11 years previous...
Athena, Artemis, Hades and Poseidon sat in a semi-circle around Apollo.
Hades sighed. "Why did you want to see us?"
"I had proph-" Athena cut him off. "Don't tell us--that servant is going to steal your cookies while you're sleeping again, isn't he?"
"No Athena. But it's just as important.
"You know those kids you all had? And don't lie to one another, I have the baby pictures."
They looked at each other. No one had any idea of the other, except for Poseidon and Hades. Apollo continued. "Well, they're destined to save us. And soon."
"How soon?" Artemis asked. Her literal brainchild, born from a dream for someone to carry on her duties in the mortal world, was only 5 years. Also at 5 years was Athena's, and the children parented by both Hades and Poseidon(and a woman) were 1 year and the youngest of them all was their newborn. All of them were surprised their kids would "save the world," and none of them fully believed Apollo.
"Not very long, just 11 years." Jaws dropped. In immortal time, 11 years was practically tomorrow.
Poseidon finally spoke. Sighing heavily, sounding like the ocean tides, he said, "what are they destined to save us from?" Apollo simply replied, "shadows. They will reunite and defeat the shadows."
They did whatever they could to protect their children.
They all had signs they were different, though.
Two knew each other. They were in the same orphanage, abandoned "once they were born," not knowing the truth. They knew another, who's father funded this same orphanage they were in. The last one was a family friend of the man funding the orphanage. The 2 children were like siblings.
Not one of them knew each other, until everything changed.
For all of them.
