Chapter 19: Athena and Her Twin Sibling (5)
Athena's "Father" remark had slipped out unconsciously, catching even herself off guard.
She panicked internally after saying it.
It was an unthinking utterance, born from the first sense of comfort, security, and recognition of a fatherly figure she had ever felt.
More than that, the divine wisdom she had inherited from Metis had subtly guided her toward a path beneficial to her and her family.
'Don't panic. Be bold and push forward.'
Athena, noticing Poseidon's flustered reaction, did her best to maintain a composed expression.
It was the most a young goddess like her could manage.
She quickly changed the subject, diving into her plan.
Of course, her act was so transparent that Poseidon found it adorable.
"My initial plan was to raise Metel as a goddess. You know there are spells that can transform a male into a female, right?"
Athena glanced at Poseidon, wary of offending him with her childish concerns.
Contrary to her worries, Poseidon was already listening intently, unfazed.
Reassured, she continued.
"But I learned those spells often don't work on adult gods, only young ones. That's when my wisdom pointed me to the Spring of the Goddess—for Metel's complete feminization."
Her expression darkened, and she hesitated before continuing.
"But… if that fails… could you accept our family as gods of the sea? My wisdom also suggested that if we became your family under the Protogenoi's witness, we could be protected…"
Fidgeting with her small hands, Athena asked nervously, "So… what do you think?"
Poseidon understood her plan and her actions.
'Probably a desperate measure to survive.'
What fault could a newborn child bear?
Sure, divine standards differed from human ones, but still…
More importantly, 'Gaia would never accept Metel and Athena as legitimate members of my family.'
Especially since they were Zeus' children, born as potential weapons to challenge him.
For now, he had to show opposition.
"No way! How could I be your father?! Your dad's that lightning jerk up in the sky!"
"…"
Fooled by Poseidon's awkward acting, Athena fell silent for a moment before cautiously approaching and grabbing his hand tightly.
With teary, wide eyes, she pleaded,
"I don't eat much, and I'm not messy… I can do anything you need. Please, can't you take us in?"
Her desperate, sorrowful expression was so powerful it could sway anyone who saw it.
But Poseidon let out a wry chuckle.
"Ha, you're quite the actress, kid. Better than me, huh? You're milking the 'cute child' angle for all it's worth. But it's a bit obvious—next time, hide that calculating glint in your eyes."
To be so clever at such a young age!
Athena, caught off guard by his words, faltered, her act crumbling.
Still too young to match Poseidon's brazenness, her face flushed as she buried it in his leg to hide her embarrassment.
"Hahaha!"
Poseidon laughed heartily, patting her head.
"Alright, let's give it a shot."
Initially, he'd planned to reject the idea outright, considering Gaia and the broader situation.
But seeing the child clinging to him, hiding her face in embarrassment, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
'If even a child is fighting so desperately for what she wants, how can I, as an adult, stand in her way instead of helping?'
Just then, the goddesses who had been fighting arrived.
"Oh my! Who's this adorable little one?" Hestia cooed.
"Is this Athena? She looks more like Metis," Demeter observed.
"She's so cute… I want to take her home and raise her," Hera added.
Poseidon, puzzled by their sudden appearance, asked, "Why're you back so soon? Shouldn't you still be fighting?"
"Oh, Zeus seemed to notice Athena left the palace. Hades, with that creepy smile, retreated early today," Demeter replied.
Poseidon clicked his tongue, wondering what scheme Hades was cooking up.
"Tch, that guy's always been the sneakiest and dirtiest fighter among us. Who knows what he's planning?"
"True," Hestia agreed.
"Yeah, his mind's always been the sharpest for that kind of thing," Demeter added.
"By the way, why's this kid out here?" Hera asked.
Seizing the moment, Poseidon explained Athena's reaction and her plan to the goddesses.
After hearing him out, they reached a conclusion.
"Hmm, Poseidon should raise them," Hestia said.
"Right, he's got parenting experience," Demeter agreed.
"It's definitely the cleanest solution, though I hadn't considered the Spring of the Goddess," Hera mused.
Poseidon nodded at Demeter and Hestia's remarks but paused at Hera's mention of the Spring of the Goddess.
He knew of its existence but hadn't considered it due to its numerous issues.
Athena's plan had brought it up unexpectedly.
The problems with the Spring of the Goddess were:
1. Gods with fully established divine essences couldn't drink from it. A god's essence was akin to their identity, so those with set identities couldn't approach, obtain, or consume it.
2. The spring was located on an island in a strait where sea monsters, banished during Pontus' time, were imprisoned—making it incredibly difficult to access.
3. To take effect, the drinker had to possess both male and female traits, allowing the spring to align their physical form with their inner identity.
Most gods were born with fixed identities, and even androgynous gods rarely felt the need to fully transform, so it hadn't crossed anyone's mind.
"So, Athena, what's the best course of action in your view?"
While Poseidon pondered the spring, Demeter knelt to meet Athena's eyes and asked.
Athena answered without hesitation.
"Make my sibling a girl!"
Poseidon was stunned by Athena's resolute stance on feminizing her sibling.
'What is this kid saying? I was just thinking about the spring for a second!'
Sure, Athena had mentioned the Spring of the Goddess first, but…
"What are you talking about?! We don't even know how it'll turn out, and your sibling's still young. If it fails, even a god could suffer unknown side effects. There's barely any record of the spring's use!"
