Fitting In. Changes To The Original. Compass.

"Happy anniversary, my love," Hephaestus said, holding Algaea's hand on the beaches of Lemnos.

"Hephaestus…you don't have to keep doing these things for me," she responded, looking down at the beautiful necklace crafted by the Olympian.

"Well…we have been together for 16 years now. I told you there would never be a year I wouldn't celebrate with you," Hephaestus told her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Hephaestus had been an Olympian for 26 years now, and married for 16; Lemnos was declared as his territory and to be paid respects when passing by sea.

His name had now spread to the far corners of distant land, held in the same regard as the other Gods due to his immense talent being recognized.

After his first ten years, he decided to ask Zeus for Algaea's hand in marriage, which Zeus readily accepted with a smile.

However, their marriage had yet to bring about a child, which caused many unwanted rumors to spread about the both of them, which they had decided to ignore and continue with their lives.

"That was not the real gift," I said to her, taking her hand to lead her to my forge, blessed with the proper resistance to withstand it.

"What do you mean? This is plenty enough," Algaea said with a confused voice.

I walked over to a figure covered in a cloth, before removing it, revealing the image of a young girl, no older than the age of 14, sleeping peacefully.

"This is my gift for you, and for me as well," I started, "This is our child I created for you. A child that has been blessed by the Olympians collectively,"

Algaea already explained to me her struggle to bear a child. It was not impossible for her, but exceedingly more difficult than any other.

"This…Hephaestus…What…how…" she muttered, breaking her words as she spoke.

"I know the pain you feel every time someone says you are infertile, Algaea, and that there is nothing I can do to help you," Hephaestus told her, "So I gift you this…our daughter.

Hephaestus did not know why Aphrodite did not listen to him asking why he had not blessed his wife with fertility.

When he did ask her, she said that Algaea was someone untouchable to her now that she is married to me. It could be seen as something favorable to me or that she gives preferential treatment.

I knew it was all excuses.

"Thank you, Hephaestus. Truly…I love you," she said, embracing me tightly.

I smiled before accepting her gesture, "I love you too,"

"What is her name?" Algaea asked.

"I didn't think of that, I would have thought you would want to," Hephaestus said.

"No…you should name her…I wouldn't want to take that privilege from you," Algaea said lovingly.

"Okay…How about…" His mind suddenly began to sting slightly as he blurted out:

"Pandora,"

….

For the past few minutes, the sea had trembled considerably.

It was the boldest storm anyone would be able to recall, the rain determined in a wind that moved like a well-run locomotive.

It seemed that Poseidon was going through a terrible dilemma in his castle.

"Merciful Poseidon, please forgive me for my heresy against you!" A man screamed on the shores of his home.

"I will give you everything I have…I have gold! Yes, Gold! I shall give it to you!"

"In the form of jokes!" He continued.

"Why did Poseidon not share with his people?" The man started, seeing the storms becoming more and more aggressive.

"He's a bit of a…shell-fish God!" The man shouted laughing.

Suddenly, the water instantly came to a standstill. The storms that ravaged the beaches stopped and the ripples came to a beautiful flat.

The man who said the joke began to have small laughs, breathing heavily.

He could already see his name becoming known throughout all the lands like the one to calm the mad God with wit and genius.

"I'm actually incredible?" He questioned himself, before a giant form of water shot through the surface, sending boulders of rock into the sky.

One boulder was speeding swiftly straight in the direction of the 'funny' man.

In his last moments, he saw a gigantic figure break through the ocean. A figure that seemed to have multiple snakes coming from where his legs should have been, screeching into the air with a deafening pitch.

….

"Hephaestus. I see your marriage is still holding strong," Hera said to me.

"It is," I replied, waiting for the other deities to arrive.

"Where are they?" He questioned himself, looking around, my arms crossed at my chest, causing the muscles to bulge and become extremely visible and appealing to Goddesses and some Gods, something I did take notice of.

"What am I here for?" I questioned Hera.

"I don't know what you mean," She said, glancing my way slightly before looking back to the palace halls.

"You said for me to come here to talk with the Olympians. However here we are in the middle of the halls doing nothing. Tell me what you want," was the response, said to her, stricter than before.

"I knew you would not come here if it was just me. Please listen my son-""DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I shouted at her.

"YOU DID…You did nothing for me…why would I listen now?" I asked her, about to walk away.

"I didn't think you would turn out to be a good God! If I knew how you would be I never would have thrown you away!" She shouted.

"That makes it okay in your eyes? What if I didn't turn out to be a 'good God'? What would happen then?"

"Listen…" she started, ignoring what I was saying, "I feel bad about…what happened,"

"So, you're apologising?"

