A Flower Blossoming in the Darkness
Chapter 1 the debutant of Kore'sMt. Aetna, in Sicily
Kore plucked a flower by the river.
Strictly speaking, it was a closed bud with a long stalk, Kore's little-finger shaped, pure and white, slim and firm, like a quiet virgin.
Kore had paid secret attention to the plant for a long time, and she doubted it existed there all her life. Although it was impossible for any herbal plant could live as long as a goddess. Their lifetime was even much shorter than that of a mortal.
When she first set foot in the place in her 12 god-cycles, the plant has grown there, just near the river, silent and graceful.
The first time she rested her eyes on it, she was captivated. Its leaves were light green, slim and firm, straight and skyward, sword shaped. What are these faithful guards protecting? She wondered.
Even when Kore came near, the plant didn't immediately blossom to greet the Goddess of Spring as any other plant would do, in fact, it didn't react at all. Maybe it was some kind of grass, and grass were all the same, it withered and it grew, and you could never tell the difference. That were the words of Hermes, but Kore could tell difference even between twin grasses. And the plant processed the grace exceeding that of any orchard she knew. Maybe her power as a natural goddess was not strong enough. Kore shrugged to herself, but wouldn't give up yet.
As time went on, Kore left the island and came back, the plant hadn't changed a bit, the leaves never withered, fell and scattered out, and it never blossomed, even with every trick Kore could manage.
Born as a natural goddess, after 17 god-cycles of traveling around and studying hard with her dear mother, the earth Goddess Demeter, Kore had never met any living things like this.
Immortals and mortals are alike in so many ways. The anatomy comes first, they could even mate and procreate with opposite sex from the other species. The ways a god spends a cycle to watch a lifetime of a mortal and a mortal sees from the beginning to the end of an annual are the same, except as time itself is also the concept of a rule, life cycles in a god's life are infinite.
How could a plant in the sunlight of Helios remain living beyond four god-cycles? Why wouldn't it react to the magic of the Goddess of Spring? What would it look like if it blossom? If anything Kore got from the numerous failures of her trials, it was definitely the enhancement of her curiosity.
Kore had tried to sneak around to get some information about the plant from her mother, "Mom, could there be any green never wither?"
"No, dear." Demeter was always determined, but never hesitated to be patient and kind to her daughter, "A seed spouts, blooms, bears fruits and dies. That's the rule. Even I couldn't change its fate."
"Could Gaia?" Kore always wondered the power difference between the two earth goddesses.
"Nor could she. She is my grandmother and one of the first generation of gods, but she has been relieved of this duty long ago, and you know, the first doesn't mean the best." As the incumbent natural Queen, Demeter proudly assured Kore the great power of her mother. Any one harmed precious Kore a little would invoke the wraith of the natural Queen and the result would be devastating!
"Why couldn't any plants keep youth forever, just as us?" Kore insisted.
"Dear, dear, we are immortals, and we are rules of the universe, since it has been set Zeus ruled the sky and gods, Poseidon the sea, me the earth, Hades the other world, nobody could cross the line, even the four of us, the living on the above world, and the dead went underworld belongs to Hades. Hades is a strict and stern with what belongs to him. No one and nothing could trespass the border between living and dead…" Demeter frowned, not fond of introducing the other side of the world contrary to the light to her pure daughter, "dear, I have to prepare the harvest here before the How about , how about you showing me your skills more fabulous than your mother? Or maybe you would like to build a new wreath with flowers. Do remember the four disciplines."
"Aye, never step in Olympus, never cross the river, never enter the darkness, never trust anything from males. I would build two wreaths with morning flowers for each of us before coming back to help your harvest preparation." Kore knew that was the end of the story, but sometimes she would wonder what if …
Never step in Olympus, never cross the river, never enter the darkness, never trust anything from males. Demeter's four disciplines always lingered in her ear sides.
Kore knew too well the reasons which she didn't think the conditions in front of her fit.
'Never step in Olympus.' Led by Zeus who was notorious for his pruriency and immoderation, Demeter always regarded Olympus as an immoral den breeding depravity. If not for her strong sense of responsibility as the Queen of Earth, she herself would never step in Olympus.
