Throne Room - Olympus
"Why am i so undeserving of love?"
No one had an answer for that, here, perched in front of them crying into Hestia was the Goddess of Love. It was incomprehensible.
"Dear niece, what on Olympus do you mean undeserving?" Questioned Hestia
"It's... nothing… I…" Was made out between Aphrodite's weeps.
"I can't speak for all of us Dite, but you don't have to be a genius to know something's bothering you" Spoke Athena with subtle care laced between her words.
"She's right Dite, we care about you, tell us what's wrong" Said Artemis as she placed her plate of baked goods down.
"H..Hestia…" Came Aphrodite's whisper as a silent calm washed onto the group
"Am I indisposable? A Plaything?! A toy?!" Each allegation getting more muffled being thrown towards the girls.
Sheer shock and unbridled fury worked its way across them, as they repeated the questions in their heads, searching for any semblance of a possible answer. Hera's reply came faster than the others though, slightly out of the loop she riddled for more information.
"Who could possibly…" Was the only thing she could utter before being shut off with a growl.
"That bastard, what did he do!" The growl making itself known from the petite stature of Artemis
"Who?" Hera whispered to Athena not having a grasp on where responsibility lay for Aphrodite's current predicament.
What was more shocking was Athena similar growl as she spat out. "Ares."
Being the mother of such a disappointment, Hera could do nothing than try to salvage the damage done to the Goddess before her.
'A Toy' Hestia found her eyes narrowing at the insinuation, wondering who could be the cause of this when Aphrodite was known for taking and returning insult after insult, to be frank only one person could cause this much distress, and when Athena spoke it cemented her only suspect.
"How dare he!" The fire in the hearth had risen to unfathomable heights after the outburst. "How could he tell you that!"
By this point all of them had an image of what transpired between the two and various reactions could be picked up from each of them.
Athena had donned an empty mask which seemed to punctuate a calm appearance that was anything but, her fists clenched and her stormy orbs swirled in rage.
Artemis was most vocal with a growl that could be heard from anywhere in the room and the flash of a blood red hunting knife that only seem to echo the fury of the fire.
Hera was expressionless as she tried to comprehend how her violent son could harm such a gentle girl, her lips twisting from its straight line into one of extreme anger.
Hestia wanted to get mad, she really did, it would be so easy right now, to let her flames loose, but that would solve nothing, and this needed the gentle touch she was famous for. Curbing her inferno back into a slight blaze, she placed a hand around Aphrodite's back and another behind her neck as she pulled her niece into a warm embrace. Before letting up to allow her wet charge to continue her tale but wasn't nearly ready for what followed.
"He told me he doesn't love me ~sniff~ he said he never loved me ~sniff~ that I should be honored to be his ~sniff~ that i'm no better than his own personal slut ~sniff~ that no one would ever love someone so used"
"Ares… he… he doesn't love me, he's been using me for all these millennia too ~sniff~ just like all of my mortal lovers, using me only for my body ~sniff~ will no one ever love me for me? Will I ever get to experience what i bring to other people?" Broke down Aphrodite as she let all her suppressed feelings out and clutched ever tighter onto Hestia seeking a warmth she would never find.
Not even considering the wetness on her stomach, Hestia let her tears fall freely as she pondered Aphrodite's words. She had nothing she could say to make this better. She was only a virgin Goddess with a minimal amount of exposure to Aphrodite's domains. She found herself far out of her own league as she carried on crying, feeling every bit of heartbreak from the gentle soul in her arms.
"I'll maim him, string him up by his genitals, while i make him regret making you cry" Offered Artemis with her growl adding for effect. "He better hope i don't find him"
"I think we've found a better use for that belt Hera, how do you think ol' Warhead will feel when he finds out he can't get it up" Athena attempted at lifting the situation to bearable levels without succumbing to the tears making their way out of her eyes.
Stunned, Hera could say nor do anything but show sympathy for Aphrodite's circumstance, placing her hands on the distraught girls back, cursing her son for being the absolute shit he was.
Within the confines of their group the general thoughts drifted towards the Goddess of Beauty's predicament and history. The fact that being the Goddess of Beauty, Sexuality and Love would bring an enormous amount of suitors her way causing what would be considered a gift, to become a curse. Men, be it mortal or immortal literally fell for her, but not for the person she was, not for love. They lusted after her in swarms and because of that never had the chance to find love for herself.
Her beauty ended up attracting the attention of Gods and Titans, leading to minor wars and several major forcing Zeus to marry her to Hephaestus in an attempt at stopping them. Trapped in a loveless shamble for a marriage she had sex with many, hoping to find someone who could look past the visuals, she had come close to one, telling the other Goddesses all about this mortal who even when drunk wouldn't accept her advances, charmspeak and all. But that hadn't lasted long as Ares had come searching for her and the memory of that night falling into obscurity behind Dionysus' special brew.
