Melody takes a deep breath, her hands pressed against her chest to slow her heart. This is it - the moment she's been waiting for. She chews on her lip, sliding her tongue over the raw spot her nervous habit has made. She has to succeed today. To convince the Olympians how important it is to change the way that things work.
"Zeus," Hecate says from the other room, making Melody flinch. She's right outside the Throne Room, the most important place on Mount Olympus. It's just one more reason she's so nervous; apprentices aren't allowed in the Throne Room until they complete their training. Another rule she has to break to make them see how flawed the old methods are.
As Hecate addresses the Olympians, Melody goes over her argument in her mind, searching for anything she may have overlooked. Months of research, long nights gathering information and building her case. What if she forgets something? Or the other Olympians don't side with her? She knows that Zeus will never change his mind; she has to appeal to the others and force a vote. That alone is going to be a challenge.
Kayla will take my side, she thinks. After the rebellion, the former apprentice was coronated as the official Aphrodite. So was her godly husband, Lucas - another vote Melody is sure she can count on. If anybody would understand her case, it's those two. Neither are happy about their forced marriage, or the fact that they have to be unfaithful to each other regardless. Julien will too - that's three, she adds, taking a deep breath to calm herself. If Kira is there, she may be able to sway Katrina's vote. And Tia is sure to be on my side. That's five. Which means it comes down to...
Melody claps her hands against her cheeks to draw herself from her thoughts. It's going to work, tells herself. She's spent days practicing her speech to perfection in the mirror. I will make them listen. I'm the only one that can.
"It's not my announcement," Hecate says, and Melody's heart skips a beat. That's the signal. She takes one more breath, steeling her nerves before stepping into the Throne room.
The first thing to catch her eye is the blazing fire in the center of the room. Twelve marble thrones sit around it arranged in a U, with five on each side and two facing her. They're set in a pit, with beautiful marble stairs leading to the rest of the room. The walls are lined with Greek-style pillars, leading to the doors mirroring the ones Melody just stepped through.
"...Hecate," A man says from one of the far thrones. He has bright blue eyes and seems to radiate power. His hair is thick, black with flecks of grey showing his age. He has a neatly trimmed beard and a thick neck, with a strong jawline. He sits casually, despite his clenched fists and tight jaw. "You are aware that apprentices aren't allowed in the Throne Room, aren't you?"
"I am," Hecate says, bowing her head low. She keeps a sly smile on her lips, pressing one hand to her chest. "But, since this is a problem caused by the next generation of gods, I felt it was only fair to allow them to represent themselves."
"I won't allow it," Zeus snaps, rubbing his bushy eyebrows with his knuckles. "This meeting is-"
"Wait!" Melody yelps before she can stop herself. She immediately claps a hand over her mouth and her racing heart all but stops. Zeus lowers his hand, glaring down his nose at her. Nobody speaks, and Melody feels all eyes turn to her. She scans the faces around her for support; Julien on the throne of Apollo, Tia on the throne of Athena. Next to Zeus is Katrina, the current Demeter, with Kira standing behind her. They all offer Melody silent smiles.
Feeling a surge of courage, Melody glances at the final throne on the left, furthest from Zeus. A boy stares back, his short brown hair wild and uncombed. He shifts in his seat, wringing his winged staff in his hands. Melody smiles to herself, confidence building. Everything is officially in place.
"Lord Zeus," Melody begins, striding to the center of the room. She stands next to the hearth fire, raising her head proudly. "My name is Melody. I'm currently in training to become-"
"I know who you are, Mel," Zeus hisses, narrowing his eyes. "You couldn't resist breaking another one of our rules, could you? And I thought you would learn your lesson eventually."
"The rules are exactly what I'm here to discuss," Melody counters, keeping her voice even. "To be exact, I'd like to address the issues that lead to the recent rebellion lead by Loki of the Aesir."
"That rebellion has been dealt with," Zeus says with a sigh. "I see no need to discuss it further." Melody grits her teeth, taking another step forward.
"Because if things continue how they are now, it's only a matter of time before another rebellion starts," She says. "Loki was wrong to attack the gods, I won't deny that. But what he was trying to do is for the best. Things need to change before it's too late."
"If I may," Tia says, rising from her throne. Melody feels relief wash over her; she knew she could count on her. Not only is Tia a close friend of her godly teacher, but as a goddess of wisdom, Athena normally acts as the voice of reason against Zeus's stubbornness. Tia tosses her dark hair, turning to face Zeus head-on. "We lose nothing in hearing her out but time. And if it could prevent more bloodshed, I think we should give her a chance." Zeus holds Tia's stare for a time. Tia stares right back, unwavering - something Melody knows she wouldn't be able to do for long. Finally, Zeus groans, waving his hand.
"You may speak," He says, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Melody nods quickly, waiting for Tia to sit down before continuing.
"There are many gods and goddesses who aren't happy with the way things are right now," Melody begins, running through the lines she practiced. "Not just here on Mount Olympus, but in the other Pantheons as well. Things need to change before it leads to an all-out war of the gods. And now that the treaty has been broken, we need to look forward, and consider creating a new one that addresses the problems that the old one didn't."
