In a world far away

Meeting the Mother of all(Goddess Gaia )

Lillian's POV:

It seems nice to float, the feeling of drifting aimlessly without a care in the world, lost in your thoughts. Wait, what? As my common sense finally decided to come back online, I opened my eyes and observed my surroundings while wondering what fates were up to this time around. (Moirai: Will this little brat stop looking at us as villains someday? They sigh tiredly while continuing their weaving session.)

Alright, so I'm floating in an unknown place that I've never seen before, but I can say that it's enthralling and gives me some indescribable warmth. Why though? Hmm, thoughts for another time.

Lush green trees spread wide and afar, and streams of water cascade down the slope. There's a cottage near the waterfall that shows signs of life. The breeze seems to understand my curiosity and directs me towards the cottage (which is not suspicious at all). I spot two ladies chatting and approach them. One of them turns towards me and smiles warmly; she's a petite lady endowed with beautiful, curly brown hair and enchanting brown orbs filled with understanding and empathy. She seems so approachable that I feel like confessing all my troubles and worries to her. Just when I couldn't be more in awe, my dreamy thoughts are interrupted when I hear another voice say, "How have you been, Lillian?" That's when I realize that I'm in front of Lady Gaia. It's been seven long years since I've seen her. She looks at me with eyes full of mirth and fondly pats my messy hair, saying, "Do you know who she is?"

While looking at the brown-haired lady, I dumbly shake my head. The other lady heartily laughs and says, "I'm Hestia, Lillian. I've known you for a while now." (She looks at Lady Gaia while saying that.) And that's when it all clicks together; she's Lady Hestia, the eldest child of Lady Rhea and the granddaughter of Lady Gaia. Noticing the look of realization in my eyes, she smilingly says, "It was nice of you to help out and stick together with the other students." Seeing my surprised look, she quickly explains how things under her domain are known to her, and her eyes glisten a little before she clears her throat and says, "Many of them were orphans. I've always been bound to rules (Lillian internally: she's so polite while referring to that hypocritical lightning git). I've tried so much to ensure that those children could live better lives, but I wasn't helpful when the little ones were bullied and hurt. I'm immensely proud of you for having the courage to fight back and help them."

She placed her hand on top of my head and closed her eyes while saying, "For all the good you've done, while expecting nothing in return, I, Hestia, the Goddess of Hearth and Fire, bless you with warmth, love, and kindness even in trying times, and may your hearth burn warm and bright." My heart brimmed with warmth, gratitude, and reverence towards Lady Hestia. She honestly deserves more recognition and love. She's so humble, approachable, and friendly that I wish to never depart from her company. Her touch, as cherishable as my mom's warmth, left me with a pang of pain and longing.

It took me a moment to process her blessing before I turned to Lady Hestia, thanking her wholeheartedly. Lady Hestia smiled at me and said she would come to meet me again while looking profoundly at Lady Gaia. Once Hestia departed, Lady Gaia gently ushered me into her cottage, her presence radiating warmth, where I was left speechless yet again. I saw Lily (Lily Wilson, the original Lily of Earth). She looked calmer than me about this whole fiasco. She smiled at me and said, "Thank you." It was just two words, but I needn't have to hear more because I perfectly understood what she meant. I didn't mind if I looked like a weirdo; I plunged myself towards her and hugged her tightly. She returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. I was relieved—relieved that she was well and good, relieved that she didn't suffer and could live peacefully, even if it was for a little while.

After a while, we parted from the hug and looked at each other. Lady Gaia broke the silence, saying, "Lillian, the novel that you read isn't just what it seems. I'm sure you know what I mean, don't you?" I silently nod at her. She continues, "It was the life you'd live if I hadn't sent you to the Earth you've lived in. There would be many deaths of innocents who deserved none of it." The weight of her words settled heavily on my heart; the thought of lives lost stirred a deep sense of urgency within me.

She looked at me worriedly, saying, "And I cannot let that happen. Zeus has become an insecure little brat and has started meddling and crossing lines he shouldn't." Her voice unintentionally shifted from serene and warm to dark and low, with slight tremors around us. I flinched, which broke her out of her reverie. She got a hold of herself and smiled sheepishly, gesturing for me to sit down.

"Lillian, though the crown prince of your kingdom might seem like a foolish lad, he's deeply concealed his thirst for ambitions and has Zeus influencing his mind and thoughts. He won't hesitate from stooping to any level as long as he achieves what he wants. Zeus has heard gossip about my supposed desire to overthrow him with the Titans. Since then, that brat has been restless. My negotiations have been in vain, and the seed of doubt is just growing in him. Though this might seem like an internal strife among us Titans and Olympians, this will affect your world, and I cannot let my children suffer due to our meaningless conflicts."

Gaia paused, her eyes softening as she spoke about the people of my world. That's when I realized how much she loved us all. She didn't treat us as replaceable mortals whose lives and deaths meant nothing, but cherished us and really saw us as her children. It feels nice when a deity whom most of us in our world were deeply devoted to cared and loved us as much as well-loved and respected her.

She looked at Lily and me, saying, "Lily, I could feel your pain when you collapsed onto the ground and sobbed that day. Something in me ached seeing you that way, child. I wanted to embrace you, saying it's alright, things would be good, but I couldn't. So I chose the next best option: I asked the Moirai if I could intervene and help you out. While I was wondering how to change the trajectory of my world and save lives, they gave me the solution to both situations. They said that you (Lily) could reside in my realm for a while and Lillian could possess your body. Strangely, Lillian's soul could adjust frighteningly well in your body. I was told to wait for seven whole years before I could send both of you back to your respective homes. And now that I think about it, everything went well. You've grown to be a remarkable, young, and confident lady, Lillian and Lily. I'm so proud of how far you've come, but now, please be strong for me, dear. You've got to live the life you were destined to."

Lily looked at Lady Gaia, tears blurring her eyes and falling down her cheeks. Lady Gaia gently caressed her face after wiping her tears and smiled lovingly at her. Lily embraced her and beckoned me towards her, joining me in the warm embrace. After we broke apart, Lady Gaia looked at me again before speaking, "Lillian, more often than not, when I feel the necessity of a leader, I bless a mortal with luck and strength to deal with hurdles that must be surpassed to achieve something greater. And you, my dear, are the one I've chosen this time. If things had gone well, you would have lived in peaceful times where you'd bring a revolutionary change paving the way for better living and future. But the power plays between us Gods can bring too much destruction upon your lives, which I shall not tolerate. You'll have my blessings when the time is right, and I'll always be there for you when you need me the most."

After saying that, she wore a mischievous look as she added, "And do look around; you might find a friend of yours from Earth in your kingdom. She'll be an ally and your strength in the future."

She sighed, looking a little tired, and then spoke again, "We shall part here, dearies. Farewell for now; it's time for you to go back to your homes." She patted the tops of our heads and chanted a few words that I couldn't perceive. Then I found both Lily and me tumbling downwards and separated, and that was the last I saw before I lost consciousness again! Ugh.