First Demonic Dragon

Reality Manipulation is a truly unfair power.

With a single thought and an unfair amount of energy, one is able to change the course of fate for not only themselves, but for others whom one might've possibly never even heard of.

Imagine it.

Just because one person wants one thing about their life changed, yours ends up getting thrown onto a collision course that it never should have taken.

Many things changed for many different gods after Abaddon's rampage on Asgard, but none felt the aftereffects worse than the greeks.

With Zeus no longer in charge after the titanomachy, his prestige had dropped considerably.

He now lived his days as a glorified lapdog of the father whom he hated and feared. Those who knew him best knew it was a fate worse than death for him.

Kronos was an overbearing father. After his son's rebellion, he did everything that he could to assert his dominance by ensuring that Zeus knew that everything he had was his to take at any time.

This included Hera.

There were many a nights where the titan of time would request his daughter join his bedchambers for an extended period of time. And Zeus, fearing his father's anger, felt he had no choice but to send her to him despite her continued protests.

This act physically broke Hera.

There exists a shared theory among gods that some of them are so closely tied to their divinities that acting outside of them is like tearing yourself apart.

And while that theory has been proven not to be true for some, it isn't always the same for others.

With the sanctimony of her own matrimony violated so callously, Hera ended up losing over 70% of her powers.

As she is now, she is no more than a glorified witch that you might find in any seedy looking bar in New Orleans.

Some say this was too cruel of a fate for Hera. The former queen of the gods was by no means a particularly well-liked figure, but there are some fates that no one deserves.

With Olympus becoming a haunting memory of what she once was and her relationship with her husband continuing to sour, Hera spent less and less time in the honored home of the greeks.

She ended up wandering earth significantly more than she ever would have even considered before.

Perhaps rumbling around among the lowest of the low was the best way she knew to make her feel like she was still someone significant.

Hera actually ended up meeting Mateo on one of her outings.

He actually ended up being the one to save her from the clutches of a greater demon who had caught her unawares.

She probably would have died and had the last of her power looted away if it wasn't for Mateo having business in the area.

After he saved her, she naturally was very grateful and offered him a proper reward as thanks.

…Just kidding, she called him a plebeian earthling and insisted that she didn't need his help and was never in any danger.

…Look, no one was ever going to accuse someone who married Zeus of being capable of winning a personality contest.

However, Hera would later end up coming to find Mateo on her own.

He wasn't all that hard for her to find considering the man was a wanted terrorist by the world governments all over the globe.

This time she would come to offer an actual apology and her gratitude.

Her one time visit suddenly turned into two. And then three.

The unlikeliest of friendships ended up forming between the pair of strangers.

How exactly Mateo ended up making friends with one of the most unlikable goddesses to ever draw breath was a sure mystery to most, but that didn't really make it any less genuine.

After a few months of established friendship, the two surprisingly crossed the line into more.

This came with an immense amount of self-reflection for Hera, as she felt that doing this meant that she was making a choice she couldn't come back from.

Several issues arose from this situation.

Hera would never voluntarily lie with a man who she was not married to.

There was also an immediate concern that if she did announce her marriage to Mateo, Zeus would kill him. Or her. … Probably both.

And yet, she was very happy with Mateo. The kind of happiness that can lull one into throwing caution to the wind.

As a result, the two shared vows in complete and total secret. The only ones aware of the fact that they had wed were the fates and each other.

Hera decided never to return to Olympus. But shortly after her and Mateo's first night together, her powers slowly started returning.

As a sign of her love and gratitude, she built this safe house for them. As well as 30 more just like it all across the globe.

She can't step into the world's spotlight with him given the gravity of her identity, so she finds other ways to make herself busy.

"Is this a bad time..?"

Apophis and the twins looked up to find a woman that they didn't recognize standing in the doorframe.

She appeared to be in her early 40s with a stern, unfriendly brand of beauty that was surprisingly attractive.

She wore a simple house dress and a pink gag apron that said: 'My husband loves my buns'.

Her medium length brown hair was tied above her head in a tightly wound bun.

Her verdant green eyes were seated behind a pair of silver lined glasses that she didn't actually seem to need.

Bits of her face were covered in splotches of flour, and a lingering sweet scent wafted off her body.

"I was just coming to tell you that I baked a cake…" Contrary to her appearance, Hera's voice was very sweet and warm. The kind of voice a husband would always be happy to hear when he came home.

At the mention of the word 'cake' Apophis' stomach audibly rumbled.

"Hera..?" Ziz rubbed his eyes and blinked as if she were seeing a mirage. "What are you doing here??"

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Now, Hera looked grossly unfriendly and her voice was incomprehensibly cold.

"Do I know you..?"

"Well I don't believe you've had such the pleasure, but-"

"I am already unfond of you. Please refrain from talking to me while you are in my presence."

"Eh..?"

Hera turned back to Mateo and her demeanor did a complete one-eighty.

"Is he going to be a problem..?"

Before Mateo could answer, Yemaya decided to chime up in his place instead.

"Don't you worry, Godmother! This annoying talking bird will be going with us to a land very far from here. He'll never get the chance to spill your secrets"

"I wouldn't do that anyway.." Ziz muttered.

"Quiet, big bird."

Hera took one look at the twins and Apophis and immediately knew whose children they happened to be.

Mateo had pictures of the twins and Straga when they were babies, but none of the other children who were born before or after them.

So while she thought she recognized Yemaya and Yemaja, Apophis was a complete mystery.

"I… h-hello. You all have my sincere greetings." She said regally.

Mateo showed a faint smile as he put his arms around the kids. "You don't need to be so tense, Hera. We are all family here and you'll get the chance to get to know everyone in time."

The kids nodded and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Except for this one because he's about to go home right now." Mateo clasped Apophis on the shoulder.

"Unc, come on!"

"Sorry, míjo, but I can't chance it. I don't know much about dragons, but I know you all aren't supposed to just faint for no reason. You have to get checked up on."

Apophis usually never would have stooped this low, but this time he was feeling desperate.

His father had given him a responsibility to protect his sisters. He took that responsibility very seriously, it wasn't something that he would ever shy away from.

"Just… please. I promise you that if it happens again you can send me back without complaint. But I have to see that my sisters are safe for just a little bit longer."

Apophis had cornered Mateo. He of all people knew quite a few things about the desire to see through a mission despite any risks of personal injury.

It wasn't hard for the vampire king to imagine how he would have felt if he were being forced into this sort of situation as well.

So against his better judgment, he cracked.

"… The very first time I see you start to wobble, you're going home." He warned. "No exceptio-"

*Swoosh!*

Everyone in the room heard the familiar sound of a text message sending, and they turned to the corner of the room to find it's source.

Yemaja had tears running down her face as she glared at her brother hatefully; phone in hand.

Apophis developed an immediate sinking feeling. "You didn't…"

Yemaja wiped her face angrily. "You're not the only one who wants to protect someone. I need you to get help, Big Brother. I don't care if you hate me for it."

Before Apophis could even react, a familiar portal opened up in the middle of the room, and an even more familiar face stepped out.

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