goddess of beauty would bring lesser beings to their knees but Hera was undeterred.
"Family. Always using that word, never living with it. You and your siblings are the only ones who care about each other. Wasn't Zeus your family?"
Luscious lips smirked in victory, seeing the minute twitch of guilt.
"It needed to be dealt with," she said definitely.
"Sure."
Aphrodite grimaced, looking away as she felt Hera's power on her shoulders.
"You talk a lot for a woman still here."
"Says the woman who won't let me go," she smirked, "I'd already be there with Zeus…but that's what worries you, isn't it?"
She smirked as she said it. She knew there was no love between them, at least on Hera's end, but it still irked the Goddess of Marriage how easily Aphrodite spoke of just assisting with her husband. It was the principal rather than emotional. There was also the fact that Aphrodite was a wellspring of divine energy.
The entirety of the human psyche in divine form.
A primordial.
"Your…love is certainly a powerful tool," said Hera.
She could taste the faintest hint of jealousy from Hera. It was almost too intoxicating for Aphrodite to ignore, but she persevered.
Yet, Hera stood ever imperious and rose from her throne.
"But I doubt it would have made a difference. Stopping me from collecting those fools only spelled our doom."
She blinked, chuckling a bit as the sound of thunder echoed.
"Did it?"
Apollo arrived first, rushing past without a word straight to his domain. Hermes was already running behind him, the heads of other Gods strapped to his belt. His face had a calm expression, as if the knife held in his other hand wasn't glittering gold.
"I got their heads, those leaders you were so worried about, now get out of my way!"
Hera's face became sunken as she stared behind Hermes. He didn't seem to care as he tossed the shimmering heads to her, their golden blood glittering them as a demented trophy.
"Father is already fighting and you send me on this! If you were not Queen, I would–"
"Hermes."
The voice echoed in the chamber clearly. All turned to see Zeus, smothered in the blood of Hephaestus, his lifeless body cradled to the now larger God's chest. Hermes blinked, staring up at his father.
Larger.
Broader. .
There was a human saying that Hermes had heard about. What didn't kill you made you stronger.
It would appear it was more accurate than he gave it credit for.
"... Dad?" muttered Hermes.
The God smiled at him, eyeing the heads of the traitorous minor gods.
"You've been busy. Good. Less to deal with."
Hera opened her mouth. A sound did not escape. For she found herself strapped to her very throne with a thunderous appeal. Lightning wreathed around her, her body shaking. Zeus' might have always seemed so far away, so easily directed. She was getting a closer look now.
Zeus stalked up to her, the bleeding form of her son still held to him.
"I'll be dealing with you after. For now, I have other concerns. Make yourself useful. Call your siblings to my throne room."
He turned to as he walked away, his electric blue eyes shimmering with wrath.
"We need to talk."
Hermes was quick to appear at his father's side, smiling away.
"Looking big boss man! Decided on something new?"
Hera stared in the distance, lost in thought.
She couldn't see it.
His core.
It was always visible. Always open. It was why she tolerated marriage to Zeus outright. She could always see in advance when Zeus would eventually delve into being exactly what their father was.
Yet…now she felt empty. The sickness in her stomach spread as her fear grew. She turned her eyes to Aphrodite. The goddess of love merely smiled and snapped her fingers. Zeus' restraints gave way.
"You have a job to do," she whispered, "I suggest you get to it. Now, if you'll excuse me…I have your son to tend to."
At first, Hera shriveled a bit, her expression turning rank. She simmered down, though when the Goddess of Love moved to the Lord of War. That, at the very least, made sense.
She swallowed, her divine bubble sputtering apart…and her family showed themselves. Each held a grave expression…but it was Hades that hurt. His face was grimaced, staring at each of them with nothing but disappointment. Unlike them, Hades could not directly move to the mortal realms without express conditions. It was doable and could even be prolonged, but it was not quick.
Zeus however cared little.
His focus was with his son, far away from the throne room at the moment.
Apollo's domain had shifted to accommodate the swell of power that entered. His muses were no longer singing and instead were assisting Apollo in the creation of his rites.
He could see the swirls of power, the way they directed and installed divinity. Purification, healing, and various others saturated the walls of Apollo's domain. His sister stood beside him, watching. It must have been a first, seeing her brother's domain in its entirety. Even Zeus found himself impressed to a degree.
"Put him here," said Apollo.
He felt a twinge in himself, the audacity of being told what to do. Yet, there were greater things to be concerned about.
The key one being Hephaestus.
His raspy breathing was slowing, his chest rattling as it rose shakily. The tar had spread, his eyes dulling in color. Apollo got to work, immediately using his divinity to heal the smith. He scowled.
"Apollo?"
"It's not working," he whispered, "Typhon's power is…it's greater than mine."
If anything, it seemed to spread a little further at the provocation.
"Is there nothing that can be done?" demanded Artemis.
Her brother ran a hand through his hair, gripping it in frustration.
"The problem isn't if it can be done. The issue is Hephaestus!"