A few murmurs pass through the room. Melody holds her breath, letting her words hang in the air. The old treaty; the rules made by the Gods of Old that effectively divided the various Pantheons of the world. It was originally made to prevent them from fighting and forbid any gods to meet unless they shared an aspect. The only exception was Hermes, the messenger of the gods, who acted as a go-between. But it also locked the gods into the old legends, forcing them to relive the lives of the first gods to attain their powers.
"You want us to agree to a new treaty," Zeus rumbles. Sparks jump from his fingers to the arms of his throne, and the smell of o-zone fills the room as thunder booms from outside. Melody puffs out her chest, her hands shaking. "I refuse."
"Please hear me out," Melody says, powering through her fear. "I realize that it doesn't affect us directly. Some gods have good legends, where nothing bad happens to them. But some aren't so lucky. Just look at those who took part in the rebellion-"
"Enough!" Zeus snaps, raising his hand. Silence falls over the room, and Melody feels her heart drop into her stomach. "The problems faced by the other Pantheons are no concern of mine. We were restricted by the old treaty for too long - I refuse to be bound by another." He declares.
"Bound?" Melody growls, balling her hands into fists. "It was made to keep people safe! Because Zeus and Thor kept trying to kill each other and almost destroying the world!" A couple of people gasp as Melody thrusts a finger at Zeus. "Are you even listening to yourself!? People died because of this rebellion! If we don't address-"
"Do not speak to me of the ones we lost!" Zeus roars, jumping to his feet. "It was my brother that was killed! Our Pantheon who suffered such a devastating loss!" He throws his hand at Hermes, who sinks into his throne like he's trying to disappear. Melody scurries back, her eyes wide. "Let the other Pantheons tear themselves apart! It will just make them weaker when they try to attack us!" Melody flaps her mouth open and closed, trying to find her voice. But every part of her - especially the bits of power from her godhood - is telling her to shut up. She stands mutely, tears building in her eyes. She failed.
Suddenly the ground begins to rumble. All around the room, people look around, grabbing armrests to keep from toppling off their thrones. The woman on the throne next to Zeus's - Hera - jumps to her feet and tries to pull Zeus back, whispering to him comfortingly. Tia looks around, watching cracks form in the marble ceiling. Even Zeus looks around, wide-eyed, searching for the source of the tremor.
"Let them tear themselves apart? Their problems don't concern you?" Kira rumbles, stepping out from behind Demeter's throne. With every step, the room shakes, new cracks forming in her wake. All eyes turn to her as she stops in front of Zeus, glaring daggers at him. "That attitude is exactly the problem! You can't just ignore the other gods and hope everything will be fine!" She stomps her foot, sending a new wave of cracks snaking across the floor. Zeus recoils, backing away from her.
"In case you forgot, this does affect your Pantheon! Why do you think I tried to join them!?" Her eyes flash a deep purple, and Zeus falls back into his throne. He mirrors Melody's muted attempts to find her voice, his eyes wide. "Do you know what I heard? That you used to be a good person. That, before you became Zeus, you were compassionate." Kira adds, crossing her arms. "Until you took up the mantle of Zeus. And changed."
The rumbling stops. Kira hugs herself, hanging her head. All around the room, the Olympians exchange confused looks. Julien pokes his head out from behind his throne, having dove behind it for cover. Lucas, on the throne of Hephaestus, lets out an appreciative whistle.
"So, is anybody going to tell me how she did that?" He says, looking to Zeus. "How does a goddess of spring cause earthquakes?" Melody snaps back to the present, seeing her chance. She steps up, wrapping an arm around Kira's shoulders.
"You don't even know about the gods in your own Pantheon, do you?" She says, hugging Kira while glaring at Zeus. "Persephone is the goddess of springtime and flowers, yes. But do you know what else she is? The Queen of the Underworld!" She gestures around the room as the cracks begin to heal themselves. "With all the powers and authority that implies."
"B-Be that as it may," Zeus says, trying to clear his throat loudly. Melody shakes her head, pressing on.
"Do you even understand why Loki rebelled against the gods? Do you know what he has to go through? What any of us have to go through?" She pats Kira's back gently as she pulls away, and the two turn to face Zeus together. "Maybe you've become numb to it all. But the old legends of the original gods make us do terrible things."
"Oh, do they?" Zeus says, sitting up straighter as he regains his bearings. "You think I don't know my Pantheon? I know well enough what it's like." He thrusts a finger at Melody, narrowing his eyes. "And I know that Hecate has no painful myths. Your godly training is simple, so what reason could you have to complain?" Melody feels Kira tense next to her and takes her hand to calm her down.
"What reason do I have? You mean other than watching my friends suffer needlessly?" She snaps. "Do you even know what gods were a part of Loki's rebellion? Do you know their names?" Zeus raises an eyebrow, lifting his head.
