Aquilia, 25,000 light-years from Earth
Vesta barely contains her enthusiasm when she’s finally able to meet her friends again: the temperature in the palace increases noticeably for a few seconds, once she sees Quantum and Torn enter the room.
<I’m so glad you’re okay! I am so sorry I wasn’t there to help you after the fight with Ares!>
<How many times to I have to tell you to stop apologizing for being kidnapped!?> Kari tells Vesta, sometimes exasperated by her friend’s niceness.
<I was also kidnapped. Nobody came to my rescue.> Torn recalls. Coming from anybody else it might sound as a passive aggressive statement, but he would be the one to be surprised by what he considers a neutral observation.
<That’s not true, I was there to help. We fought the Amazons together.> Quantum corrects him.
<That was a rescue?> Torn asks, raising an eyebrow.
<Yes!>
<I did not notice.>
<Guys, could you not? This is a serious situation.> Kari says to attempt to get the boys in line.
<I don’t feel that serious wearing a skirt.> Quantum mumbles, still trying to fix the dress the locals gave him.
As relieved as she is by their presence, Vesta’s happiness doesn’t last long. She moves away from them, floating towards the other side of the balcony overseeing the nearest mountain. Even when she’s looking at it, she’s really staring a million miles away.
<You shouldn’t be here. Getting tangled in my family’s business never ends up well, and now you’re stuck on Aquilia forever.>
<C’mon Vesta, that’s not true!> Kari tries to reassure her.
<Indeed. None of us is immortal.> Torn points out.
<That’s not helping, Torn.>
<I was pointing out that we are not going to live here forever because we are going to die first.>
<That’s not the argument I was going to make… we’ve been through worst situations and we’re going to out of this one as well.> Kari explains.
<You don’t understand. The barrier that prevents us from leaving Aquilia is generated by a decree of Gaea. We don’t have the slightest chance to oppose her power.> Vesta says.
<As much as I hate to admit it, she might be right. I’ve met Gaea and I’m not even sure we’d have a chance if Noriko were here.> Quantum agrees.
<Let’s not jump to conclusions. Why does Gaea want Aquilia to stay isolated?> Kari presses.
<I don’t know. I doubt she has much interest for the mortals here, even if they are descendants of Zeus. My grandmother doesn’t care all that much for what lives on a planet, unless it’s a plant of some kind, and she doesn’t get involved often in the family drama.>
<Would your mother know about it?> Quantum suggests.
<Probably. I’ve already tried asking her, but she’s not listening to me.>
<We should try a different approach.> Torn intervenes.
<Such as?>
<Employing violence.> the Demon clarifies, creating a Blood energy dagger in his hand.
<I don’t want you to hurt my mom!!!> Vesta objects vehemently.
<Is that even possible?> Kari wonders, far less preoccupied with the feelings of a goddess.
<I don’t like where this discussion is going.> Vesta reacts, crossing her arms.
<Vesta, I know this is hard for you, but we need to be realistic here. Any chance to leave Aquilia is going to involve a confrontation with your mother, and you’re the only one among us who has a clear idea of how powerful she really is.> Kari points out. She can see how this is painful to Vesta… it’s not hard when the fire goddess wears her heart on her sleeve… and all she can think is how easy Noriko makes this look.
<You’re asking me to come up with a plan to hurt my mother.>
<Yes.>
<We know she is a Class-2 goddess. Is she as powerful as Ares or Apollo?> Torn asks.
<I don’t think so. You have to understand Rhea doesn’t really fight… she’s not that kind of goddess. She can probably be hurt, but not by any sort of physical attack.>
<She absorbs kinetic energy? Like Ares did?> Kari asks.
<It’s more like she’s immune to kinetic attacks, just like I’m immune to heat. Before she met my father she was the goddess of…>
Vesta doesn’t finish the sentence. Her mind is lost in distant memories, and she looks sad.
<You okay, Vesta?> Quantum asks, snapping his fingers to get her attention.
<It’s been so long. I almost forgot.> Vesta tells herself.
About a million years ago
Hestia is a little over a century old, but she would look like a twelve year old girl if her body wasn’t made entirely out of fire.
It’s the first time her mother has taken her daughters on one of the planets cultivated by Gaea; the gigantic green goddess occupies nearly the entire sky, weaving a new world in the palm of her hand. Hestia can’t conceive being someone that important.
She’s actually happy to have been separated from her brothers for a while. The six children were reborn a second time in reversed order: the boys seem much older, and they are constantly fighting in a struggle to one-up each other.
Hestia would be content to be like her mother: doing her own thing, away from all the drama.
She hasn’t even made much of an effort to look like one of those fleeting lifeforms that Zeus is constantly fascinated by.
Humans have still a long way to go before they evolve: none of her siblings would be recognized by their descendants. Their shape is still humanoid, taking inspiration from the Lar and other similar species, although for now Hestia is still content to be fire.
