Hephaestus: The Forgotten Prince of Olympus
Hephaestus was the master blacksmith of the Olympians, the Prince of Olympus, and yet, he was also the most disgraced among them.
Born from Hera, he had been cast down from the heavens for the crime of being ugly—an abomination in the eyes of immortals who valued only beauty.
He grew up among the giants, not as an Olympian, but as an outcast. He struggled, learned, and forged his own destiny—not through divine gifts, but with his own two hands.
Yet despite his exile, his brilliance could not be ignored.
As his skill grew beyond mortal comprehension, Olympus took notice.
But the immortals did not invite him back out of love.
They did not ask him to return because they had regrets.
No, they forced him into servitude, for they could not afford to waste such talent.
To "reward" him, they married him to Aphrodite, the immortal of love and beauty.
It was a mockery of a gift.
He did not love her.
She did not love him.
And so, when she went behind his back, he did not care.
Love, he realized, was nothing but a lie.
He had been betrayed first by his mother, a woman who was supposed to love unconditionally.
Then he had been forced into a marriage with a woman who worshipped lust but knew nothing of love.
And then, there was Artemis, who preached hatred against men, as if women were without sin.
To further deepen his disgust, there were the Amazons—a race of women who had once hunted men for sport.
They raped, killed, and discarded the sons they bore, sending them adrift on the sea, where most would perish.
He had only discovered the truth later, and when he did, he had moved his smithy away from them in disgust.
Yet, despite his hatred for Olympians, despite his lack of faith in women, there was still kindness within him.
He rescued the abandoned children of the Amazons.
He took them in, raised them, and treated them as his own.
For he, too, was an unwanted child.
In return, he forged weapons for the Amazons, but with one condition:
They would cease the slaughter of men.
For the past two hundred years, they had followed this law.
Yet despite being one of the kindest Olympians, Hephaestus bore no love for his family.
He despised his parents, particularly Zeus, whom he saw as "retardation incarnate"—a failure of a ruler, whose stupidity had nearly doomed their race.
In the old days, Olympians had been independent of mortal belief.
Then Darkseid came.
He whispered temptation into Zeus's ears.
He convinced the King of the immortals that by tying their power to mortal worship, they would grow stronger than the Primordials themselves.
At first, it worked.
The Olympians became more powerful than ever, reaching levels even they had never dreamed of.
But soon, mortals began to move on.
They saw the immortals for what they were—lunatics, driven by pride, lust, and war.
And so, their faith faded.
And when the belief in a immortal disappeared, so too did the immortal themselves.
Many Olympians ceased to exist, erased from reality.
By the time Zeus realized his mistake, it was too late.
They cut their ties to belief, but they had already lost half of their original strength.
Darkseid had won.
Now, his avatars roamed their domain, and the immortals who had once challenged the heavens had been reduced to mere remnants of their former glory.
And what did Zeus do?
Nothing.
Hephaestus cursed him for his stupidity.
His brothers fought over the throne, and he watched, knowing none of them were worthy.
But none of it mattered.
He had long abandoned Olympus and its games.
He had built his own peace.
And he would never use his greatest skills for those who had never deserved them.
Even Zeus's Thunderbolt, the symbol of his divine power, had been intentionally weakened by his own hands.
For the King of the immortals was no king at all.
And Hephaestus?
He was no longer their slave.
The sound of crackling flames and clanging metal echoed throughout the vast forge. The air was thick with the scent of molten metal and oil, a place where legends were crafted, and weapons worthy of immortals were born.
Inside, the forge stretched endlessly, resembling a football stadium, filled with machines, weapons, and mechanical wonders beyond imagination. But the most striking sight was the hundreds of Amazonian males who lived and worked here—the sons of the forgotten, the abandoned children whom Hephaestus had taken in as his own.
And today, a new visitor had arrived.
A cheerful voice broke through the sound of industry.
"Hello! I am here to meet the master of all blacksmiths."