He pointed at the crumbling rib cage.
"His divine half is weak, too weak to support healing his physical body. Typhon's poison is eating away at it faster than it could with either of us."
The golden light of the sun saturated Hephaestus' body, making it spasm.
"See? Any time I try to heal his body, Typhon's poison attacks it and makes it worse. He's too weak to fight it off."
"That makes no sense," snarled Artemis, "he was fighting more directly than either of us!? He seemed fine!"
"Because his mortal half acts like a shield or at least I think it does."
Apollo spread his hands, frantically looking at Artemis.
"See? Typhon's like corrosion, eating away at us. Hephaestus' mortal body kept his core clear from it, a buffer if that makes sense. Once it was torn open…"
"It could hurt him directly," muttered Zeus.
"Yes," he said with a nod, "and it's worse for him than it would be for us. A cascade between his mortal and divine elements is culminating into…I don't know."
Death for a god was not final, but Apollo's concern was warranted. There was still so much of Hephaestus' biology that they didn't know. The key fact being that he was biological. Apollo was not idle though, collecting samples as numerous as he could get them.
He stilled as he saw the faraway look in his father's eyes.
"Father?"
"You said his divinity was too weak? Correct?"
"Well, yes. Ambrosia wouldn't do much to assist him in that, not with the corruption… Dad, what are you doing?"
The informal tone born from shock did nothing to slow Zeus. The god summoned his spear, standing over Hephaestus' broken body. He grabbed the head of his master bolt, letting his ichor flow from the blade.
This was no simple bleed, for the very air shimmered from the immense divinity flowing into it…the divinity that Zeus had sacrificed.
"Dad, stop!" said Apollo.
"He did it," said Zeus, "granted me his divinity, to bolster my strength."
The golden ichor sparked with blue electricity, his arm raised to Hephaestus' chest.
"If he can give…then he can take!"
"We don't know what that–"
Lightning met fire, the plasmic cataclysm screaming into the world as Ichor drained into Hephaestus' body. Lightning arced off his body, striking at the black tar-like substance in his wounds.
The gods save Zeus ducked for cover.
What was once yellow turned a searing crimson, red lightning mixed with fire arcing wildly all around. It danced harmlessly off Zeus' broad chest, the man idly scanning Hephaestus' body.
He focused, bleeding even more into Hephaestus' open wounds. The tar violently shook off Hephaestus' body, the black liquid screeching like a living thing as Zeus' blood sparked into it with a vengeance. Yet, it stuck still, erratic as it may have been.
He stared at it and instead focused. He murmured ancient words and his blood stopped. The lightning that was arcing off Hepahestus' body turned inward, consolidating into something new. Dulled red hair turned white, and what eye was visible sparked a violent azure blue.
Zeus stumbled a bit, catching himself by using Hepahestus' body. A sudden resonance and Zeus' eyes glazed over as he lost consciousness for just a second.
At least, so it seemed.
In another world, Zeus' eyes snapped open. Gears fluttered in the sky, marred by black rust. Dead trees were littered across the world, blades of impossible might spread across the barren ground. The only sight with life was the churning volcano in the distance, surrounded by five rivers.
Five distinct rivers. He made to move through space, but blinked. His authority was non-existent here. No, not non-existent, just weakened. This was not his territory.
"...What is this place?" muttered Zeus.
The winds gathered around him and he took to the skies. It wasn't hard to see a group of people surrounding the unconscious form of Hephaestus. There were five nymphs of rather extraordinary strength for their classification. One was taking the pain, while the other three watched their sister Styx try everything at her disposal. Zeus hovered behind them, taking in everything that he could see. It was a strange sight, seeing five completely different rivers circling around this volcano.
"Damn it all," growled Styx.
She had a hand in Hephaestus open wound, her starry divinity attempting to fight off the infection.
"Why the hell did Zeus stop!" she snapped at Phelgetheon, "it was working!"
She snarled at the faraway look her sister had.
"Focus damn you! He needs help!"
Acheron tapped her on the shoulder, staring at Zeus.
"What!? Can you…"
Her voice went quiet, the lump forming in her throat as Zeus stared her down.
"I've always wondered how Hephaestus freed you. Hades wouldn't stop complaining to me about it. I see now that he bound you to this…inner world."
His eyes widened, the sheer complexity of this weaving beyond the likes of any God had ever achieved. Making dimensions was complicated, but more than possible. They were not sustainable or permanent in anyway.
Sure, they could be maintained indefinitely, but this was another matter entirely. There were ley lines, life, entire swells of mana that couldn't exist without the corresponding authorities.
It was the very pinnacle of the art that Hera strived to complete.
He couldn't help but laugh. The sisters looked at each other, their own conclusions reached.
"You…you can't be here," stuttered Styx.
He smiled in wonder, eyeing the way the ancient river stood in front of his youngest Olympian.
It was adorable, the way she thought they were enough to stop him. Their authorities were indeed immense, but they were highly restrictive.
