C-28: My Children

The birth of my children, Zagreus and Melinoe, had been one of the most profoundly transformative moments in my long existence. Holding them for the first time, seeing the spark of divinity in their tiny forms, and knowing the legacy they would carry—it was this feeling of fatherhood that blossomed inside me as soon as I held them, they were my children.

Hecate and I poured everything into raising them. From their earliest years, they were curious and bold, each displaying their unique gifts in ways that astonished and challenged us. Zagreus seemed drawn to the shadows, playing games with the flickering darkness that would follow him, his laughter echoing as he shaped monsters from the dark and sent them scampering about like harmless pets. Melinoe, quieter but no less formidable, had an eerie talent for sensing spirits and bending nightmares to her will.

"Mother, look," she had said one night, her small hands cupped around an orb of black mist. Within it danced a wisp of a nightmare, shimmering like a dying ember. "It's sad. Can I make it better?"

Hecate had knelt beside her, her expression a mix of pride and awe. "You can, my darling You command that little nightmare to be whatever you want it to be."

As they grew, I enlisted the Oni King Katsuo and his warriors to train them. The Oni were ruthless yet disciplined, their methods molding Zagreus and Melinoe into proper warriors and gods. Brontes, the master smith, forged their weapons—Zagreus received a black stygian sword, it was similar to my sword and yet alot smaller with a thinner blade, while Melinoe was gifted daggers of the same material that looked more like sacrifical daggers than anything else.

The first time Zagreus held his sword, he looked up at me with a grin that was both mischievous and determined, man that warm feeling inside me watching my boy weild a sword. "Will you teach me to fight like you, Father?"

"Of course," I replied, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'll show you a few of my tricks, but don't try to become me. Because who you want to become, even if is nothing like anything ever seen or heard of before."

Melinoe, standing nearby with her new daggers, gave me a sly smile. "And if Zagreus gets into trouble, I'll make sure to save him."

Zagreus rolled his eyes but smiled at his sister, the bond between them already unbreakable.

Years passed swiftly, and the twins flourished. But life in the Underworld is never without its surprises. One fateful day, while traveling along the mortal realms to inspect some disturbances near the River Lethe, I stumbled upon a sight that shook me to my core.

A woman lay on a desolate island, her body frail and worn, her belly swollen with the unmistakable signs of imminent childbirth. It was Leto, the gentle and enduring Titaness.

"Leto," I said, rushing to her side. Her skin was as pale, her breaths shallow. "What has happened? Who did this to you?"

"Hades…" she murmured, her voice weak but steady. "Their father is Atlas… I been traveling all this time, he had cursed me to never find a place to give birth, I cant do this any longer. I am going to fade, it takes so much energy to hold them from being born." She gripped my arm, her strength fading. What the hell is with Atlas fathering all of Zeus's children.

"It is alright, as King of the Gods, I give you permission to give birth on this land." I ordered as I grabbed a knife and ripped of the dress that was in the way and got to work, I created a soft bed and then a water basin and some clean towels. A half hour later a young girl was helping me as I got her twin out of her mother. I was expecting a boy next, I mean that is who is supposed to be born and yet a blonde girl came out next, aging to the same five year old form like her sister. 

Leto looked at them, tears in her eyes. "My dear children, Artemis and Apolla, I am sorry that I can not be here for you any longer, this man will take care of you." Leto turned to me and squeezed my hand. "Promise me, Hades… take them. Protect them. Give them a home."

I nodded, my voice thick. "I swear it."

With a final, shuddering breath, Leto gasped, as her body burst into light and spread into the air. I stood there, the two girls holding one of my hands. This land will become sacred land, It will forever be known as Letoria, the birthplace of the daughters of Leto. 

I pulled the two little girls close as I let the shadow consume us and bring us straight to the underworld. Hecate met me at the gates to the castle, her arms were crossed, her expression shifting from concern to surprise as she saw the children.

"What happened?" she asked, her looked between the girls and me.

"Leto," I said, my voice heavy. "She's gone, just recently faded. These are her children. She begged me to take them in. This is Artemis and Apolla."

Hecates expression softening. "Then we will," she said simply. "We shall raise them as our own."

As we were talking Zagreus and Melinoe had just arrived from their lessons with Raphael, they looked curiously at the two girls.

"Zagreus, Melinoe. Meet your new sisters, the silver haired girl is Artemis and blonde one is Apolla. Please treat them like you treat each other."

"Alright!" Zagreus exclaimed, as he crouched to meet their gaze. "Hey, I'm Zagreus. I am the eldest sibling. The blonde girl with the ghost arm is Melinoe, don't worry she doesn't bite.... much"

This got him slapped across the head by Melinow who huffed in annoyance. "Ugh! God boys are so stupid!"

... I watched this silently as Hecate wrapped her arms around me.

As the years passed, the bond between the four of them became alot stronger. Apolla became inseparable from Zagreus, the two of them exploring the Underworld or going to Olympus and hang out with Ares or Hephestus. Artemis, on the other hand, gravitated towards Melinoe, the two girls often would hang out in forests around the world hunting and exploring the lands. 

Zagreus really got into combat and would often hang out with the Oni. He did train his powers alot, and after a while decided to go by the title Ashborn. Zagreus had a natrual afinity with shadows and the dead as he would rise them and create his own shadow army. For his coming of age, he became known as Zagreus the Ashborn, god of God of Shadows, Monsters, and Necromancy 

 Melinoe, became quite close with the demons and resedints of the Underworld, visitng Elsium or the Asphodel Cities. She had even started to hang around Hypnos, he taught her how to enter the dreams of others and other tricks to manipulate and control her powers of Nightmares. Melinoe took to even hunting down curropt mortals and plauging their dreams in nightmares. On her coming of ge she became the goddess of Ghosts, Nightmares, and Demons, joining the Olympian council.

Apolla trained under Raphael learning alot about Medicine and cultivation. She got into archery as well as spearmanship. She grew into a fine youg woman and was selected by Helios as his successor, though she did have a tendacy to hang alot around Michael as he would teach her about the laws of the world, he later gifted her his wings. On her coming of age she joined Olympus and became the goddess of the Sun, Laws, Medicine, Miracles, Spear and Archery

Lastely Artemis, she was an intense young girl, she prefered to be out in the wild hunting animals. She became the successor to Seline and like her younger sister got really into archery. She and Melinoe were always togeather and had started their own hunting group that hunted down evil people. At her coming of age, Artemis became the goddess of the moon, hunting, assassination, and maidens. 

My children except Melinoe all decided to joined Olympus and Hecate and I supported each and every one of them. Out of bordem one day I had asked them if they were interested in anyone and Artemis straight out told me that she and Melione had been dating for the past couple years... yeah I didn't know what to think but yeah there were obvious signs, was my gaydar broken? Maybe. 

"They're extraordinary," Hecate said one evening as we stood on the balcony of our palace, watching the children spar in the courtyard below. 

"They are," I agreed, my heart swelling with a rare sense of contentment.