"There was Loki, Persephone, Sehkmet-"
"Those are their godhood's. I'm asking if you know their names. They're people, Miles," Melody hisses with a smirk. Zeus blusters at her, but she presses on. "Marcus. Kira. Chelsea. Akimoto." She says slowly. "I know because I cared enough to learn about them. To see why they were rebelling." She holds Zeus's glare, drawing strength from having Kira standing with her.
"That's why I plan to make a new treaty. One that won't limit us, and will free us from the old myths that cause so much pain and suffering. To let us be ourselves, not just clones of the original gods."
"Mel," Tia says cautiously. "Be careful what you say. You're starting to sound a lot like-"
"Like Marcus?" Melody guesses. "Good. Like I said before - he took things too far, but he wasn't wrong. Nobody is happy with the way things are now." She looks around the room for support. Julien, still settling back into his seat, looks at the floor in thought. Lucas nods, scratching at the metal cuff where his hand used to be; the hand he lost to Fenrir during the rebellion. Kayla smiles wide, leaning forward in her seat.
"We can change things peacefully," Melody continues, turning her attention back to Zeus. "And that's exactly what I plan to do."
"This is all well and good," Zeus says, eyeing Kira anxiously. "But you're forgetting one important detail. To become a god, you need to relive the lives of the original gods and become closer to their godly identity. If we don't relive the legends, then we can't become gods." Melody takes a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut. It's time for her trump card. She squeezes Kira's hand for confirmation, and she squeezes back.
"Except that we don't," Melody says slowly. "Oliver didn't, after all." She slowly turns to the far throne, and the Hispanic boy sitting there presses himself into his seat, his eyes wide. "Oliver didn't go through any training. He just became a god." Oliver lets out a small whimper, and Melody nods a silent apology. Zeus groans, rubbing the side of his face with his palm.
"Divine Relics like Caduceus are close enough to a god's identity to carry their power with it. But doing so harms that god's identity and makes them weaker," He says, glaring at Hecate in the back of the room. "I would have thought you were taught that by now."
"Then tell me how?" Melody counters, crossing her arms stubbornly. Zeus groans again, laying his head over the back of his throne. "What does it even mean to harm a god's identity? Because in case you forgot, Oliver managed to face down Fenrir - one of the strongest and most terrifying creatures in Norse Mythology. Even if he had help, and even if Fenrir wasn't at his full strength, that's impressive. Especially for someone that's not a war god." Oliver lets out a small whimper again, and Tia giggles, raising an eyebrow at Zeus.
"I'm afraid we've got to concede that point, Lord Zeus," She says. "The knowledge of how Divine Relics work and how they're made has been lost to time. All we can rely on is the information passed down from our forebears. We have no way of confirming it."
"I'm aware," Zeus growls through his teeth. His eyes jump from Tia to Melody to Kira, and he sits up straight. "However, not all gods have Divine Relics associated with their identities. If we don't follow the legends of old, how would you suggest we pass on our titles?" He smirks, crossing his arms victoriously. Melody smirks back.
"What if I told you that there are gods who achieved their godhood without following their legends? Their most important ones, in fact?"
"I'd tell you it's impossible," Zeus says, waving his hand. "Godhood is handed down through a god's identity. And you have to relive the legends of old to get close enough to that identity to gain their godhood. But we've entertained your other delusions, so why don't you tell me who?" Melody shakes her head, gesturing to Kira.
"The current Hades and Persephone," Zeus nearly falls out of his chair, his mouth falling open. Kira steps forward, pressing a hand to her chest.
"It's true, Lord Zeus," She says confidently. Melody swells with pride; just yesterday, Kira was so nervous about telling the Olympians the truth. "When the current Hades was meant to kidnap me, he instead gave me the choice to come with him or not. I became his Persephone of my own free will, and now we're both fully trained gods." More whispers ripple through the room, but Zeus stares at Kira mutely, his lip twitching.
"After what she just did, I don't think anyone can deny that Kira is a goddess through and through," Melody says, daring Zeus to argue. "And some would argue that Hades kidnapping Persephone is one of the most important myths to both of their godhood's. Which proves that you don't need to relive the original god's lives and legends to take on their godhood."
Silence hangs in the air, the whispers dying away as everyone waits for Zeus's response. He quickly collects himself, snapping his mouth closed and sitting back on his throne. He strokes his salt-and-pepper beard thoughtfully. Finally, after several minutes, he clears his throat to speak.
"Be that as it may," He says, and Melody feels her eye twitch. "A new treaty is just a pipe dream. How do you plan to get the other Pantheons to agree to this ridiculous idea of yours? If an unknown Grecian god, apprentice or otherwise, were to approach their borders right now, they'd likely take it as a threat and attack you." He grins, making a show of shrugging. "What plan do you have for that?"
"They won't attack me, because I'll have an official representative with me. Someone they know and trust." Zeus's smile drops almost instantly, and Melody turns to Oliver again. He flinches, pitching himself back in his throne as if he's trying to crawl into it. "I'll have Hermes with me."