Demeter looks older than her, perhaps fifteen from a human perspective, and she’s already imitating Gaea by choosing green skin; like Hestia she also seems happy to be here.
The downside is Hera, who in her shining blue body resembles a woman in her early twenties who is constantly pouting and complaining.
<Why do we even need to be here, mother? I have places to be!>
<Chasing Zeus as always?> Demeter jokes. Hera’s body glows ominously as her energy grows exponentially.
<At least I have a boyfriend! Why don’t you go on a date with your stupid plants!?>
<Why not, they’re among the few things Zeus hasn’t slept with already.>
<You insufferable little…>
<Please don’t fight.> Hestia pleads with a soft tone.
<Shut up Hestia! Why is she even here, mother? Nobody wants her around!> Hera complains.
<I was just trying to…>
<Shut up Hestia, I don’t need help from a weakling like you! Someone should really show Hera she’s not our boss!!!>
<Girls, please pay attention.> Rhea chastises them.
Her daughters are distracted from their bickering to watch in awe the work of her mother: in addition to floating in the air, something they learned to do pretty much from the moment of their birth, by holding up her hand above her head she’s telekinetically suspending an entire mountain above them.
<How are you doing that?>
<Shut up Hestia, your mother is trying to teach you something.>
<Sorry.> she sheepishly whispers.
<Your father is not here to teach you how to use your divine gifts, so it’s up to me to prepare you. Because one of you is going to be the Queen Of The Universe one day.>
<It’s obviously going to be me, mother. I’m already the most powerful and the most beautiful.> Hera boasts, playing with her hair as if posing for a picture.
<That’s not enough to rule, Hera. Gaea is the most powerful entity in existence, but she doesn’t rule because that’s not the role she chose for herself. Just as I am nearly as powerful as your brothers, but that was not the role I took when I became the goddess of motherhood.>
<You weren’t born that way?> Demeter asks.
<Goodness no, I wasn’t even the first goddess to give birth! I used to be the goddess of everything that flows.> Rhea explains. As if to demonstrate, the mountain she is still lifting telekinetically is decomposed into grains of sand, which flow around the family like an enormous river.
<Everything that flows.> Hestia repeats.
Present day
<You okay Vesta?> Kari asks, placing his hand on her shoulder. Or rather trying to: as testament to how she’s not in full control of herself, she almost burns herself doing this.
<Sorry! I just recalled… my mother used to be the goddess of everything that flows.>
<That doesn’t make any sense.> Quantum comments.
<Well her name does mean “flow”, but still, what does that even mean?> Kari asks.
<She’s been considered the goddess of many things that flow… everything from time to menstrual blood to milk… but she used to be the goddess of kinetic energy. She was the one to teach Demeter telekinesis, while I could never get the hang of it; I much preferred working with heat… which is still kinetic energy in another form.>
<How does that help us?> Kari wonders.
<My mother has limited control over most forms of energy, but kinetic energy is her main focus. The key to defeat her is denying her access to it… by changing it into something else.> Vesta explains, turning towards Quantum. As do Kari and Torn.
<I’m going to end up disintegrated again, isn’t it?> Quantum sighs.
Elsewhere on the planet
Leiko Tanaka is not happy. The instructions from Ulysses made it sound so easy… just find the treasure of Aquilia and bring it back.
But he hadn’t considered the hassle of communicating with the locals without having a universal translator: no matter how precise her instructions can be, they’re useless if she can’t speak Olympian.
She wasted no time establishing a position of power: the Vial of Destiny makes her immune to the electrical powers of the Aquilians, and she’s already enjoyed a banquet in her honor.
<This planet is so dull. You don’t have anything to offer except cheap pleasures.> Leiko complains.
Sitting on a makeshift throne, examining the golden goblet full of wine in her hand, as a musclebound attendant massages her shoulders.
<Ησ τχερε ανγτχηνγ ελσε thou desire, small-eyed goddess?> the man asks her.
<What did you just say?> Leiko wonders, suddenly being able to understand him.
<I am honored to be addressed in…>
<I doubt you learned to speak Japanese all of a sudden.> she cuts him off, standing up from her throne and looking around. Just as she expected, a real goddess has just entered her little palace.
<Hello dear.> the red-haired goddess cheerfully greets Leiko.
<Lady Hestia! I am your humble servant!> the man says, ready to kneel before her.
<This is her mother Rhea, you knuckle-dragging simpleton. Just leave us, I won’t have any use for your services until tonight.> she rudely says to send him away.
<You look great, dear. But you’re a long way from the… what was your realm called again?>
<The Winter Kingdom. I am also pleased to speak to you, Lady Rhea: I came to recover a very important piece of technology that risks damaging your family.>
<Aww, that is so sweet! Hestia could really learn some manners from you.>
<Are you going to help me find what I need, Lady Rhea?>
<Of course! You’re one of the few mortals Hera gets along with.>
“And you are a very useful moron.” the former Ice Queen thinks.
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