'Never cross the river.' Mother conjured rivers to delimit playing ground for her, but the river before was the natural extension of a former stream.
'Never enter the darkness." For evils lurk in the darkness. The shadow was not so dark, right? And even the shadow came from the oak tree she took care since it was a sapling.
"Never trust anything from males." Well, this discipline' reason was much more complicated, and involved a long story.
Long later when Demeter lamented the loss of her precious daughter, how she regretted to initially accede to Zeus' request to let Kore get instructions from Hestia with her other half-siblings. How could Demeter blame her daughter for her failing in performing her disciplines without the mother herself couldn't carry out "Never trust anything from males" firstly? From the day she was born, she was given up by her mother Rhea, and devoured by her father Cronus, following the same destiny as the senior Hades and the junior Hestia. How could anyone in the world could be trusted when the first and the dearest of them-your own parents betrayed you at the moment you were born?
It all started from the curse on Cronus that his rule would be overthrown by a child of his own stock.
Unlike the widespread legend among the mortals, Cronus only devoured the first three born of his children with Rhea.
Protected from by some prophecy, Hera was the first to break the dooming destiny from the devouring of Cronus. From then on, Rhea began to think about protect her infants. She concealed Poseidon among a flock of lambs and pretended to have given birth to a colt, which she gave to Cronus to devour. And she used the same trick to substitute Zeus with a stone.
Fortunately gods kept memories and got power from the second they were born. As the third child of Cronus and Rhea, little Demeter made her vow not to trust anyone in the world while she was handed by her mother and devoured by his father the second she was born. She enhanced the vow after gloomy Hades made out so clearly the terms, he fought with her power to help her survive, to exchange her curing him at her every ounce of power at any moment he needed. He said it, and he meant it. Even with the memory of a god, Demeter couldn't count the numerous times when Hades was so badly hurt and she thought he might already die but he continued to ask therapy from her who has already been exhausted and also badly hurt. So many times she thought giving up and digested by their father might be a much better idea than fight to an expected end. And she hated Hades with so much passion for his insistence and his force on her to insist.
But Hestia, the one with grit and will and gut and power and all the virtues, was the one always by her side, even she was also badly hurt, she still tried her best to protect and help and comfort her siblings. Things happened always proved Hestia was absolutely right. She told them to fight to the end, and they finally escaped from the stomach of Cronus. She vowed to be a virgin goddess, and abjured involvement of any males in her life. She got power and independence from her execution. In the world of gods, power meant everything, the stronger set rules. As a goddess with both will power and magic power, Hestia only obeyed her own will and the call of her own heart. She left the main god position in Olympus without a glance back, but nobody would and could ignore her as a minor goddess, she was the rule maker whenever and wherever. Nobody could force her to do anything, even the King of Gods, Almighty Zeus. On the contrary, if Zeus wanted help from the Goddess of Fire, he could only plead for her mercy, the same way as a mortal.
What a kind, pure, determined, proud goddess! For so long a time Hestia was the only dear relative to Demeter. Demeter admired and adorned Hestia with her whole heart. She changed her vows to 'never trust anything from males'.
So when Zeus brought up the request to let Kore spend some time every year with her half-siblings and be instructed by Hestia, and Hestia herself came to tell Demter not to seclude Kore from anyone for eternity and promised to give Kore all her knowledge and training, to teach Kore the way Hestia was living, Demeter couldn't object.
Demeter was so desperate to keep Kore as a virgin goddess. The fact, all her female students including Athena, Artemis, even Hebe, the daughter of the Goddess of Marriage, had vowed to be virgin goddesses in their adult ceremonies one by one, had greatly inspired Demeter. From then on, she was so glad to let Kore to live in Mount. Aetna.
But things always went against expectations. Hestia was the first to object that idea, "You still don't know what you want net." She told Kore.
The silver-haired girl didn't know. Whenever she faced someone before, her azure eyes located somewhere no one could reach, as if she could see through the one before her, to look for something faraway… Even Apollo once said, "Maybe I could be happy if truly gazed into those eyes."