As if anticipating his reaction, Athena pulled a letter from her bag and handed it to Poseidon.
To Poseidon,
If you're reading this letter, you've likely heard Athena's plan in full.
In truth, Amphitrite and I already knew about it a bit earlier.
You're probably thinking adoption is the way to go, right?
But think carefully.
Adopting them would be like a constant thorn in Zeus' side.
[Omitted]
After discussing with Amphitrite and Gaia, we decided to try every other option first before agreeing to adoption.
Gaia was reluctant because of Zeus but ultimately relented.
I know you'd probably oppose it, but with your stubbornness, that's unlikely… and you're not the type to fear such things anyway.
So, let's exhaust all possibilities first, then decide on adoption or whatever else.
With love,
Eurynome
"Hmm…"
Reading the letter, Poseidon felt his wives knew him too well.
Even now, he was leaning toward adoption over the risky Spring of the Goddess.
He wasn't some petty coward like Zeus, scared of prophecies.
"But even if adoption's a fallback, can we really change the identity of a child marked by prophecy?"
Poseidon still had doubts, but Athena, the plan's originator, spoke with confidence.
"My wisdom says the Spring of the Goddess can make it possible."
Indeed, the wisdom of a goddess of wisdom was nearly as reliable as prophetic foresight.
Moreover, the fact that Gaia and the sea goddesses, capable of reading fate, agreed to try other methods before adoption suggested those methods might succeed.
'If that weren't the case, Gaia wouldn't have agreed so easily.'
Uncertain but willing to try, Poseidon began discussing with his sisters.
During the conversation, Demeter raised a question.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong, Demeter?"
"Could that child already be a girl?"
"What kind of nons—" Poseidon stopped mid-sentence, a thought dawning on him.
As gods, they hadn't considered it, but…
"No way?"
He recalled the concept of transgender individuals from a past life—people born with a body misaligned with their gender identity.
While human identities could shift over time, gods were born with fixed ones, making their essence nearly absolute unless something extraordinary intervened.
"Could a god have that kind of identity?"
"It's not impossible," Hera said. "The child might have been born with a unique divine essence or identity."
"Maybe that's why Gaia gave a nuanced approval," Poseidon mused. "She knew it could be resolved, so she's letting us mess with Zeus one more time?"
The goddesses gasped In awe at his speculation.
"That must be it! Gaia might've known the solution all along…" Hestia said.
"Considering how this has tarnished Zeus' reputation… wow," Demeter added.
"Truly ruthless," they said in unison.
Seeing Gaia's reputation take a hit, Poseidon, her husband, quickly stepped in to steer the conversation.
"Alright, enough speculation. Let's do what we can. I need to talk to Metis—she's coming now."
"Poseidon!!! What are you doing to my daughter?!"
"Come on, I'm not Zeus! What would I do? Look around—Demeter, Hestia, and Hera are all here!"
As Poseidon said, Metis had flown in, hurriedly hiding Athena behind her, radiating hostility.
In her right mind, she wouldn't act this way, but her condition had worsened.
She bore the marks of Geras' plundering and Oizys' anxiety and misery.
'Ugh, I thought it was weird they retreated so fast. They took advantage of Athena sneaking out.'
'Typical…'
Seeing Metis consumed by Geras and Oizys' influence, Poseidon raised both hands in a gesture of innocence.
"Metis, I'm hurt by this reaction. I might even be these kids' father soon, haha."
"Nonsense!!! You think I'd trust Zeus' brothers? You're all filthy, moldy trash!"
Metis, triggered by the mention of Zeus, grew even more frenzied, screaming, "Die!"
"Hestia!"
As Metis, forgetting Athena, lunged aggressively at Poseidon, Hestia's flames enveloped her.
Poseidon flicked a pearl, adding, "I hope you didn't mean that. It's pretty upsetting to be lumped in with Zeus after all this help. I'm not him—I wouldn't force anything."
Hestia's flames and the pearl merged, calming Metis.
"Ugh… I'm sorry, Poseidon," she mumbled, regaining some clarity.
Though lucid, the lingering effects of the corruption left her swaying precariously.
The goddesses rushed to sit her down.
"Urgh…"
Poseidon wanted to give Metis time to rest, but the urgency of the situation forced him to speak quickly.
"Listen, even if it's tough. We don't have time. I'll explain once, then we act. This is your daughter's plan."
Metis' eyes widened at the mention of her daughter's plan as Poseidon explained Athena's idea.
After hearing it, a spark of life returned to her weary, lifeless gaze.
"So, my daughter came up with this?"
"Yeah. Of course, we don't know if it'll fully turn her into a girl, leave her in between, or fail spectacularly," Poseidon admitted.
"But my son could live?"
"Yep. This should be enough for Zeus to accept. If it doesn't work, well, I'll put the kids on my family register, and we'll go to war or find another way."
Tears welled in Metis' eyes, and she burst into sobs.
"Waaaah!"
"T-Thank… you… hic… thank… hic… you…"
The dam holding back her emotions broke, and she cried for a long time.
Eventually calming, Metis pulled Athena into her arms.
"Thank you… my daughter… I'm so blessed… to have a daughter like you…"
"Me too… sob…"
Hic, waaaah!
As Athena, seeing her mother, also broke into tears, Poseidon and the goddesses quietly stepped away.
This was a moment for the family, who had endured so much.