Oh muse! I am Janina of Pantheons! Come to me now that I speak the tale of Agape- "love" in the Yankee language- the daughter of Zeus! Apollo, lend me your voice as I spin the tale of your lover, who risked her life to be with you! Show that true love conquers all and that she shall win in all as long as her love is strong.
Episode One: The Love
The mother of Agape died when she was giving birth, leaving Zeus to tend for the baby girl. Zeus loved his daughter, and knew that it would be hard for her to live without a mother. Zeus asked for the help of Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt, who hid her with night. Zeus made sure that no other god would know of her existence. Agape was a strong yet graceful girl. Artemis taught her archery, and Zeus taught her swordsmanship. She enjoyed archery, but did not care for hunting or battle. Agape believed that war should be settled peacefully. She wore the amulet of the gods everyday around her neck.
One day, Agape was in the forest practicing her archery. Suddenly a strong wind blew her arrow off its course. She followed the arrow, and discovered that it had injured a swan. The arrow had shot through the creature's leg. It wasn't moving. Horror stricken, Agape quickly carried the swan back to her home. She removed the arrow and bandaged the leg. The bird lay still. Agape began to cry over the creature. She had killed a living thing, and could not forgive herself. Suddenly, the swan lifted into the air, and transformed into a handsome man. He was Apollo, the god of music, truth, light, and archery. His eyes were soft, and his smile was wide. Agape stared in awe. Apollo thanked her for her kindness, and wiped the tears from her face.
"For healing me and showing much kindness, young maiden, I thank you. Please speak me your name." He said softly. Agape replied, still shaking, "Oh lord of my art, my name is Agape."
"Oh sweet name, my Agape, for healing a bird that you yourself injured and for feeling sorrow for the simplest life, you have stolen my heart. Please come with me to Mount Olympus, and be my love." Apollo glided to be in front of her, and embraced her lightly.
"But how can you love a mere mortal, not even a beautiful mortal?" She mumbles into his chest. She had heard the tale of Daphne, the runner that had once been the apple of Apollo's eye.
"Do not doubt that you are beautiful. You have a beauty that rivals all the flowers in Greece." He said knowingly, staring into her eyes.
"If I were to say I love you too, would you leave me later?" she said, still skeptical. Apollo scolded her now.
"You are the most caring person that I have ever met. I will never hurt you
"If your love is true, then my love is the same." Agape said.
Apollo took her with him to Mount Olympus, the place of the gods, where everything was made of clouds. They landed in the soft courtyard, where all the gods had gathered. Hera stood from her thrown to greet Apollo.
"Hello, dear Apollo, would you mind playing a tune…" Hera stopped speaking when she saw Agape step out from behind him. She saw her amulet.
"Who is this mortal that bares the sign of the gods?" She bellows. All of the gods turn to see what was happening.
Apollo spoke:
"This is my love, my Agape, who I have brought from earth. I wish for her to be with me for eternity."
To this Hera began to rage.
"This is a mortal! No such person can live among the gods! If this were so, our palaces would be overrun with them! Who is your mother, girl? Who is your father?"
Agape was shaking, frantic. She had angered a goddess. Slowly she spoke.
"I...never knew my mother, and my father is…"she whispered. Before she could answer, Zeus stood up from his throne.
"I am this young woman's father, her only living blood."
Hera then lunged for Agape, enraged by what she had heard. Apollo shielded her, and all of the gods tried to break up the fight.
"Peace, stop!" Agape screamed. The crowd grew silent. She turned to Zeus.
"If there is a way for me to become a goddess, tell me now. I shall risk my life to be with my love. My father is Zeus, the god of gods. I will live to my blood."
She said boldly, chin up high. The gods stared in awe, even Zeus, at the young woman, who stood still in the middle of the cloud. Zeus stood before the girl.
"There is only one way. Agape has to do three tasks before she became a goddess. First she must kill the monster Scylla while avoiding Charybdis, and give the heads to Athena. The next task is to capture the silver dove of Aphrodite and bring it back to her. Then, she must retrieve the Narcissus flower from the peak of Mt. Etna and bring it to Hera. She has to earn the trust of these goddesses to become one." He said speaking to the gods, while still looking on her. He smiled slightly, and sat back on his thrown. The rest of the gods followed, except for Apollo, who stood next to Agape.
"Let the tasks begin." Zeus announced. His voice echoed through Olympus.