In a realm long forgotten above Mt. Olympius the ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses still look through the magic mirror lake Serenity at all of us mortals below from time to time. Though they are still known some more than others, they are just no longer worshipped like in times of old for the world has undergone the sands of time. Sadly since history is written by the winners, no one will ever know if what we know/were taught are actually the truths of these gods and goddesses. This is their story that only these gods and goddesses have kept from being discovered. The story(s) have been passed along in secret down Hercules's family line since he was the son of Zeus and a demi-god, also since he was one of the strongest, if not the strongest. Since Hercules was blessed by the gods with incredible strength, his descendants all have been blessed with it to different degrees as well. So who better to guard this story other than this line of Zeus's descendants?
Of the long forgotten mighty ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses the ruler of the gods, Zeus, also known as the King of the gods, ruler of the sky and god of thunder. He is also his parent's sixth and final child. His beautiful but vengeful sister, wife and queen, Hera, is the Queen of the gods. She is also known as the goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth. She is the fourth child of their parents. They sit in the magnificent throne hall on their dazzling heavenly gold thrones and wait for the Meeting of the Realms. A creative way the king and queen used to be able to see some of their children and siblings again.
Zeus is the youngest child and son of Kronos, the king of the Titans. He is also known as the Titan god of time, harvest, and abundance. Kronos is also known for his devouring nature, which halfway explains the reason he felt the need to swallow his children. The more important reason that he swallowed his children is because of the prophecy that was told to him by his parents, his mother Gaia the earth and his father Uranus the sky. Their prophecy was that one day his children would rise and overthrow him the same as he did his father, Uranus. Zeus's mother is Rhea, the Titan goddess of motherhood and fertility, she is also his father's sister.
They start wondering if their children, and their siblings, miss them as much as they have missed them over the long never ending centuries (more of that later). They also ponder if anyone will be able to see through to the real reason the Meeting of the Realms was created. Since they are all the long forgotten gods and goddesses, everyone would think that they all are in the same "location" but not all of them still dwell in the kingdom of the gods like before. That is the real reason behind the Meeting of the Realms. The king and queen just played it off as they wanted to know how all the realms have fared since they all stopped residing in the same place, Mt. Olympus.
Once the world started undergoing the tests of time everyone decided it was time to split up. Some for their own adventures, some to live permanently in their domains, and others to save their energy from dealing with the sometimes complex family. They all had different thoughts when they originally went their separate ways, some just wanted away from Zeus and his flirty ways. One thought for some were they were curious how the domain under their charge would survive the sands of time and the trials of rising and falling civilizations. Would they change, or would they stay the same?
The first to decide they wanted to leave Mt. Olympus to stay in their own domain permanently was Hades, Zeus's oldest brother and his parents' oldest child, along with his wife Persephone. So they left for their permanent residence in the Underworld. The second of Zeus's siblings to decide that they would leave Mt. Olympus was Poseidon, Zeus's second oldest brother and his parents' second child, who left for the Sea domain. The third sibling who decided to leave was Demeter, his oldest sister and his parents' third child, and she left for the Earth Domain. There she was in charge of the areas Agriculture, fertility, and harvest, she was also able to have the ability to have power over the earth and its products including but not limited to vegetables and fruits.
Hestia, his youngest sister and his parents' fifth child, chose to never leave Olympus and chose instead to care for its Hearth. Which was meant to symbolize the home, community, and family. Even if she never left her brother and sister she made her own little space at Olympus, with Zeus's permission, so it was like she too had left. Her world was a beautiful domain that centered around the hearth. The space consisted of beautiful, tall, and vibrant ancient Redwood trees that were teeming with life. There are also beautiful and fragrant flowers, as well as all types of animals that are appropriate for this beautiful environment.
As for the children of Zeus they were all over the place, anywhere anyone could possibly imagine! Some still technically in The first child of Zues's was his daughter, Athena, even if she was born and raised on Mt. Olympus, she didn't live with her father but her mother, Metis. Metis was the goddess of counsel and Zeus's first wife. They had their own little world/space created so it was their own but also to avoid unnecessary communication with Zeus's now wife and Queen, Hera. Metis is known for her wisdom, being cunning, and for her strategic planning. Aside from the main reason Queen Hera didn't like Metis it is speculated that because she was a counselor was why they couldn't get along. Athena grew up in the beautiful little world/space within Olympus, where there were beautiful trees and animals with enough space for her to invent or whatever else she chose.
Athena is actually forever 16 since that is when she stopped aging physically, she may look like an adult but she really isn't. She stopped aging because both parents are Gods and that is when the legacy of the Gods activated, a large factor is Zeus's lineage. Athens is the city that Athena is the patron of after she defeated her uncle, Poseidon, in a competition by creating the first olive tree. Zeus is proud that after Athena grew up she became the Goddess of Wisdom, War, and Crafts. She was given this title after two factors, one being the legacy of her blood activated and after she defeated her uncle.
She is known for the Goddess of Wisdom due to the fact that she advised soldiers during war times. She often fought alongside them as she has had her special armor, helmet and shield since she could walk. Her mother, even though cunning at times, is like any other mother and is proud of Athena more than most are, she thinks she is especially intelligent. The Greeks were especially thankful for the day Athena invented the chariot, trumpet, and navigation.
The secret that nobody knows or is taught is that the ancient scholars like Plato, Aristotle, and Peragithein were all actually Athena's students in mathematics, since she was the first to teach it. Athena became associated with weaving, cooking, and other arts since those were the areas that were her hobbies in her free time. She was taught weaving by the best weavers in history and that is The Fates. The fates are also her half sisters since all 4 of them share a father, Zeus.
Her animal companion became the owl, that was because once when visiting her aunt, Demeter, on Earth she came across an injured owl that she rescued. The owl was so grateful to Athena that he decided to follow her for all time, not knowing that decision would make him an immortal animal. Athena gifted the owl with the name of swift since when healed he was a swift flier. Swift was a beautiful big, fluffy white owl.
Athena and her half sisters, known as the fates, got along very well. Her sister, Clotho, was the actual sister of The Fates trio to teach Athena her weaving. It was Lachesis who taught Athena how to measure the threads she used for her weaving. Metis is actually the niece of Themis, the mother to The Fates. So all six women were related even without Zuse thanks to Oceanus, the Titan god of the ocean and freshwater, he was the son of Gaia and Uranus just as Zeus's parents, who also happened to be Themis's brother and Metis's father. That being said Athena was one of the most doted upon of his grandchildren, Metis being his favorite daughter. Sky realm, Zeus's domain, but others were in the earth realm. They were there since they were either mortal or haven't yet awakened their demi-god powers. He had a lot of children that still technically resided in the sky realm, just in their own space. Then there were some of them that couldn't even attend the meeting on Mt. Olympus let alone know the meeting nor even that Olymus existed due to the fact they were mortal. Even though the demi-god children knew the realm was in fact a place that truly existed just like any city on Earth and knew of the meeting they weren't allowed to attend either until they passed their trials and achieved goodhood.
For some of them they were so close to the time they could do their trials, others were still children that may or may not know who their real father was. In the case of children like Hercules, they grew up with the knowledge of being a demi-god. For their safety Zues forbid the mothers of these children to let anyone know the secret. The exception to this was those truly trusted by the mothers to know the truth of their paternal parentage.