Demeter should have known, although she tried her best to hide all not good from her precious daughter, and Kore was always a good girl not willing to hurt the heart of her dear mother by standing up against her, her clever daughter had her own way to get the whole story by weaving scattered information from Hestia and her half-siblings.
For example, about Kore's father Zeus, Demeter told Kore nothing more than "Almighty he may be, he is the last one could be trusted. Think about his principles, you should stay from him as far as possible even he is your father." And Demeter meant it. She never let her daughter appear in the pantheon or even near Olympus.
Kore had heard the mortal version of the well-known story between Zeus and his fourth queen. Demeter once wanted to keep being a virgin goddess, but Zeus wanted the Queen of the Earth married the God of the sea. Disobeying the King of Gods, Demeter wedded herself to a mortal farmer and incurred the wrath of Zeus, who destroyed her husband with a thunderbolt and impregnated her himself. Thus was the reproduction of Kore.
But the legends were always not true.
Hestia once hinted there once was a happy time between the two. "Maybe then they were in love." She said.
"Zeus in love? Are you kidding?" happening to be nearby, Artemis snapped, "You should say he was in rut, as always. Who with sanity and pride would fall in love with him? Except he majesty of course, who was born without the former and full of the later enough to explode the pantheon."
As one of the golden twins, the gorgeousness of Artemis even couldn't be imagined in the most coveted dreams of mortals. With the little difference of the light color, Artemis light golden and Apollo pure golden, Artemis just the feminine version of Apollo.
"Nobody could find a gem more gorgeous than my twins." Leto once proudly said. Even the announcement put Hera's teeth on edge, the Queen of Gods couldn't deny it. Nobody could. The cocky mortal queen of Thebes, wife of Amphion, dared to boast her 14 children before Leto, had been turned into a stone, to weep unceasingly for eternity, with all her children slaughtered and her husband killed by the golden twins.
Well-known as her dizzying gorgeousness, it was Artemis' fierceness and boldness. From the day they were born, the golden twins had to fight, and they did fight fearlessly. When the Queen of Gods Hera found out the other wife of her husband, Leto was to give birth to the children of Zeus, she began to incessantly send those deadly assassins, including most notorious of them including the chthonic dragon Python, the giant Tityos, to hunt the twins and their mother to death, and those assassins became the twins' best train partners. And Zeus just stood by and did nothing . Fight or death, there was not the third choice for the twins. Hera finally had to give up her chase of Leto and her golden twins, for she couldn't find out another assassin strong enough to pose a threat to the twins even they were still underage.
"Delia, don't expect too much from your father, even he might be the King of Gods, anyway, it's he who assembles you here and ask me to give you instructions." The words from Hestia to one of her favorite nieces and students were comfort more than a reproach, knowing too well Artemis hated the King and Queen of Gods with a passion.
"As a father he did nothing more than releasing his sexual lust in our mother. After raped and impregnated and delivery, she has to be hunt down, what a great justice of his and her majesty and great way to explain how power works! And only to flaunt the fatherhood which indeed doesn't exist at all he assembles us here, his bastards and his legitimate children, how I want to see the expression of her majesty to see we play around with her precious Hephaestus, Ares and Hebe. The crazy woman never succeeds in holding her husband's lower half but carelessly vent her wrath at those compulsive weak females. She always call us bastards, since all know Zeus formerly married seven females which including our mothers, and most of all, her majesty is only the seventh, the smallest and latest, huh? And it is only for the reason of your kindness you accede to instruct us. I doubt there was the existence of the called love in his fatherhood, and I believe if love did exist, that would be from you, dear Hestia."
"You couldn't doubt the love from Hestia to us," Athena cut her off. It was scarce for Athena to break in a conversation. As a goddess and first-born of Zeus, of course Athena was also gorgeous. Unlike Artemis, men couldn't ignore her deadly feminine attraction even could fell her bold and unrestrained fierceness from her emerald eyes. When people faced the Goddess of Wisdom, they always neglected her fire-colored hair and grey-eyes which were so exotic, they could only lose themselves in the depth of those eyes, which were so young and so ancient at the same time.