Any other time, he'd make a grand entrance. Hell, he even thought of just appearing and forming out of a storm cloud just for the hell of it. Yet, now is not the time. Zeus remained focused. He could see it, the way the tar was spreading across the volcano and the ground. This was the epicenter. He slowly rose, eyeing the expanse around him. Storm clouds formed where they couldn't before. Styx's eyes widened.
"Wait…but Hephaestus couldn't make–"
A sputter of rain hit her nose, the water falling around them like a torrent. Zeus rose ever higher, his eyes glowing with authority and power.
-OST: Thunder Bringiner (Instrumental)-
Lightning crashes throughout the world around him. The rain pelted the ground. Every drop tore at the darkened ooze of power. Zeus rose even higher, glaring at every speck of Typhon's power that he could see.
"You do not belong here."
BOOM!
"Your fight is over!"
CRASH! The skies rumbled as the echo of thunder drummed through the air.
"I, King of the Gods, banished you from the realm of men! I will banish you from this realm as well!"
The clouds saturated every visible speck of the sky. It was a pure electric gold, his arms arcing with that same energy.
"Begone."
A hand raised.
"You'll harm my family no more!"
As it fell…so did the thunder.
The sisters dispersed, for the wrath of Zeus was something only few could survive. What traces of Typhon remained was seared off the face of Hepahestus' inner reality. Only then did Zeus will himself to leave.
Zeus opened his eyes and smiled. What had once been open and frail was now slammed shut.
No, it was seamless. Like a hole in a wall that just ceased to exist. If it wasn't for his blood and the boon that he intertwined with it…he doubted he would have been able to see just how deep Typhon's infection had gotten.
He did one last look over, just to be safe. The tar was gone. While the sight of fresh blood spilling was less than pleasant, he wasn't overly concerned. He could see the way electricity was crawling on Hephaestus' body. As his skin and flesh regrew, electricity helped it along the way. Soon his left arm was back, his chest regrew, yet only his right leg reformed. It was a twisted sight, malformed, shards of bone sticking out. The flesh was an ugly purplish black. Apollo surged forward, already using his divinity on the limb. He was also focused on his friend's body overall.
"He's…stable."
A breath of relief saturated through the room. Hephaestus' hair was stark white. At first, Apollo was concerned his father's blood did more than intended, but it slowly began to bleed crimson once more, the eye that had been forced open healed and lost its azure hue. Yet…there was a spark that was left. His eyes widened.
"You didn't."
Zeus rolled his shoulders, crossing his arms.
"I did. Hephaestus deserved a boon for his service to me."
"A blessing, I understand, but a boon?"
Zeus scoffed, shrugging.
"Blessing, boons, they're one and the same."
"They are not! Father, blessings can be taken away, but boons are…they can't be taken. It's not like when a human dies, boons are intertwined between the body and the soul. It won't disappear until he truly dies, and he's a God, so that won't happen!"
"Are you done?" drawled Zeus.
"...uh…well…yes?"
"Good. It's been done. Will he wake up?"
"It will probably be a few hours."
Apollo narrowed his eyes at the stubborn limb. Nothing about it changed. His narrowed gaze burrowed into his father's.
"Make it several hours."
Zeus took a breath. He placed a hand on Apollo's shoulder and hugged Artemis close as he walked by.
"Rest. I will check in with you all later."
Artemis stubbornly did not move, looking up at him. The antlers on her skull retreated slightly, but they were still out to bare.
"You're not going in there alone."
He blinked. His eyes were wide a bit as Artemis and Apollo turned to him.
"I was…scared," she said, her core opening, "I know that doesn't make it better, but I truly didn't mean to leave you to that…that thing!"
They separated, Artemis growing more wild as she spoke.
"I am the hunter! ME! I…I was afraid of that thing! A monster."
Her nails dug into her palms as she bit her lip.
"I failed once. I'm not failing again. You are not going in alone."
Her father's core opened in turn and she faltered.
"I know," said Zeus, "but this…This I do alone."
He, too, had failed before. Not with Typhon, but himself. He had become king due to the fates. Due to the station.
DUE TO HER.
He treated his siblings the way he did because of her. Desperate for the love that she withheld from him. He even went so far as to ignore the way Hera's treatment of Hephaestus made him sick.
No longer.
Apollo gave him a draught of Nectar and a plate of Ambrosia. The food of the gods did wonders for him, his exhaustion finally leaving his body.
"Father…your blood still lingers in him," said Apollo.
He merely smirked.
"I know."
He walked to the throne room with purpose. The food was already rapidly restoring his strength. Typhon did nothing to elevate his strength, but he found that he had developed even further as a god, pushed as he was.
While he had retained the strength he always had, he felt more powerful. He no longer hid it. He entered, his scowl growing as he eyed each of his family members on their thrones. Ares looked at him, his face impassive. Athena sat opposite him across the room, nodding to him as he entered. He could feel the urge to lash out at him loud and clear. Athena may not have been with him, but she had armed him!
Speaking of.
Zeus took his seat on his throne and summoned his daughter's spear, gently moving it to her.
