Shadow Justice

47: Siblings and Acceptance

She knew there was little luck of catching up to Helios while they  were both in the sky but she sincerely hoped she could push her pegasi  hard that evening. Thankfully, the days were getting shorter and she was  able to get close enough to her brother for him to notice her and  glance over his shoulder with a warm smile. She met his eyes with open  fear and his smile slipped to a worried frown.

Selene snapped her  reins begging her pegasi to push harder until she finally came close  enough to speak to her brother. Helios slowed his horses down and waited  for Selene to catch up. When they were almost side by side, he called,  "Sister, why are you so frantic? We are not due for a solar eclipse for  another several months yet."

Selene shook her head. "I've come to  warn you." Helios's brows furrowed in confusion. "Zeus has sent out an  order for you to be brought to the council tonight when you land.  Artemis told him you knew something of Set."

Helios paled and  looked away, staring forward in confusion. "Why? Why would she do that?  What I know is little and nothing of import."

"I do not think she meant you harm," Selene called. "Ares was there."

Golden  eyes grew shadowed. "I see." When he fell silent, Selene began to worry  if the urgency of her message had not gotten through to the sun god.  But then Helios bowed his head. "So be it."

"Helios!" she cried. "You must not do this."

"If  I don't, what then?" he called back, eyes sad. "Zeus murdered our  brethren, all but us. If I defy him now, he will view us both as  enemies. We are powerful, Sister, but we cannot hope to defeat the  entire pantheon of Olympians alone, even should we combine our powers  and fight together." He looked away. "Remember Eos."

Selene felt  her breath catch in her throat at the memory of their sister. She had  dared to defy Zeus and fallen in love with a mortal. Zeus had feared she  was hoping to foster a demigod army to fight against him and murdered  her lover and drove her to suicide. Selene had escaped the same  punishment by granting Endymion eternal youth.

Selene and Helios  were now the only Titans left in a pantheon ruled by the younger  Olympians. The Olympians tolerated their presence because the solar  gods' worship was not as popular as it had been, usurped by their own  Apollo and Artemis. The younger gods also understood the need for the  sun and the moon to keep turning through the sky and feared what would  happen should they harm the two solar deities.

"Helios, please," Selene begged. "Heed my words. Do not face Zeus tonight."

"Where will I go then, Selene?" Helios demanded, distraught. "If I do not appear before Zeus, he will have me hunted down."

"Then seek asylum."

"From  whom?" Helios countered incredulously. "The Norse are gruff and just as  set in their ways as we are, the Fae are strange and unpredictable, the  Chinese are aloof and pacifists, the Japanese are tricky and wary of  strangers, the-"

"The Egyptians," Selene interjected firmly. "Go to them."

Helios shook his head with a weary smile. "If I do that, I would be setting our two pantheons up for war."

"Ares has already attacked the Egyptians-"

"And they were merciful and returned him to us," Helios countered.

"But  since we acted first, they have the right to fight back and defend  their own," Selene pressed. "If you seek asylum with them, I believe  they will help you." She watched the many emotions play across her  brother's face and pressed her advantage. "The Amazon princess is with  them now," she said, watching Helios's fortitude waver. "When she hears  your tale, she will defend you."