"Hestia does love us, in the way a mother loves her own children." Athena averred. As the first born of Zeus, she was also devoured by her father. To be accurate to say, Athena was devoured even before she was born. Zeus devoured her mother, his first wife, the last Goddess of Wisdom, Metis when he found out her pregnant. From Chaos, curses of patricides repeated actualizing. Uranus cursed and was overthrown by his son Cronus, Cronus cursed and was overthrown by his sons Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Zeus was so afraid of that curse he did the same as his father to his first born. And Athena followed the fates of Hades, Hestia and Demeter. But unlike them, Metis fought to protect her own daughter even in Zeus' stomach. Metis cast armor and weapons and shield to protect Athena before she put Athena out of the head of Zeus with her last power. The daughter was finally born, and the mother died. Even now she had become the favorite child of Zeus, the King of Gods could only find duty and responsibility in the Goddess of Wisdom, nothing near the love from a daughter he expected. However, nobody could deny there was love existing in the deep of the goddess' heart toward her already deceased mother. As the closest relatives, the other three goddesses knew how deep the love was.
"Dear Delia, Kore and Athena, I do love you, in the way a mother love her own children." Hestia hugged the three young goddesses present, "but do please believe there is other forms of love existing except that between mothers and children." Tears streamed down her delicate face, and her voice hoarse.
"I know. I also love Athena and Kore." Artemis declared.
"And Apollo, I love you too." Athena added.
"Apollo goes first, I love you too." Kore smiled.
"The love among you three is that of siblings." Working hard to restore from being quite moved, Hestia led the younger goddesses to sit down on the lawn and said, "Girls, now let's begin a lesson of love…"
After the lesson about love was over, Hestia left the girls to instruct the boys and Hebe. Since not long ago, in order to show his fatherhood love, Zeus led Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty to the kinder garden for his offspring at Mount. Aetna, thus a large stir was created. Furious Demeter, who found out Hestia gave lessons in a class, demanded the separation of girls and boys, thus resulted in two classes, one including three girls, the other including four boys and Hebe, the Goddess of Youth, who was asocial for her distinctive shyness and stillness and silence in the girls, but was stuck with one of her brother Ares who only regarded her as a big trouble.
After Hestia's leave, Artemis rolled her emerald eyes," Love between a male and female? What an altisonant camouflage for lust and for those with more power chased flesh and fresh!"
"Want to fight with swords?" Artemis started, and stretched her hand to pull Kore.
Conjuring two wood swords, Kore put one into Artemis's palm, and gave the other to Athena.
"Kore, I want to fight with you!" Artemis pouted, "I have fought with Athena millions of times."
"Don't forget. We are goddesses of hunting and wars, but Kore is only a goddess of nature." Taking the wood sword from Kore, Athena posed and mimicked the answer of Kore with a tone of rehearsal.
"Come on, Athena. Don't use Kore's tone. We know too well she can fight since she could separate us in our fight." With the words, Artemis swiftly stabbed her sister with the wood sword.
"I do believe she is able to fight, but she will not." Athena swirled around and blocked the attack.
"Yeah, Kore, that's your problem, you lack the will to fight." Artemis shouted at Kore who began to look for herbs. "Hey, don't forget to score."
"I won't." with the words Kore crouched. Little light balls occurred in her hand, which covered a herb and increased its growth visible to the naked eyes, soon the herb bore fruits. Kore skillfully gathered the seeds while announcing aloud "Athena scored one." At the moment Athena's wood sword just hit the Artemis' shoulder.
"Has she watched?" Artemis quirked at the direction where Kore stayed suspiciously.
"Who cares! As long as she could score." Athena shrugged and posed. They had gotten accustomed to Kore's absence of mind. Even gods have to gain more power and porn their skills by incessant practices. As a natural goddess and daughter of Demeter who was known for her hard work, diligent practices had become a habit in Kore's veins.
Unlike the Goddess of Youth, Hebe, whom Hera claimed a sample of maiden and Artemis snapped and called 'Coward' for her shyness and silence and stillness, Kore didn't run short of grit and will.