"Your assistance was pivotal, daughter. Thank you."
Her black hair framed her impassive face perfectly as she merely nodded. Zeus remained silent for a time, his anger growing. The sky above rumbled as his power swelled to fill the room.
"You abandoned me."
It was a statement, growled out with the lick of thunder in his voice.
"...brother," started Poseidon, "You can't seriously think that you alone are worth more than our realms? We have those that depend on us."
"I DEPENDED ON YOU!"
His fist cracked his throne. Aphrodite frowned, her face adopting an expression few had seen on her lovely face.
Sadness.
"Not all of us are suited for war," she said soothingly.
He looked at her with a belligerent expression.
"You can't hide behind that Aphrodite. How much chaos has been left in your wake with your list of love-drunk fools? You know exactly why they vie for your hand. You've left more destruction in your wake than any of us have. How many of those idiots could you have sent to assist me with just your word alone?"
She was unfettered. He was lashing out, venting the frustrations of his trauma. She had already made up her mind to forgive minor slights like this. Still, it didn't mean she wouldn't redirect it.
"Yet, I am not the one who wasn't there. After all, I was trapped as much as the others. If anything, blame your idiotic siblings."
They all turned to her, the grave insult making Ares smirk.
"What?" she spoke innocently, "I mean it must be true…after all, I was just stuck here due to Hera…you all hid away."
The words darkened the room like the smile that grew on her face. She had assisted, in her own way, of course, but the troubles of Olympus were not really hers, far as she was concerned.
"Selfish brat," muttered Demeter.
The smile withered as a glare pointed forward.
"I called for you," said Zeus, "all of you. Any of you. You made a choice…but fine."
His core closed for the first time in front of them. The statement rang in the disbelief of Demeter's expression.
"I won't hold back anymore!"
Thunder rumbled.
"I am no brother of yours!"
His power raged, splintering the throne room and the winds howling. They couldn't respond, the divine laws withering their resistance. For all the bluster they had, it did nothing to deflect from the iron truth. They had left him, utterly.
There was a price for that.
One he would exact.
"You wanted to be spared!" he roared, his anger delighting in the storm he became. He stood, lightning arcing into his weapon, the full force of his power brought to bear.
"I am the storm you sought to esc…"
He glared, his voice stilled.
"...move Ares."
His eldest son stared back. His eyes were cold as he looked around the room.
"Forget them, Father. You and I both know this would just be used against you. We can dig the knife later, but not like this. Not when it would just spiral into consequences for you."
He surged forward, his hand slamming into his son's throat.
"You dare!"
He squeezed, his eyes delighting at the shock and fear. The way his siblings reared back, the sudden way Hera gasped out her voice, it was all so cathartic. It sank into him, quenched a thirst he didn't know existed. It was better than sex.
"YES!"
It was as if the pettiest parts of him took voice, urging him further as he closed his fist even tighter around Ares' throat. Yet, the look his son was giving him. The wild, betrayed expression. In a sea of sea of petty rage, a trinkle of a memory was still afloat. It rang the tiniest voice.
"Don't."
His grip loosened.
"Be."
The storm within died, his son blinking at the bewildering expression on Zeus' face.
"Kronos."
His grip loosened and Ares stared at him as he was let down.
Hera was hyperventilating, the first true show of emotion since she and her siblings escaped their father's stomach. Zeus stared at his hand, his fingers shaking slightly. Hephaestus' voice…it had brought memories.
For a moment, he remembered the devastated expression Hephaestus bore at Hera's rejection. The way his eyes and cheeks sought to keep his despair contained only made it worse.
But an older memory surfaced. The one in which his mother looked down at him.
"...what was I doing?" he thought.
His siblings deserved all his anger. But didn't Ares defend this home, as Athena did?
"He deserves it!"
His hand twitched.
"She at least tried. What about him! Just a lapdog to his mother!"
The voice withered as the words struck him, withering away like a scream in a void. His eyes cleared, a film of tears brought slightly to the forefront.
"You are my vengeance sweet Zeus. Grow strong son…and you'll strike at your father when you're ready."
A tool. That was all he was to her. He eyed his son. Could he truly blame him for obeying his mother? After all…didn't that make him–
"Like me," whispered Zeus.
He reached slowly to his son, the wide-eyed expression hesitant.
"I…I'm hurting you," said Zeus.
Ares actually smiled.
"It would take more than that."
"That...I'm…"
The word clawed his throat. It anchored in his chest and refused to move. He even opened his mouth a few times before he finally ripped it out, placing his hands on either side of Ares' shoulders.
"I'm sorry," he said.
For all of his entire reign, Zeus had never apologized. Not to anyone.
"Don't. Be. Kronos."
The words…he hated how much they made sense now. He gripped his spear. He held his son close, putting his nose into his hair. He smelled like blood and iron.
"I'm sorry," he whispered again.
He defeated his father, the tyrant that he was. Was this not what Kronos had done? Abuse and defile? He turned to Athena, her blank expression revealing nothing.
