"O Zeus, much-honoured, Zeus supremely great, to thee our holy rites we consecrate, our prayers and expiations, king divine, for all things to produce with ease through mind is thine. Hence mother earth (Gaia) and mountains swelling high proceed from thee, the deep and all within the sky. Kronion (Cronion) king, descending from above, magnanimous, commanding, sceptred Zeus; all-parent, principle and end of all, whose power almighty shakes this earthly ball; even nature trembles at thy mighty nod, loud-sounding, armed with lightning, thundering god. Source of abundance, purifying king, O various-formed, from whom all natures spring; propitious hear my prayer, give blameless health, with peace divine, and necessary wealth."
-Orphic Hymn to Zeus
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The sky had been growing increasingly sombre throughout the afternoon, the sun slowly relinquishing its hold on the heavens as thick, slate-grey clouds gathered like an ominous army on the horizon. A stifling heat had settled upon the land, a prelude to the imminent turmoil that was about to unfold. The air was heavy, pregnant with the promise of rain, and a distant rumble hinted at the impending clash of titanic forces.
On the apex of Mount Othrys within the labour hall, Rhea lay on the laubour bed, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her fingers clenched the sheets, knuckles white with the effort of enduring the pain.
Beside her, Leto and Kronos stood with a reassuring smile, Leto's eyes glowed as they focused on the state of Rhea and the progress of the labour. The room seemed to vibrate with the echoes of thunder, creating a surreal symphony of nature's fury and the miracle of life.
As another contraction gripped Rhea, she cried out, a mixture of pain and determination in her voice. The air seemed charged with an unusual energy, a sensation both electrifying and unsettling.
"Rhea, just a few more pushes," Kronos encouraged, his voice unwavering despite the growing unease in the room.
As Rhea summoned her remaining strength and pushed with all her might, an electric surge seemed to ripple through the air. For an instant, it felt as if the world held its breath. And then, in a burst of intensity, the cries of a newborn baby pierced the air.
At that moment, as the first raindrop fell, it struck the parched ground like a whispered warning, pursued by more drops that turned into a torrential downpour within moments. The rain was a cacophony, a symphony of splashes and pattering on leaves, the crescendo of droplets on rooftops creating a hypnotic rhythm. The earth drank greedily, thirsty soil yielding to the deluge with a fragrant sigh.
Leto held up the tiny, squirming infant, eyes widening as a faint, ethereal glow surrounded the child. Rhea's exhaustion gave way to wonder as she gazed at her newborn, tears mixing with the sweat on her cheeks.
As the baby was placed on her chest, a tender yet astonishing connection seemed to form.
"It's a boy," Leto announced, her voice filled with awe.
Rhea smiled through her fatigue, her fingers tracing the outline of the tiny being in her arms.
And then, as if the heavens themselves were rending apart, a bolt of lightning cleaved the sky. It was a searing spear of light, a blinding fork that sliced through the darkness, momentarily turning night into day. It illuminated the landscape in stark relief, casting eerie shadows that danced and swayed with the flickering brilliance of the lightning. It revealed the world in stark snapshots - the trembling leaves of trees, the startled flight of birds, the glistening rooftops of distant houses. For many, it was a terrifying light in the darkness, and it was at that moment that a surge of electricity left the baby's body.
Immediately, a scream of pain echoed throughout the room, the source of it being Rhea. The electricity travelled throughout her body, a malevolent force invading the sanctuary of her veins. It surged with an unimaginable intensity, an intruder amidst the delicate conduits of life that carried her essence.
Within the intricate web of nerves and blood vessels, the electrical current waged its chaotic war. The blood vessels, normally silent witnesses to the ebb and flow of life, now bore the brunt of nature's fury. They quivered under the strain, their very walls succumbing to the onslaught of heat and energy.
The lightning's touch, both brutal and relentless, seared her blood vessels. The once pristine corridors of her circulatory system now bore the scars of its fiery embrace.
The thunder came next, a colossal roar that seemed to emanate from the very bowels of the earth as if to accompany her scream. It reverberated through the air, shaking trees and rattling nerves. The sound was so immense, so all-encompassing, that it felt as if the world itself were shaking beneath its weight. It was a primal sound, a reminder of the raw power of nature.
Rain continued to pour, a torrential onslaught that blurred the boundaries between the heavens and the earth. Each droplet was a tiny messenger, racing to reach the ground before being replaced by another, and another. The wind howled, whipping through the trees with a ferocity that seemed to match the anger of the storm that it whipped branches and tore leaves from their homes.
As quickly as it came, so did it end. The pain she felt disappeared as the surge disappeared, but to Kronos's dismay, it left her and his son scarred from his son's powers. Fern-like patterns covered so much of their skin.
"Are you alright, honey?"
Rhea put on a weak smile as she answered. "Yes, I'm fine love I'm already healing, but you know our son won't. It's much too early for him."
Kronos grimaced as he raised his hands towards his son. Touching his forehead, he drew upon his divinity and tried to turn back time for his son's body. A blue hourglass, radiant with an eerie luminosity, materialized around Kronos's wrist, its cobalt sands defying the laws of reality. He took a deep breath and his eyes glowed golden, filled with focus. He slowly began to turn his hands, and the sands began their dance, retracing their steps through the tapestry of events. The patterns slowly retreated and a look of joy entered the eyes of Kronos and Rhea until Kronos felt his hand unable to move before his hands forcibly turned back.
It was like a cruel joke of fate, the sands of time defying his godly power. The blue hourglass shattered into shimmering fragments, dissipating into the air like stardust, and the scar-like patterns remained etched on their child's skin, a testament to the chaotic force that had coursed through his body.
As if to ease their pain and hopelessness, the baby boy giggled as sparks came through his fingertips. Rhea smiled and brushed her lips against the baby's forehead, a tender gesture that spoke of a mother's unconditional love and determination to protect her child, regardless of the challenges that lay ahead.
Kronos moved closer, his hand resting on Rhea's shoulder. Their eyes met, a silent exchange of understanding passing between them. Despite the scars that marked his body and Kronos's inability to reverse them, they'll still move forward. He stroked the baby's hair, that was akin to a storm cloud as he spoke.
"Let's name him Zeus. I think it's perfect." Kronos spoke as he kissed Zeus's forehead.
Rhea smiled before she spoke.
"Lightning kissed. That's a wonderful name."
Amidst the chaos of the storm, there was a strange beauty that emerged–the interplay of light and dark, the juxtaposition of chaos and order. The lightning struck intermittently, illuminating the landscape beautifully. The thunder, though fearsome, became a rhythmic heartbeat, a reminder that life persisted even in the face of such raw power.