Apart from the one encounter, she could remember them all, and their lust for her, hoping it to be love, even if a fleeting chance. For as long as she remembered, the failure of trying to find the one who could complete her had resulted in a blind love with Ares.
Ares was the one God who lusted the strongest after Aphrodite and in a moment of weakness and defeat she accepted his advances. Well, it had been assumed was the strongest because after he finally got what he wanted, he grew bored and she lost value to him. Aphrodite could sense love but those powers only worked on mortals and demigods, so for millennia she had been used and her feelings abused by the same God famous for instigating wars.
Not a whisper could be heard for the next few hours as those present gifted Aphrodite with their encouragement and blessings. After all, she didn't even begin to deserve this.
"Poor Dite, you gave everything you could offer to that selfish bastard only to be betrayed by him, maybe this will show you that men don't deserve your love." Artemis said as she gripped the edge of the bench leaning forward.
Athena scoffed at her half sisters biased remark, not everyone was a man hating huntress. Even being a virgin Goddess hadn't stopped her from coming to love and producing her own children that she created with the men she loved.
"You have never loved Artemis" It was Hera who pointed this out. "You don't know the feelings a family can bring to you, i know you consider those huntresses family, but there is no husband, no father, and i doubt that you'll ever find true happiness continuing how you do." Hera completed with a sad expression as her thoughts traveled to her own marriage with Zeus. He too wouldnt gift her with any children for fear of a stupid prophecy nor would he divorce her.
"Maybe now she could continue her search for that mortal she doesn't remember?" Athena offered to the group, the only reasonable advice of moving forward from here.
Aphrodite suddenly perked up on hearing Athena's words, nodding vigorously and having had enough of Zeus and Ares meddling in her life. She was about to ask Hera something important only to be cut off by said Goddess.
"She will need several things before she begins, and i am truly sorry for what my foolish son has done." She paused with a wistful glance. "I will talk Heph into a divorce, not that he wouldn't accept anyway, he does truly love his tools but I will also keep Ares occupied while you're away."
Artemis blanched at the current discussion, men being her weakest area of expertise, after all, she was made to chop them to bits. But in the center of the group, a young eight year old suddenly jolted as an idea shook her.
"What if she uses your bath?" Hestia all but shouted in her chance to help Aphrodite find love.
Athena and Artemis gasped, while Aphrodite's hopeful face turned towards the bath's owner.
"Hmmm" Hera looked between Hestia and Aphrodite before sighing. "A sacred bath is meant to be just that you know… Sacred." Noticing the look of misery creeping its way onto Aphrodite, Hera sighed again. "But i wouldn't mind correcting a wrong i should have done millennia ago" With all the compassion she could muster, she looked at Aphrodite, caramel eyes searching for a sheen lost from the double kaleidoscopes. "You may use it Dite and forgive me for my ignorance, i truly had no idea how much you were suffering".
Hera's face showed blatant surprise as a massive scarlet parcel rushed towards her, knocking her unceremoniously from her seat on the bench. Aphrodite was rubbing her head across Hera's cheek like a cat as she continually muttered thank you over and over again. A warm smile blessing all those in attendance as they witnessed the birth of a new Goddess of Love.
"Where should I start? Will you guys help me? Can we visit your bath immediately?" The red blur shot at each Goddess with the widest smile they had ever seen on her.
Artemis was quick to answer the second question with a "You'll always have my bow".
Hera returned the third with "Of course my dear, but i can't get it ready for you if i'm stuck beneath you"
Hestia quickly agreed with both, and stoked her flames to the warmest of the evening. Ready to answer the first question, which was quickly stolen by another Goddess known for her vast knowledge.
"You said that you were in New York at the time, and considering the location of the club you danced at, i propose he lives closer to Manhattan than to Brooklyn or Queens, so we should start there." Posed Athena while still throwing facts and limits around in her head trying to narrow it down further.
"We should start at the Amusement Park!" Artemis said to the other four with surprising vigor.
"Arty this is for Dite not you, we can visit it later" chided Hestia as Artemis' vigor was torn to pieces.
"Actually wait, no, that's a good idea", This time it was Hera and Hestia to looked taken aback as Athena debated. "What is a place that attracts both men and women as well as families, you said Hermes could find the man because of your daughter. Well what is the most likely place a father would take his daughter for a day out?"
Realisation dawned upon everyone's faces as Aphrodite jumped up to her feet knocking everyone out of their stupor and started marching her way to Hera's Temple.
Just as she reached the doors she broke when she entered, she raised her fist and exclaimed.
"To the amusement park!"
A small cheer could be heard from a small auburn lass that had just picked up another cookie.
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Took a while and tried to make it longer for those reviewers that asked. Corrections and Reviews always welcome.
-rishi547