"Come, daughter."
She appeared instantly by his side.
"I need you both to be with your brother right now. He's in Apollo's care."
They blinked. Ares' eyes widened as he realized what he was implying.
"Hephaestus? He's injured."
A solemn nod and the two dispersed. He turned to his family. His chest sparked along with his hair, his rage apparent even with a closed core.
Poseidon rolled his eyes, trying to stand. He slumped back into his seat, struck by lightning. He blinked, staring at his brother with wide eyes.
A cold gaze and a steady breath. From his throne, he addressed the original six. He knew Hestia was in here somewhere. She was the least of his concerns.
"We have much to discuss."
Hera bristled, her faraway gaze sharpening. She could smell it. The blood of Hephaestus was ripe in this place. They were connected by blood. It was a thin thing, easily ignored.
Well, that was until she got an electrical shock…one that remained. She turned to her husband, eyes slowly widening.
"...what did you do?"
The skies rumbled as his voice echoed with authority.
"What he deserved. The blood of kings flows in him now."
"...you absolute–"
Her mouth snapped shut. Her divinity fizzled out, the divine retribution too strong for her to overcome at this time.
"I do as I please. My considerations for you are done. Hephaestus was injured, protected me without concern for himself. Fought with me. I gave him my divinity and his body adapted to it. That's all."
"That's all!?" gasped Demeter, "Are you insane!? You…you…"
She stilled, remembering the rumors. Of how Hephaestus had healed the nymphs of his land.
"...it was true?"
"Not that it matters. I have given him my boon."
The room was silent. Hades nodded.
"I can see why. You know those cannot be taken back, not with Gods."
Electricity sparked across the ground, a grand smirk on his face as he spoke.
"I trust him."
"...to be honest," muttered Poseidon, "I didn't even know boons could be given to other Gods."
"They can't. That's the point," growled Hera, "now we'll have a bunch of idiots detonating each other attempting to do the same thing! The only reason he's even alive is…"
She couldn't say it. The shame was too great. The human ilk in his blood made a perfect core unstable. But, that instability…in theory was what made this possible.
The weaver in her wanted to know everything but her pride and distaste won the day. She shut the connection between her…child, as far as she could. A small ignoble twinge to his suffering, muted.
"He's mine now."
She scoffed. It just egged him on, making the now larger Zeus smirk.
"In all ways. My blood flows in him, my boon is intertwined with him. By all rights, he is mine and mine alone."
The sky rumbled, his smirk growing. There was something indescribable, a presence that reaffirmed something. A declaration solidified into something real, tangible in even the divine laws. The entire room stilled.
"Did…was that what I thought it was?"
They all turned to Zeus, the smug ass grin on his face. The God looked like he won the lottery. He gestured to the invisible winds.
"Tell all that will hear of how me and my children defeated the mighty Typhon. My sons and daughters all."
It wouldn't be that simple, not really. Stories always get distorted, broken into different variants over time. Yet, for today at least, the stories would ring true.
The fact that Chaos itself asserted its will just made his declaration all the sweeter. Didn't matter if Hera and the others wanted to vote against it. In the eyes of the creator, Hephaestus was now his son by divine law.
"Now…onto rewards. The council will have to…abide, of course."
The sound of grinding teeth just made him giddy.
"I have to get Ares something. He was right, driving the knife in slowly is just so much sweeter."
He declared it with all the pomp he adored, leaning against the arm of his grandiose throne.
"Athena!"
The name echoed. Hera assented quickly. The others moments later. There was no denying her service or those who followed after.
"Ares! Hermes!"
He smiled.
"Arms for all of them and a reward of their choice."
Assent again.
"Apollo and Artemis…they can request one boon from any one of us Olympians."
He gave a raised hand before any arguments could be had.
"I meant a favour, obviously. Relax."
The last name bristled Hera's hair, a sprout of peacock-like feather coming from her shoulder.
"Hephaestus!"
Hera immediately declined but she looked away. There was no support in this. She reluctantly switched, giving another unanimous proclamation.
"His reward must be different," muttered Poseidon, "he already has your boon. Anything greater than that doesn't make any sense."
"Well…truthfully can't he just make his own weapons?" muttered Demeter.
That caused a round of concern for a moment.
"...Then we offer a service," said Hera.
They all turned to her. The distaste was obvious, but as queen she knew the standards that must be upheld.
"If a boon is already given and he can arm himself, then a service must be provided. However, I offer a restriction, considering what he has already achieved."
She smirked a bit. It was a hollow thing. She feared her husband now. She had no way to gauge his personality or desires with his core closed.
"That would be?" he said simply.
There was a bit there, a threat even. Jovial the tone might have been, there was no hiding the venom that sunk beneath it.
"This…favor must be in the best interest of Olympus."
It sounded simple, but was rather difficult to achieve. After all, it had to benefit everyone in this room and across the entirety of the pantheon.
Her husband's smirk made her stomach sink.