"Yes. I'm sorry,"

"Ok. I don't forgive you,"

"Hephaestus…I said I'm sorry,"

"Yes, and I do not forgive you,"

"Son. Why do you persist to be such a bothersome-""HEPHAESTUS!"

The man in question quickly turned at the mention of his name, to see a desperate Hermes dashing in front of him.

"Poseidon is defeated! Poseidon! SHIT!" He shouted, nervously dashing around left and right.

"Calm down, explain to me-""No time! I have to tell everyone!" Hermes dashed away as fast as he could, not letting Hephaestus finish.

"Poseidon? My brother? Defeated? Laughable," Hera mocked with a disbelieving expression on her face.

However, I'm pretty sure I know what this even is. If it is what I think it is, then we're in for a whole lot of trouble.

I've prepared my best for this event, more for the other deities to be geared up, but even then from the feats this monster had stacked up, it doesn't seem very winnable.

It's not as if I could prepare for something that is said to have no weaknesses and take the entire barrage of all the Gods collectively.

"Hermes may be a thief, but he is no liar with things like this, Hera," I told her seriously.

"Shit…" she cursed, biting her lip.

"Take this," I said, handing her a feather.

"This is a feather," She said, confused, "This. Is. A. Feather."

"Just…just take it," I said annoyed.

Even though mg hatred for her increased over the years, seeing her unchanging attitude, I still wouldn't want her to die.

I wouldn't want that in my conciseness.

Once Hera had fled, I placed my hand on the walls, causing the constructs to shift and change to reveal a long dark passage.

A multitude of torches begins lighting up along the sidewalls, illuminating a long corridor filled with different ways to go, all labeled with different names and plenty of coordination.

A figure with two faces appeared before me saying, "My Lord,"

"I did tell you not to call me that," I said to them with a wry smile,"

"Where do you want to go?" They continued, ignoring my statement.

"To the Elder Cyclops' forge," I replied hurriedly.

This God had suddenly formed inside of this giant form of transport I created, informing me that his divinity had screamed with a connection to it.

He said he was that because he was the God of choices and doorways, and that this area I had made was inside of Olympus, spreading throughout all different locations across the world, he decided to take residence and bless it with his divinity.

Also, he would act as a Sheppard for this place, greeting all that enter.

I know for a definite fact that this did not happen in the original myths, but why wouldn't somebody make something as convenient as this?

You could say the labyrinth was similar, but that was something alive, uncertain. Untrustworthy.

Also, I recognized this God. It was Janus. I didn't know specifics, but I did know he didn't appear in Greece, that he only had a Roman counterpart.

The most likely reason why he named himself Odigia instead of Janus.

The only ones who know of this passageway are Hermes, Zeus, Me, Algaea, Thetis, Eurynome, Apollo (Which I didn't want to happen), and Odigia.

"We have arrived," his older face voiced.

"Thank you," I said as they disappeared.

I stepped through the constantly warping portal looking like an orange version of Rick and Morty.

"Arges. Brontes. Steropes-""You should try tensing your forearms more Steropes," Arges said, cutting me off.

"You three we need to-""FUCK!" Steropes shouted.

"I only have two arms,"

"No that's not…never mind," Arges sighed, dropping his hammer.

"Hephaestus," Brontes noticed my presence with a smile.

"Hello to you too," I said, still confused at how Steropes is so smart but so stupid at the same time.

"Why are you here?" Brontes asked, wiping some sweat from his head.

"We have a major problem," I started, "Code: T," I said seriously.

Arges and Brontes shared a look before preparing a multitude of equipment.

"What are you doing brothers?" Steropes questioned.

"Just…drop everything and bring your hammer," Arges said to him, before rushing through the still present portal behind me.

"Prepare yourself," I said to Steropes, before following Arges.

….

A few years ago…

Hephaestus was currently having a small trip to his home, Lemnos.

He was sat in his small hut on the outside of the village, which he tasked himself and the cyclops under his management to create.

Someone entered his small house, causing Hephaestus to look up and see Theodore enter with a small sack of equipment.

"How's my apprentice going?" He said jokingly.

I smiled and said, "Just fine, Theodore. How can I help you?"

"Just wondering if you have that…compass? Is that the word? Lots of sailors have been talking about it. The one that tells you north, east, south, and west?" He pondered.

"Oh right. It's over on the southeast wall," Hephaestus said, continuing to mess around with different designs.

Theodore stared at Hephaestus for a few moments, waiting for him to continue the joke.

When a few moments pass and he didn't continue Theodore voiced, "If I knew that I wouldn't need a compass,"

"Oh…right," Hephaestus began to laugh before a long tentacle arm extended from his back, grabbing the compass, before twisting back around towards Theodore, dropping the compass in his hands.