With all the natural gifts of agility and flexibility, Kore enjoyed and could win the race and tree-climbing with Athena and Artemis. And as Artemis had said, when Athena or Artemis was injured, Kore could separate the fight between the Goddess of Hunting and the Goddess of Wisdom to help to cure. Although Kore always used that she was only a natural goddess as an excuse to avoid sword fights, even Athena wouldn't look down upon Kore's fighting capability. However as Artemis had said, Kore lacked the will to fight. She enjoyed sports but disgusted fights.
"Everyone has her own fight." Hestia had said that about Kore. Athena and Artemis were both worried about that. Unlike them who fought from their birth, Kore was well protected by her possessive mother and never fought a real battle. She worked hard to sharpen her skills but she seemed to know too little about power and positions.
After all, she is the only daughter of the sky and the earth. That breed was far more precious to be a queen with or without a king. And the two sisters expected Kore, as them had done even before their adult ceremonies, to claim one of the major-god positions in Olympus, which firstly including the six siblings of Zeus who overthrew their father Cronus together, later adding Aphrodite, and successively claimed by offspring of Zeus successively Athena, the golden twins Apollo and Artemis, Hermes, Ares. But for the sake of Demeter's hatred to Olympus, Kore never set foot in Olympus. 'Kore's would soon come of age, anyhow Demeter should let Kore appeared in her debutant in Olympus. 'Artemis had said that, but Athena doubted it.
"Hestia said she has seen with her eyes that love in mortals," Obviously Athena still meditated the former topic, "We couldn't deny its existence for we haven't seen it with our own eyes. Maybe someday we could ask Aphrodite about that."
"Not to mention her bitch majesty, who always alleges the sacredness of marriages, and never stops the incessant births of his husband's bastards. And let alone Aphrodite. Since I doubt the difference between love and lust, you couldn't assure me the Goddess of Love would remain a virgin goddess. You see, she was born in foam from Uranus' genitals severed and threw into the sea by Cronus. And until now even Cronus has been overthrown and Zeus claimed the throne, she hasn't found her lover and is still a virgin after so long a time. Although his majesty has coveted her beauty for so long and I doubt one day he could succeed. Back to the point, even the Goddess of Love couldn't find a lover, how could we believe love's existence?" with the tirade Artemis never stopped her attacks.
"Her beauty is somewhat aggressive. I remember the expressions of our brothers last time she passed by." Kore commented without looking up.
"But hey, I like her temper. She dared to overtly reject the King of Gods. No, I wouldn't allow the womanizer Apollo to taint her." Artemis frowned, unconscious to the exchange looks between Athena and Kore. They two knew there was something between the golden twins that nobody could intervene. Apollo would rather lose all his lovers than go against his twin sister. Even long years later, with the words from Artemis, the most handsome and womanizing god never got involved with the most beautiful and fickle goddess.
"Hey, Delia, looking at you I could think out why mortals and immortals fall in drives in your brother, vigorous and graceful, and radiating glory, as Aphrodite has said, 'who could resist such a beauty'." Kore said wistfully.
"So, so, could I tell Apollo he would succeed if he woos you?" Artemis winked at Kore, but got a look of disapproval.
Shrugging, Artemis asked, "Would you say the same with his majesty, to rationalize promiscuousness with their well-endowed gorgeousness? "
"I can't agree the same with Zeus." Athena frowned, "You know, His majesty relies on not only his well-endowed gorgeousness, even more his supreme power, to satisfy his incessantly spontaneous lust for fresh flesh, by fair means or foul. Since he is the strongest, he could force and seduce and trick, ignoring the miserable ends his once lovers are doomed to encounter, imposed by his insanely jealous and also powerful wife."
"Do as please with well-downed gorgeousness and power, huh?" Artemis felt angry.
"Yeah, remember, the stronger set the rules." Combing the herb in her hands, Kore decided time to change the topic. "Apollo is a womanizer, how about Ares?"
"He is aggressive but short of strategy." Athena neatly said.
"Just a meat head." Artemis sniffed.