Zeus turned to Aphrodite, an inspired idea coming to mind. She shrunk back a bit, her eyes narrowing.
"I'll declare it after," he said, "Now…onto punishments."
He leaned forward, a predatory grin.
"...I think some concessions must be made…no?"
For hours, the skies rumbled, the earth shook, and even some crops withered. The arguments of the oldest Olympians were a blitzkrieg of insults and barbed promises.
Yet, not all were bothered by it. Hephaestus slept for almost that entire time before finally waking up. The smith god's eyes fluttered open. Athena's unblinking gaze was in his face, her head tilting a bit as it seemed to do so often.
"You're awake."
"...thank you for the observation," he grumbled.
He felt like shit.
"I feel defeated, yet oddly rejuvenated."
"What happe–GRK!"
Ifrit slammed into his face, smothering him in her feathers. It came back, the phantom pain of his limbs being torn off, sparking a wave of frustration. He could feel his limbs. He'd have to rebuild the whole thing over again if he wanted…
He glared down at his legs. One was bandaged up, the other had regrown.
"...APOLLO!"
"Here! I think I finally cracked it!"
Completely ignored, Apollo got to work on his demented leg, singing soothing words and ancient rites…or current rites?
Was it ancient if he was in the current era?
It did nothing, as he knew it would do. Apollo threw whatever utensils he had in his hands across the room.
"BAH! I have another…oh you're awake…so…this isn't what it looks like."
He glared at him, shoving his head away as he swung his body around. He was on a large slab of golden metal, surrounded by a temple filled with gaudy, golden statues.
Athena gracefully spun around him, studying every groove of his unmarred skin.
"Interesting. The boon is dormant."
He conjured the anti-divine weapon, slamming its sharp edge right into his right leg. Apollo's strength couldn't deter him, even with the entire god's weight thrown on him. A meaty thunk and the limb was severed once more, equal to his left.
He conjured his new limbs, already feeling the irritation at having to use a projected copy.
Again.
Next time, he didn't care about collateral or future impacts. He would unleash Unlimited Blade Works on Typhon and grant him oblivion at the first opportunity. The mechanical limbs shuddered shut around his exposed flesh, the entire process intriguing to both gods that stood witness.
"I did not give consent for that! Never do that again!"
"But–"
"NO! Now…what happened?"
"Father happened."
Artemis slung from the shadows, her gaze lingering on the forgotten limb just bleeding on the ground. Hephaestus lifted the limb, Ifrit grabbing it from his hands and disappearing into his body.
Apollo blinked.
"...how the–"
"Intriguing–"
"FOCUS! Facts, beginning, middle, end."
If Typhon was still up and about, they needed to find it, now! His worries were assuaged quickly though. Artemis discussed how Zeus sealed Typhon into Tartarus, a physical seal as a redundancy, just in case. The fact that it was an entire mountain was still mind-boggling to him, despite knowing the elseworld story.
"What of Olympus?"
"It wasn't that difficult. Just time-consuming. The number of minor gods that were initially here was quite small…but others quickly joined. It was…pathetic. Hera was quite surprised when multiple Minor gods were already fighting them off. Nike was certainly impressive. The blood of her parents runs strong in her."
Pride blossomed in Hephaestus' chest, the sensation belonging to another.
"She told me to say hello. She seemed intrigued to meet you actually, though she wouldn't say much else."
"I'll make sure to meet with her when I can," said Hephaestus.
"You healed well, brother."
Ares sauntered over. Even with his sword cleaned, it reeked with the divinity of countless weaker gods, freshly slain by his hand.
"I expected a little more," he smirked, "from a brother of mine."
Athena turned to him, a raised brow.
"You rushed here before I did? Was it not you that demanded Apollo to give him–"
Ares gave her a look, quickly dispersing before she could say anything. Artemis snorted as she stared at her older sister. A weird fact considering she was technically born after Artemis.
"...did I say something wrong?"
Hephaestus took a breath, feeling something…different.
"...what happened to me?"
"Zeus happened," said Apollo, checking him over.
"Have you heard from Dionysus yet?"
"Not yet," said Artemis, "I heard that he was communicating with Gaia again. Getting answers."
"Didn't Gaia attack us with Typhon?"
"Of course," said Athena, "it's quite obvious."
"Then…why is Dionysus talking with her?"
They all blinked. Apollo slapped his fist into his palm.
"Oh! Right. So, Gaia is old!"
He blinked.
"...many faces?"
"...you mean she has multiple personalities? They all exist at once?"
"Precisely!"
The headache that gave him made it even worse.
"So we have a Gaia that…likes us?"
"Effectively," said Athena, "other parts of her detest us for what Father did to her son Kronos."
"Didn't she help Rh–"
The name of Zeus' mother could not be uttered. Not in Olympus. Every time Hephaestus tried to utter it, the name died on the winds of Zeus' domain. He gave up after the third time.
"Her, didn't Gaia help her?"
"Yes."
"...alright then."
He hopped off the table.
"It's best that I return home. Typhon's rampage was by no means limited to just that island. I need to make sure there are no ramifications."