The deep, raspy breath of the forge's master halted for just a moment.
Hephaestus turned his gaze toward the young man who had entered so freely.
This was no ordinary visitor.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Leader of Golden Dawn.
One of the torchbearers of a new age.
A man whom even the Amazons admired—a feat that Hephaestus once believed to be impossible.
Those man-hating warrior women had grown to respect and even like him.
To Hephaestus, this was a miracle of miracles.
Even before meeting Naruto in person, he had been impressed. But now, standing before him, he had to admit—the descriptions were true.
The young man radiated confidence, but it was not arrogance. His presence was like a calming flame, putting those around him at ease.
Hephaestus smirked.
"Come down here, boy."
His deep, powerful voice echoed across the forge.
Naruto's sharp blue eyes flickered toward the source, and he saw him.
Hephaestus stood before a massive mechanical dragon, its metallic body gleaming under the forge's firelight.
The master blacksmith was not idle.
He was working, crafting something new, something beyond the past.
Unlike many immortals, Hephaestus had moved with time.
He did not cling to the old ways of forging swords and shields.
He embraced progress.
He studied human ingenuity, watched their evolution, and mastered the art of invention.
He could create guns, mechanical abominations, and weapons of mass destruction.
He had even crafted giant transforming robots, which now stood as the guardians of his forge.
This was no simple blacksmith.
Hephaestus was a creator.
And Naruto, with all his ambitions, had come to seek his aid.
The moment Naruto stepped into the vast forge, his gaze locked onto the figure in front of him.
The man was impossible to ignore, even amidst the chaos of the forge.
Hephaestus' presence was heavy, his energy a complex mixture of curiosity, wariness, and an undeniable affection for the people he cared for. Despite the troubled past that had shaped him, it was clear that he had deep bonds with the individuals around him.
Naruto's training had taught him to read people, to sense their emotions and intentions. This man, Hephaestus, was not as bad as the rumors suggested, even if his temperament was sometimes volatile.
Standing at two meters tall, Hephaestus' body was buff and muscular, his long black hair and beard lending him a rugged appearance. He was far from ugly, though to the Olympians, his true form was unappealing. The immortals of Olympus could alter their appearances at will, but their true forms were fixed—and Hephaestus' true form was that of a giant.
He was truly enormous—a hundred meters tall, a scale unimaginable to mortals.
Naruto, however, was undeterred by the giant's presence. His own confidence filled the air as he floated down, deciding not to teleport—it could be seen as rude and he didn't want to risk provoking Hephaestus by appearing in an instant, especially not with that massive hammer within reach.
With a friendly smile, Naruto landed directly in front of Hephaestus, meeting the man's eyes without hesitation.
"Hello Hephaestus, my name is Naruto, and it is an honor to meet you." His tone was warm and genuine, not just a formality but a sincere greeting.
Hephaestus, with his quiet and reserved nature, didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm. He looked at Naruto with a cool, calculating gaze, his voice calm yet direct.
"No need for the pleasantries. I know who you are. Now, why are you here?" His tone was steady, though Naruto could sense the underlying curiosity. Hephaestus already knew the answer—people only came to him for a request.
Naruto didn't hesitate; he had come prepared for this moment.
"Would you like to come with me?"
Hephaestus blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"What? Elaborate, boy. I can't read your mind." The bluntness of the question surprised Naruto. This was not the expected response.
Undeterred, Naruto took a deep breath and explained his intentions.
"I've heard about you, Hephaestus, and about these men you've taken in. I know about the history of the Amazons and your own past. It's clear to me that there's been much hardship, and I can't just ignore it. I want to extend a helping hand."
Naruto paused for a moment, ensuring his next words carried the weight of his sincerity.
"I want you to come live with me on the moon, where the men here can live a proper life. There, you could find peace and companionship with others, and you'd have people to talk to. I know you don't need it, but I believe it's better to have friends."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Hephaestus' eyes widened as he absorbed the genuine compassion in Naruto's voice. It wasn't just a polite offer—it was honesty, flowing from Naruto's heart like sweet honey.
