The gods in Olympus really couldn't be bothered with events on earth. Until that is the Champion of Persephone was stolen by Gaia. That's when everyone in Olympus began going into a state of doomsday panic. Satyr's shouted from rooftops quite literally-"The sign! It's the sign! The end has begun!" Nymphs were packing their bags as if they had someplace to go to seek refuge from the end of the universe, and minor gods kept asking for an audience from the Oracle of Delphi like she had anything of substance to tell them aside from the prophecy everyone already knows.
Olympus was in chaos.
Zeus made it absolutely illegal to say the full prophecy or let anyone outside of Olympus know, lest it causes more panic. The king of the gods, for once, was happy with their inability to travel out of their realm. If the whole universe panicked as much as the Olympians did, the entire universe would be plunged into chaos, and that would only be playing into Chaos' power. He could already feel him growing stronger by the second and worried about his Champion.
December was the only one that could catch Chaos' pieces since he controlled his lightning. The boy would have to grow stronger, and he wasn't sure that December could handle what would happen next. They were so young, barely two decades into their lives. To Zeus, who was more than a millennia old, they were nothing more than children.
Fate often puts the innocent with the heaviest burdens.
It would only be the start of a difficult road from this point forward. He felt sorry for December and still wasn't sure how he would tell him. Did he need to know? Sometimes prophecies still played out how they should, even if those involved didn't know about it.
The boy already had too much on his plate, he thought. The weight of the universe would make anyone crack under pressure. Zeus thought, looking back at the days he and his family fought Kronos and the other titans. He was more than weeks old, innocent too, yet he had to fight something larger than himself for the world to flourish. It was supposed to happen. The fates don't care how young you are or how hard it'll be for you. If it is willed, then it would happen. That was just how it was.
As soon as the kidnapping happened, his Champion immediately sent word for an audience, but Zeus didn't know what to say, and Olympus was in mayhem. So he ignored December's request and tried to appease his people by giving speeches and reassuring the public. For five days, he did this until the satyrs stopped shouting from rooftops, nymphs from hiding, and minor gods from finding every way possible to get off the realm or harass the oracle of Delphi for an answer.
The next thing he did was call the Twelve for a meeting. It was time to prepare for the things to come.
—--
The Twelve sat on their thrones, looking at each other with unease. Zeus began, "The countdown has already started. Persephone's Champion has been abducted, and soon enough, the events stated in the prophecy will happen. We have to prepare."
The gods shifted in their seats, "What kind of preparations do you have in mind?" Athena asked almost mockingly, a quizzical expression on her face.
"Do we warn our Champions?" Demeter added, worry in her voice.
"They're weak compared to us. We have to find a way to be on earth. Not here." Ares suggested, angry and impatient.
"Have some patience, Ares." Hermes chided, "You know the realms will cross in time." The warrior glared at the messenger. Hermes made a face, and Ares almost threw his spear at him.
"Enough." Zeus' voice thundered across the pantheon. "We will not tell our Champions of the prophecy. It must play out without their knowledge lest they do anything to stop it from happening."
The gods murmured amongst themselves. Demeter was among those who refused but was quickly pacified by other gods who agreed.
Sacrifices needed to be made, and if their Champions knew, how many would be killed or hurt. Then the outcome the gods all hoped for wouldn't happen. As the Twelve argued among themselves and the meeting quickly came to a close, Zeus pulled Aphrodite for a word.
"You must choose your Champion now, Aphrodite. You know the events to follow involve your choosing."
The goddess smiled, luminous skin glimmering against the afternoon sun. "It's been a century since I chose a Champion." She reminisced, "And you're sure?"
"Yes."
"Alright. I'll see what I can do." She paused, "But If you'd be so kind, could you remind me of that prophecy? Ever since you banned its complete utterance, I've forgotten. It has slipped so easily from my mind."
His face hardened. "No, just choose a Champion, and try to choose right Aphrodite. You know how the prophecy goes, choose wrong, and it'll cost us."
She frowned, "Always so difficult to talk to. I hate how you are now, always telling us not to meddle with the humans. Whatever happened to the man who started a war over playing with me, Hera, and Athena for a mortal man's favor?"
"Those days are long gone now. You know it's better this way Aphrodite."
—--
What was involved in the process of choosing a Champion? Other gods simply chose by random. The other half meticulously tried to find a worthy human to receive their gifts, and the little slice of that other half chose the one who thought best fit their ideals. Aphrodite, well, was the kind that wanted to cause a little havoc- not for malice, of course, but just for a bit of entertainment.
So when that Champion of Persephone was stolen, she already had someone in mind. Excitement filled her senses. It was a stroke of genius, and it made so much sense. The goddess thought.
She went back to her temple and looked through her mirror. The face of a girl with black hair and dark eyes stared at her while Zeus' champion stood beside the girl.
The goddess giggled. Her eyes flared with expectancy and thrill.
"Is that going to be your new champion? She seems awfully plain compared to your usual choices, Aphrodite. What are you planning?"
Aphrodite jumped in surprise, seeing that it was only Hermes.
"What are you doing here?" She hissed.
"Nothing much. I just know you're going to piss Zeus off one way or another, so I want front row seats." He reasoned rather matter of factly.
She squinted her effervescent eyes at him, glowing in different hues, before returning to her mirror.
The view this time showed Hecate's Champion watching the two in the cafe, and Hermes realized what she was doing.
"Now that's just cruel. Are you not even going to warn Hecate? Or ask permission?"
"Ask permission for what? Who cares if her Champion will know. That's part of the fun of it all."
"All three of them in such proximity." Hermes marveled. "It's going to be torment for that Champion of Hecate."
"I know. I know." She laughed, amused.
Hermes continued watching the scene in the mirror, eyes curious. "Don't you think it'll be dangerous?" He asked, "Your choice seems to like Zeus' Champion, and everyone knows he likes that Persephone boy."
"I thought you wanted front row seats. Why are you questioning my choices?" She sneered.
"I'm just saying. You know how the prophecy goes. If you choose the wrong Champion, we'll have to anticipate losses, and I'm not sure we have anything left to lose." He mumbled.
"Even if I choose wrong, what kind of serious havoc can my Champion do with her gifts? Seduce a few powerful people and start a nuclear war? Even that's impossible."
"You underestimate yourself, Aphrodite. You of all gods should know that love is a powerful, powerful thing." Hermes replied, "Or maybe you do know, and this is just how you play the game."
The goddess didn't answer, and focused only on the girl in the mirror.
"I'm not playing any games, and this girl.l, she will be too weak to use her gifts to their full potential without my help. And I don't intend to teach her."
"You can never know with humans. Sometimes they surprise us with feats of-" He shrugged, unsure. "Well...greatness."