He couldn't even walk a step before the summons rang out. The tingle across his spine was new, though.
"...or not."
They walked as one, intermingling as they went.
"Where's Hermes?"
"Knowing him? Gathering every piece of dirt he can on everyone," said Apollo, "he's going to have so many favors after this."
"Enough to get him out of your bad books for your cows?"
He turned to Hephaestus, frowning at his smirk.
"No one touches my cows."
The throne room was certainly new. Dozens of small cracks were healing over. Some of the other Olympians looked worse for wear. Only Hades, Demeter, and Zeus appeared untouched.
The king of the Gods smirked as he gestured to them all.
"My children! I've gathered you all for a final announcement."
He smiled at each of them.
"Each of you have been rewarded for your services to Olympus during this…trying time. Each of you has already made your desires clear. We are here to ratify our last reward."
He nodded to Hephaestus in particular.
"I know that you desire to return to your home, so I will be quick."
He stood, gesturing to the other side of the room.
"In honor of your service to Olympus, your service to me, and as a general gift to welcome you into my family, I offer you the greatest gift mankind could ever know. Something so desired that even the other Gods have already warred for it, even continue warring for it!"
He smirked, gesturing for Aphrodite to stand. She did so reluctantly.
"I offer you your reward, Hephaestus. Love itself."
The lord of flames stared at Aphrodite. She looked like she sucked a lemon as their eyes met. His gaze danced between her and Zeus.
He looked at the others. Some were shocked, but others seemed indifferent. By others, he meant Athena.
Her owl's jaw had dropped, though.
He looked back, his brain barely computing.
Hera snarled, looking away.
"You are to be married," she grounded out, "within the week."
"...what?"
-End-
Hope you guys had fun with this chapter, for next chapter is the wedding bells for Hephaestus and Aphrodite baby!
Kind of.
Sorta.
Also, for those of you who have caught it, yes Zeus' new form is heavily inspired by the animatic version of Zeus from Neal Illustrator! If you haven't seen their work yet, go check it out! Amazing work and their interpretation of Zeus fits him so well!
Who knows what new forms the Gods will take in the future!
…I mean…well I know, but that's beside the point.
As promised, my special omake. This is, of course, non-canon. This goes out to the reviewer who inspired this, you know who you are. Enjoy!
-Special Omake #1-
Ritsuka, or better known by her preferred name Gudako, was staring hard at Mash's shield. Ever since they had summoned Pretender, the entire summoning system had been…compromised.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Mash.
"You know what we're up against."
Every single person and servant in the organization stared at her.
"What?"
"You just want to see what pops out," muttered Mash.
She grinned, sticking her tongue out.
"You know it! I mean we got TYPHON last time! Imagine what servant we can get now!"
She began giggling at all the saint quartz and rare materials that she had stashed around Mash's shield. The entire room was part of the summoning system, but she liked to believe that it mattered how close it was to the shield.
"Come on! COME ON! BE SOMETHING GOOD!" she roared.
The poor technician sighed.
"For the last time, that's not how this works! It's not a gambling machine!"
He had to shy away from the disgusted expression. If he wasn't careful she'd punt him in the ass…again.
"Roll it! Come on, give mommy a new Caster!"
Typhon sauntered in, the human-like guise giving a facsimile of a smile. She stood amongst the other servants. All of them her lessers, of course. Still, it would be interesting to see the summoning on the other side of it.
Mash's shield sparked a solid blue, fluttering weakly. One by one, as if to taunt her, black keys popped out of the shield.
She glared at it.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
As the sixth one popped out, she glared at the operator who pushed the button.
"We talked about this…Frank."
The sixth clattered to the ground.
"...my…my name's actually–"
The seventh.
"Bitch, right?" whispered Gudako, staring at the eighth black key that slumped out.
Her eye twitched as the circle spun up again. Her neck snapped to the side as a slab of Mopu Tofu shot out with a wet smack.
The circle glowed but…nothing happened.
She turned to it, eyeing it. She pursed her lips, looking at "Frank". She crossed her fingers across her neck as the circle glowed brightly again. Brighter. Brighter. Even brighter.
She blinked at the mostly grey light.
"I swear if I get Cu again!"
She ignored the look the variants of Irish Hercules gave her. With a karmic bitch smack, she was blasted off her feet as a torrent of crimson energy flooded the room. Sirens blared as other servants rushed in.
"Energy readings are off the charts…again!"
"It's a five-star servant!"
"I told you to stop classifying them! The servants don't like it!"
It would usually end by now, but Gudako just kept smiling as Mash's poor shield rattled away under the pressure.
"MORE!"
"But we can't affect that!?"
"MORE!"
The torrent got even larger when suddenly the room was bathed in a crimson flame. Gudako covered her face, the armament and bodies of several servants covering her. She blushed horribly at the mash of muscles that covered her, giggling a bit. She was a bit sad when they all separated…until she saw him.