The blacksmith, usually so guarded and self-reliant, was visibly taken aback. This was a proposal unlike anything he had ever received. He had lived through countless betrayals and hardships, and yet here was a man offering friendship with no strings attached.
Hephaestus was quiet for a long moment, his hand resting on the mechanical dragon he had been crafting. The weight of Naruto's offer settled into his chest, and for the first time in a long while, he felt something stir within him—hope, perhaps, or the faintest glimmer of trust.
As Naruto listened to Hephaestus' words, a cool calmness settled into his chest. Hephaestus didn't trust easily, and this direct challenge was proof of that. Yet Naruto had anticipated it, and he remained steadfast in his response.
"Is this your way of getting things for free?" Hephaestus' voice was steady, his gaze sharp as he assessed the young man before him.
Naruto didn't flinch. He met the blacksmith's eyes with a clear and honest gaze.
"No," Naruto answered, his voice unwavering, "I will always pay back my debts. This is an honest attempt to make your lives better, and I'll leave it up to you to decide. But remember to look at the men around you—not everyone is suited to this kind of life, and you can check out the area before deciding. As for the things I asked, I need you to help me improve my equipment. I'll pay for it, if it's reasonable. I need it to end Hercules, so I hope you won't decline both of my proposals."
His words hung in the air, the weight of his intentions clear. The men around them listened intently, the quiet buzz of their lives momentarily quieted by the gravity of the conversation. Naruto's proposal wasn't just about what he wanted—it was about what he could offer in return. His willingness to pay, his respect for Hephaestus' craft, and his acknowledgment of the life Hephaestus had built here all mixed together.
Hephaestus, for the first time in the conversation, paused. He agreed with Naruto's assessment—this forge wasn't a place to raise a family, to live a long life. It was harsh and unforgiving, but the blacksmith had no way of providing the life these men deserved. He had spent too long building this haven to even think of leaving it, and the thought of uprooting everyone for an unknown future was overwhelming. But Naruto wasn't just making an offer; he was asking for help—help that Hephaestus could give.
"I have heard your words, and I will give it some thought," Hephaestus said at last. His tone was steady, but there was a hint of respect in his voice. "I'm impressed by your words and actions, so I won't be harsh on you. Just one thing... Take down the man and the woman in the future. Can you do that?"
Naruto was taken aback for a moment, but it made sense. The immortals—especially those like Zeus and Hera—had caused immeasurable suffering for Hephaestus and many others. It was understandable that the blacksmith would want a personal guarantee that those responsible for his pain would be dealt with.
"I always planned to clean everything up. No exceptions were considered." Naruto's voice was firm, his resolve absolute.
"Don't regret this oath." Hephaestus muttered, almost as if speaking to himself, before extending his massive hand. The oath was spoken between them, and in that moment, it was as if the air itself shifted. The bond between them was forged, unbreakable and burning with intent. If Naruto went against his word, the consequences would be devastating—a curse that would consume him whole.
Without hesitation, Naruto extended his hand, sealing the agreement. His grip was strong, and there was a flicker of understanding between them.
Hephaestus looked down at the weapons Naruto had brought, his mind already working.
"Now, pass your equipment to me," Hephaestus said, his voice gaining a bit of excitement. "I will upgrade them to the best of my abilities."
This wasn't the first time Hephaestus had been asked to improve someone's weaponry, but it was the first time someone had come forward with the resolve to back up their promises. Others had come to him with empty words and good intentions, but none had been willing to make the sacrifice Naruto had. He had finally found someone who understood—someone who was willing to fight, not just for themselves, but for others.
The blacksmith's hands twitched with anticipation. He had been waiting for this moment for centuries.
This wasn't just a simple upgrade—this was an opportunity to create a masterpiece, to forge weapons that would change the fate of the immortals. Olympus would burn, and Hephaestus would be the one to strike the first blow.