All three girls giggled, with the knowledge Athena somewhat appreciated the God of Wars, handsome and bellicose, never stopped to challenge Athena after numerous failures.
"Hephaestus?" Kore continued.
"Goofy and quiet, a wonderful craftsman, maybe he could be the most faithful god since he doesn't have much choice." Artemis somewhat pitied the God of Craftsmen with the most ugly looks and lame feet.
"He definitely pursuits beauty with a passion." With a glance at Artemis, obviously these words of Athena held a double meaning, "Defects in outlooks have nothing to do with faith since he is a god."
"And the first born legitimate son." Artemis complemented, mimicking a tone of Hera.
"Yeah, do you remember his drooling expression when we met Aphrodite?" Kore thought of something.
"The same expression as he looks at you?" Athena laughed and joked.
"Why me? He also looked fascinated at you two!" Kore protested.
"Not us, he doesn't dare to look straight at us. He fears us." Artemis and Athena both bursted into laugh.
"And Hermes?" Kore frowned and decided to change a topic.
"I hate him, for he hates me." Artemis announced.
"You always bring up the topic of bastard and you know it somewhat hurt him." Kore pointed out.
"But I don't mean it. You know for Hera, all children of Zeus except those born by her are all bastards." Artemis explained for herself.
"I know and Hermes Knows, but Ares always uses that as a good excuse to attack Hermes. So Hermes acts to hate you to play tricks on Ares."
"Oh, Hermes' tricks. " Artemis drew back her swords and grumbled.
"What's I hate most in the world? I must say Hermes' tricks." Stopping her attacks too, Athena frowned and said, "Compared to Hermes, Ares is so easy to deal with."
"Especially when Hermes and Kore are in a team. I don't think I could get upper hand even teamed with Apollo." Artemis totally agreed, "Hermes is guile and Kore sly, I should say their teaming is disgusting."
"Hey, I am here." Kore protested.
Thinking of what, scowling a moment, Artemis solemnly spoke, "you two, I admit I love Apollo. I believe there is something similar between Athena and Ares, Kore and Hermes. Is that the same as what Hestia told us to be sibling love? Is it somewhat similar to the love between a male mortal and a female mortal?"
"Impossible. Mortals and we immortals are fundamentally different. Maybe for their lifetime was so short, they treasure it and so that kind of love between a male and a female is produced, but time means nothing for us, and it had and would never occur in us." Kore shook her head.
"Is that possible produced between an immortal and a mortal?" A whim came to Artemis.
"Don't be foolish after you have seen so many affairs of Apollo with immortals and mortals." Athena criticized Artemis mercilessly, "That was the absolute lust. We could look through a lifetime of a mortal with only one of our god-cycle. That means when we were just one year old in their meaning, a mortal baby would turn into a greybeard and die. Don't mention how short their youth is when they could flourish and might be charming to gods. How could a god expend the eternity to mourn a blink of eyes?"
Discussion about love had been withdrawn. Demeter might regret to leave Hestia to instruct her precious daughter, but Kore did be grateful for the various meaningful lessons from Hestia, and her happy days with her siblings.
As Kore was well educated by the two powerful goddesses in complementary ways with all their hearts and love, time passed by. This spring came the birthday of Kore's 17th god-cycle. A formal debutante was held in Olympus. So it was not surprising for Kore to find nobody when she came to Mount Aetna, where once were the kinder-garden for Hestia pled by Zeus to instruct the most talented of his offspring, including Athena, the golden twins Apollo and Artemis, Hermis, Kore, and Hera's three children: Hephaestus, Ares and Hebe.
Gods' come of age was not so close relative to their age, and more to growth of their power to a mature and stable level. And it was marked by one's outlook would not change any more. Kore was the last to grow up even was not the last born in the group of the eight. After their debutants held, others had left Mount Aetna and barely came back, except Athena and Artemis, who were so close to Hestia and Kore they would come back as frequent as they could to enjoy each other's company.
To abide Demeter's four disciplines, Kore was not allowed to show up in Olympus even on her own debutant, and could only plead to stay in Mount Aetna, where was much closer to Olympus than their living fieds.