He was massive. Easily 6'5. Not the tallest servant that she had, but there was no denying his physique. Bulkier than most with crimson hair to match. He was certainly unique.
His eyes slowly opened. He wore nothing across his bare chest, a swatch of red cloth wrapped around his waist as a mantle, flowing freely behind him.
His golden eyes were familiar, in a strange way, staring right at her. There was something indescribable there.
"... Are you my master?" he asked.
"OH hells yes! I wanted a caster but a new melee servant will do just fine!"
The other servants chuckled as they left the room, with only a few remaining behind. She grinned at him and the small smile he had at her just about made her into a puddle. Was it strange that it seemed to be a knowing smile? Sure. But the handsome servant guy just made her weak in the knees all over again.
"So, who are you! The name's Gudako!"
Typhon was behind her, scowling freely.
"I…am Hephaestus."
"...say what now?"
A burst of azure flame, and a god forsaken Phoenix erupted from the cracks that suddenly formed at Hephaestus' shoulder. He smiled.
"So even you have joined me here, my friend."
She nuzzled his face, eyeing Gudako with a cold expression. Any thought she had of petting a flaming bird turned to ash at the gaze.
A tablet was given to her with all her servants' specks…and she nearly shat herself.
True Name: Nameless
Epithet: Hephaestus
Class: Caster
Parameters:
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: D
Mana: EX
Luck: B (F)
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B
True Name Discernment: EX
Territory Creation: EX
Personal Skills:
Taming: C
Each divine beast is a creature that Hephaestus had met in life, forging a strong bond between each. The circumstances are not similar, nor are they linear with any sort of concept with taming. However, in turn there is no means of severing their connection for each beast lives within his reality marble. Even if they are slain or harmed, they can seek refuge within his inner world.
Ifrit: The Azure Phoenix. The bird of legend. This phoenix's flames are so pure they burn a bright blue. It can burn any enemy and will fight even without Hephaestus' intervention. They are connected as God and Divine Beast and as such Ifrit will abide by his will. However, she is her own animal and will devastate enemies even if Hephaestus does not wish to. Be careful around her, for she does not view the master with the same respect her God does.
Aaren blackthorn gdiff: Error. This name cannot be deciphered. No new information can be gleaned.
Denver Honolulu hath: Error. This name cannot be deciphered. No new information can be gleaned.
Divine Blacksmith:
Hephaestus retains the skills he has honed in life. So long as he has materials, he can create magic tools and various other armaments. He can even create Divine Items, given the time and energy to do so. Even noble phantasms can be replicated, so long as he has seen it once.
Reinforcement:
Hephaestus can augment his stats by one rank using reinforcement.
Master of Arms: A
Over the course of his absurdly long life, Hephaestus has been armed with many weapons, gathering strength and skill with each one. Some were symbols of power…others were simply stupid. His skill with each is undeniable.
.
Noble Phantasms:
Unlimited Blade Works: E-EX
This cannot be classified as a noble phantasm in truth. Yet, it is undeniably Hephaestus' true skill. A culmination of his life from mortal to god, it encompasses all that he is and all that he has become. As a god, Unlimited Blade Works has evolved to an unprecedented level. Who knows what secrets lie within it.
Abigale Trumann
Error. True Name cannot be registered. No information can be accessed.
Designation Alteration: A
Not much is known of this Noble Phantasm. Only that it invokes the most ancient of seals known to man. What it does and how it functions are unknown.
Hephaestus smiled, Ifrit roosting in the rafters above.
"So, master. What mission ails you that you would need my assistance?"
"Hephaestus!"
He blinked, turning to face a…child?
"...Yes?"
"You…are Hepahestus?"
It glared at him. It was a cute kid, sure. Yet, for whatever reason, this child filled him with equal amounts of dread as it did annoyance.
"I am."
"You cannot be! You're not of this world! You are a system error!"
He blinked, narrowing his eyes. Typhon shivered a bit, realizing what he was doing.
"Pathetic mortal. No one can simply–"
"Typhon?"
She stopped, glaring at him with an expression only a child could have.
"You…that's not allowed!"
Hephaestus blinked. Typhon was a loli…for some fucked up reason.
"...Master."
"Yes?"
"...your life is weird."
"...I don't think you can tell me that. You're the fifth Nameless I've summoned!"
"Of course I am."
Right on cue, EMIYA entered and the two locked eyes. The last time this happened with Muramasa, the two almost got into a fight. Instead, EMIYA looked up, Hephaestus looked down. He gave a small smile. To Gudako's shock, whatever came between them…it made EMIYA smile in return. The blue bird came surging down, fluttering on the shoulder of EMIYA. He stilled, cringing away slightly at the soft, almost motherly hug of the phoenix. It wrapped its wings around his head, refusing to move.
There were so many questions brimming in her head. So many things that she wanted to learn. Instead, Gudako turned to Hephaestus and grinned.
"Wanna go farm Saint Quartz with me?"
He chuckled, moving behind her.
"So you're that one," he muttered, stepping in pace with her.
"What's that supposed to mean?"