Hades and Persephone

Chapter 4

"ZEUS!"

Mount Olympus itself shook with the sorrowful shriek of Demeter as she slammed open the doors of Zeus's hall, with her nature nymphs wailing behind their mistress. Demeter's proud and noble face was now a mask of grief; her raven hair was frizzy and stood out in places as though she had tried to pull it out. Her robes were disarrayed and her eyes were painted red with unwept tears. Zeus was shocked to his core and concerned at the state of mind Demeter was in. Hera, his Queen, bit back a scowl as he rose from his throne to embrace their disturbed sister. Hera hated to see Zeus embrace or even look at another female while she was around.

"Demeter, dearest sister, what has happened to make you this way?" Zeus asked as Demeter rushed into his open arms. The nymphs fell to their knees behind her and let their cries soften to moans.

"Zeus…oh Persephone…my child….my…"

All the Olympians were drawn away from their light conversations among themselves and gazed at Demeter curiously as she explained how Persephone had gone away with the nymphs but had run off to be with her, only to have vanished out of thin air without a trace. Explaining only made her sobs louder and more desperate as her tears ran down Zeus's golden chest.

"Honestly Demeter, cease your cries! You are acting like a mortal." Hera said dryly.

"Hera!" Zeus snapped before turning back to stroking Demeter's hair. "Calm yourself Demeter; I believe she is safe, she is a strong young woman like her mother." Zeus said calmly, though he felt a deep sadness for his daughter.

Demeter shook her head in denial. "No, no, she is only a child. Oh my heart, I must find her. I…I cannot lose her. She needs me! Don't you understand?" Her grief was lightening up when she realized not everyone was as stricken as she was over Persephone's disappearance. If fact, they all seemed to be looking at her with pity, not grief. Pushing herself out of Zeus's strong embrace she yelled. "Persephone has been stolen from me!"

"Are you so sure?"

Demeter swung around to see Athena rise up from her seat beside her brother Ares, who had been telling her about the war he planned to witness brewing up between two royal houses. Being the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena was greatly respected and whenever she spoke she was always taken with dignity and honor. Her beautiful voice was calm, but held the tone of cleverly hidden strategy and tactics as that of a war general in the preparation of war. "Is it not possible that Persephone chose to leave and not taken as you say."

Demeter stared at the goddess in complete shock, not believing that she had heard such words spoken. Then her temper flared. "Possible? Of course not! Persephone would never do such a thing to me. I am her mother!"

"Who has not been particularly fair to her." Athena continued.

"What do you mean?" Demeter spat.

"And the battle begins." Ares chuckled darkly.

Ignoring her brother, Athena looked around the hall at the other gods listening in anticipation as she spoke. "You are not the only one in Persephone's life, Demeter. We too have watched her through her years, and I am not the only one to see that you, Demeter, seem to wish your flowers to grow and prosper but not your own daughter. You have never allowed her to be free; you have always kept her at your side as if she were to eternally be a child and could not be trusted with the prospect of her own life. Many worthy suitors who have wished to marry her have been sent away by you time and time again without any reason except you can't bear of thought of your daughter loving someone as much as you. We have kept our silence for it is not our place to tell a mother how to raise a child, and we have had our own responsibilities to attend to than to worry about your parental actions."

All was silent after this bold statement, even Demeter's crying nymphs had silenced. Demeter was one of the Older Gods as Athena was Demeter's niece, and was quite younger than her. Though what she lacked in age she made up in wisdom. But Demeter was not about to be spoken to this way, she turned on the younger goddess.

"How dare you speak to me in such a way! You know nothing of my daughter. You know nothing of motherhood!"

"It would seem that you could learn a thing or two yourself, Mother Nature." Athena answered.

"How Dare You!" Demeter yelled. "You know Nothing of Persephone."

Born with a sword in her hand, Athena was a woman of pure might, she didn't back down when she was in a fight. "Then tell me, Demeter, when is Persephone's favorite time of the day?"

Demeter was stunned in her rage at the question. "What? Her favorite time of the day is when she is with me."

"And what is her favorite game?" Athena asked again.

"Growing the flowers with me." Demeter said stubbornly.

"What does Persephone do when she sees an injured creature?"

"Leaves the creature be, it is not her place to care for them but for nature with me."

Athena grew silent and slowly shook her head, gazing at Demeter with a look of pity.

"Why do you ask me such questions?" Demeter demanded when she realized that all the Gods were acting just like Athena, as though she were the child who could not understand what was happening.

"Apollo," Athena turned to the golden God sitting in his chair. "When is Persephone's favorite time of the day?"

"Sunset, she says the sky looks as if it is painted with the colors of the flowers, and then she can see the stars." Apollo said simply, there were murmurs of agreement.

"And Aphrodite," Athena looked over at the dazzlingly beautiful young woman. "What is Persephone's favorite game?"

"Persephone likes to play tag, she loves to run and she is so beautiful when her hair fans out behind her." The Goddess of love said dreamily.

"Artemis, does Persephone usually ignore creatures that have been harmed?"

"Of course not," the wild huntress said sternly. "Persephone has a heart as pure as a newborn lamb. If ever an injured creature catches her eye she never hesitates to come and fetch me and make sure that there is nothing I need help with."

More nods of approval.

Demeter was far from calm now.

"I will not stand here and be told about my own daughter!" her voice reached a level of power that all but brought the ceiling down. Her own nymphs cried and backed away from her as if she were insane.

"That is enough Demeter!" Zeus said sternly, sitting on his throne and purposely laid his hand upon one of his powerful lightning bolts. Demeter got the message, she shut her mouth.

She stood up to her full height and stared at each one of the Gods and Goddesses, and said slowly and forcefully. "Persephone was taken from me. I will find her, and when I do, she will never leave me again. And hear me all, as I search in my pain and suffering so shall the world suffer with me!" She turned on her heel and walked out the door, the nymphs waited till she was several feet ahead of them before getting to their feet and following their mistress.

The hall was ablaze with talk, some rather enjoyed the show, while others feared the wild look they had seen shine in Demeter's eyes. Zeus sighed and rubbed his eyes on his throne, hoping that the madness would soon end. Hidden in a corner of the hall, Hermes had watched the whole thing, and now his eyes widened in horror as realization hit him.