To her surprise, at the time she thought long before the ending of the debutant, Artemis's four-white-deer chariot appeared in the air running towards this direction.
With a roar, Artemis reined her chariot nearby and cried out loud, "Kore, you are indeed here!"
Athena jumped out of the chariot and helped Hestia out.
"What happened?" Kore came near, anxious to check on Hestia.
"Just too tired, later they would explain to you." Hestia signaled the stop. Seeing a nod from Athena, Kore stood dead.
"My dearest nieces, since you are all here, let me cut a long story short. My responsibilities to take care of you have come to a conclusion, and I would leave to live in the hearth of mortals, to watch the greatest thing of world which I never found out among immortals." After hugging the girls one by one, Hestia dragged herself into a giant fire ignited on the lawn by her power, "Do remember, whatever happens in your future, will and grit would find their way, and love." With those hoarse words full of affection echoing off, the fire vanished, with the Goddess of Fire.
After the girls distressed bid farewell to their beloved aunt and respected master, there was a long silence after.
"Kore, I am Sorry for leaving your debutant earlier." Artemis tried to incite a bright atmosphere.
"Never mind, I didn't take part in at all." Kore shrugged, then asked sternly," What the hell happened there to Hestia?"
"You couldn't imagine how dramatic your debutant has been."
"Let's count. First of all, the major character of this play didn't appear at all, what a good surprise!"
"Secondly, Demeter declaimed you to be a virgin goddess, but without your presence, your vows and the bliss of Hestia, I doubt its validity."
"Thirdly, your mother reject all wooing presents, including the most equisite one from the lame one, and those from great promising such as Apollo, Ares and Hermes, to her daughter."
"Fourthly, for no one anticipated your absence in your debutant, Hestia voluntarily abandoned her major-god position as a come-of-age gift for you."
"The fifth, guess who has successfully claimed the major-god position Hestia abandoned? Your brother Dionysus! Hera seized the opportunity to put her own son Hephaestus in that position, but a handsome stranger occurred from nowhere and fought with Hephaestus. Oh, you should see the way he fights! So graceful and beautiful, just like a beast! And he beat the lame one as a cat played with a mouse. Hera was so flustered she came to help his lame son. To our great surprise, Hestia seemed to recognize the handsome stranger and helped him against Hera. Then Ares joined his mother and the lame one. You know what? Demeter joined Hestia and the handsome stranger, and your mother, Demeter, the Queen of Earth demanded Zeus to announce 'The handsome stranger to be the first-born son of him, as twin brother of yours. Then we think maybe we should help your mother's team, but Hestia forbad our involvement. Finally, to Hera's fury, your mother's team won, and Zeus did announce the identity of the handsome stranger, whose name was Dionysus and happened to be your twin brother. Hey, why haven't you never told us about him?"
"The last but not the least, after your brother was accepted as the God and Wine and one of the 12 main gods in Olympus, he presided over a huge carnival which I couldn't imagine even in my dreams. "
After the eloquent speeches Artemis changed to a serious tone, "After the fight with hera, Hestia refined any mortal and impurity and evil in Dionysus' body with her sacred fire, gave him her bliss of fire, then crown him the major-god position, which once was hers, so many things to exhaust her power."
Eyes-wide and dumb for a while, Kore finally asked, "My twin brother? Does he look like me?"
"No, the likeness between you two is far less than that between Apollo and Artemis." Athena shook her head after carefully looking over Kore, finally set her eyes on Kore's eyes, "his hair is light blond and yours silver, his eyes aqua like ocean, pacific on the surface but pregnant with storms beneath, your eyes azure like sky without clouds, he like a predator and you like a cat, his qualities at battle are more close to mine, and at ordinary moments, well, like you."
Another silent moment later, lowering her head, Kore muttered, "He has a sad history, hasn't he?"
Athena exchanged a look with Artemis, then nodded, "Yeah, from the way he fought, I must say he survived many battles of life and death." Then she rehearsed the saying in the debutant.
"My son and that bastard are children of your siblings, what's the difference for you who is the main god and who is the minor? After all, only my children are legitimate. " Hera rightly bristled.
"What you have done is done. But remember others as well. I have tried my best to lead us to a good direction, but you destroy all with your own selfishness. Now threads of fates have been weaved, the departing have come back to claim their own. And I, would depart forever." Kind Hestia was so furious she interrogated the Queen of Gods mercilessly.
"To welcome my precious son's coming back, I, Demeter, me, the Queen of Earth, here announce his legitimate birth from Zeus, the King of Gods, and me and I demand my boy to illustrate his miseries since his birth. "
"When I was born, Hera, the Queen of Gods, sent the Titans to abduct me. The Titans, who were turned into dust by Father's thunderbolts, mocked me with a thyrsus (a fennel stalk) in place of my rightful scepter, then ripped me to pieces and ate, except my heart was saved by my grandmother Rhea. Then Father gave my heart to Semele, daughter of the founder of Thebes, who was later tricked by Hera to be blasted, to recreate me. Hence I was again "the twice-born."
While Ino, who was Semele's sister and her husband, Athamas, the king of Orchomenus, took care of me, to hide me from Hera's watchful eyes, the couple dressed me as a girl. However, Hera saw through the disguise and punished the couple. She drove Ino and Athamas mad, causing them to kill their own sons.
When Hera finally discovered me, she drove me mad, let me wander through the world for who knew how long. My aimless travels eventually led to the land of Phrygia, where Rhea, my grandmother, cured me of my madness and taught me the mysteries of life. Then she told Hestia and asked she to help me.
Today, to celebrate the debutante of my twin sister Kore, and to claim my birth right and seek my revenge, I came back."
Tears streaming down, Kore sobbed, "My, my poor brother. How could I forget the one so familiar and close even before I was born." Then she asked loudly, "Then what happened to the major villain in causing my brother's miserable suffering?"
"Zeus tied her with thin magic chains, which could restrict her motions and inflict pains the same as your brother has experienced, as told by his majesty." Artemis scorned.
"No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown. (William Penn, British admiral) My son, congratulations for your grit and wills to survive and beat those sufferings, and finally came back to Olympus to help my ruling. And you should also thank for your miserable experiences which inspired your courage and power. These are the words his majesty has said." Athena imitated Zeus' tone.
"He could say that loud since he was not the one suffered." Kore sniffed.
"But your brother did transfer his suffering into his power, how honorable. And he created the impressive drink with his experiences…"Thinking of something, Artemis frowned, "Let me think, what the name is, your brother has mentioned."
Athena smiled, "Wine."
"Wine, yeah, that's right. Magic wine, it's far more amazing than nectar." Artemis chirped full of delight.
"Wine, what is it?" Kore wondered.
"Something is bitter and sweet, tender and fierce, driving you mad and comforting you, memorable with only a drink, you would find all feelings you can and can't imagine here in it, you would die in the wake-up, which I think what the gods and goddesses in your debutant are doing now, you should say that's the way they described love could be adaptable here, and it's your twin brother's creation." Artemis sang.
"Creation of my twin brother? " Kore sounded more confused.
"Yeah, you know, although nobody could deny he's handsome. As Athena has said, he looks sluggish in normal times. But when he drinks his wine, he becomes valorous, brave and skillful in fight, his eyes sparkling and his motions more smooth and graceful than a leopard. The lazy one looks like a sack standing near. And Ares is still a meat head." Artemis tried to recalling the picture of three gods standing together.
"I can't imagine yet." Kore blinked.
A silver pot was handed to Kore by Athena, "So you could taste it by yourself."
"Hey, you stole one." Artemis pouted.
"More than one." Another one pot was conjured in the air and Artemis grabbed it swiftly, "Good job and thank you."
"Since it would take some time for the closure of Kore's debutant and Demeter and Dionysus' arrival, maybe we could prepare some wreaths for the coming reunion." Athena suggested.
"Good idea, let's compete who could make the best." Artemis readily consented.
"All right." Kore was grateful for their consideration to let her stay alone and digest so much information. But she didn't express her gratitude aloud since among the closest sisters something needed not be spoken.