Spleef: I don't think you can even imagine how happy I am that you liked this story. This story is something that has been floating around in my mind for years, and the world has gotten more and more complex untill it reached the state you find it in now. I was a little uncertian about even publishing it on FFN, given the normal silly type of stories found here. But I finally decided to, and I am overjoyed that someone likes it. A/N: So here goes the goddess of witches.

Forgotten Goddesses

Hecate's Story

At least I have not been forgotten. These days I am known as the goddess of witches, the patron of evil, the denizen of Darkness. But it was not always so.

I was always called to the Darkness, even when I was but a Maiden. And from this call I knew that I was to be the Queen of the Underworld, of the realm of the dead. While my sister Cybele still loved the light, I retreated to the world that I was meant for: the world of the night. In the caves of the Earth it was my true home, for there I knew that I would always be welcome, for I had the greatest power there. The dead are a hard folk to rule, but I was good at it, even as an untried Virgin.

But I did decide, not long after Cybele became Earth Mother, that it was time for me to enter into that stage as well. I chose the Sea Father Pontus for my consort, for in him I could master the power of the Water that I wished my children to have.

I bore from that union my two daughters, Aphrodite and Demeter. Even now I cannot remember which of them came first, for they seemed to me to be twins, though nothing about their relationship seemed to offer such a thing.

I am not like my sister, I do not remember my children only if they show signs of power. Perhaps it is because I have so few, while she has so many. For she was called by every petty god who wished to have his people blessed by the Great Goddess. Of course, any other Goddess who held within her the power of the Great One could do it, but all of these tribes wished for the Earth Mother to be their patron, even if they honored other of Us as well. And she had not even been touched by the Darkness as I had, and so every time she got herself with child. So many forgotten daughters, lost to their Mother's need for magic and the whims of Zeus! I pitied them.

My daughters never came close to being forgotten, by Cybele, or the Invaders.

Cybele took an interest in my children, precisely because of her own daughters' lack of magic. She wanted Demeter, my Demeter to be sacrificed to her rituals of the Virgin Huntress whose fate it was to become the Earth Mother! I thought that my daughter would crack under the pressure that Cybele took for granted. Demeter belonged in the wide fields and caves of Elysium that I wished to be her domain, not in the stone palaces that Cybele favored, quite against the ways of Our people. I knew the strain that came with the honor of Earth Mother, and I did not wish it for my daughter.

How glad I was when Demeter felt the call of the Darkness! More faintly then I had, but she still felt it strongly. I told her of what I did, of the souls in the Underworld, and how I must bring them to their resting place before it was their time to return to the world of mortals. I told her of the dangers and sacrifices that I must brave to hold this position. And she asked me: "Why do you spend so much time with the dead, is it not more important to take care of the living?" I told her that the care of the living was the job of Cybele, as the Earth Mother. She paused and said that the care of the living seemed much less fearful then that of the dead. I told her that Cybele must go through trials that she knew nothing of to win her role. She looked thoughtful, and turned away.

One day, when Demeter and Aphrodite had both reached their maturity, Cybele came to visit me. She spoke with the children, as always but then she drew me away. "Demeter, you know as I do that your daughters cannot remain maidens of no form forever, they must come to their calling and go for training." Cybele said.

I responded indignantly, "Demeter has come to her calling already, she feels the Darkness. And Aphrodite, she does seem to have a fascination with the Water, so I believe that may be her calling. The power of her father's line lives in her." I said that last rather proudly, as that was what I had wished for when I gave my Virginity to Pontus.

"Is Aphrodite's calling too strong then," Cybele asked nervously, "Or is it but a passing fancy? For surely, with her lineage, she must feel the Earth in some manner?"

"I do believe truly that her calling is true," I said, "for I have not seen the sign of the Earth writ upon her, and even if her calling seems vague, it is not uncommon for a girl to not receive her calling truly till later, she is only a child after all."

Cybele looked at me almost disdainfully, as if annoyed that I did not see her intentions. "Do you not see?" She said, "With Demeter firmly established in your place, I have no other choice but to take Aphrodite as Virgin Huntress."

"Why her?" I asked, trying to contain my anger, "Why not another, your daughter Leto perhaps, you have told me that she feels the Earth, and that she has power, why not she? Why are you so intent on placing my daughters in your office?"

"Because my own daughters are useless!" She flung at me, "They have little or no power at all, and do not try to express sympathy, for you have none for me! Do not try to rub it in my face that I have never done in countless unions what you have done in one! For Leto, for Leto to be the only and greatest of my countless children, I, I who should have had dozens of worthy daughters at my feet, priestesses of the highest quality, worthy, each and every one of them, to take my place in an instant! But I had dozens of worthless children, fit only to serve as maids to the priestesses that your daughters could become! The day that Leto is Earth Mother will be a sorry day for our people! Your daughters should have been mine, can you not see that? And when I try to raise your daughters to the highest place among us you make excuses and try to do everything you can to ensure that none of them comes under my tutelage! Can you not see that there is no one else to take my throne but your daughters? Please, let me train Aphrodite to be Virgin Huntress, I need it dearly! And with that I shall be content, and I shall leave Demeter as your successor."

I was overwhelmed by the words that Cybele spoke to me, but I dared not say what I wished to, that Leto was more powerful then Cybele believed, and that many of her daughters were fit to be the Earth Mother. I knew that I could not convince Cybele to let Aphrodite not succeed her. Instead I said: "I shall give Aphrodite to you for training as the Virgin Huntress as you have said, but first I ask you to give me time to see if her true calling lies in the Earth, and if even a part of it lies in the Sea, let her remain there for a time so that she may understand all aspects of herself." Cybele conceded to this, and I bid farewell to her while waiting to tell Aphrodite what was demanded of her.

Aphrodite was astonished that she had been chosen for such a role. She was less naïve in some ways, then Demeter, and she understood the trials of the Earth Mother, at least as much as any Virgin could. But she seemed troubled by something, and after many moments she spoke: "If I am to be Earth Mother, then I cannot go to the Sea, and the Water. I cannot obey my calling." I felt anger at Cybele for forcing my daughter, who had little Calling from the Earth, to take on the role that required her to lose all but the Earth in her Power. I knew that as Virgin Huntress under Cybele she would be forced to learn what I had hoped to teach her gently, if at all. My daughter, you are but a stranger to me now, for I look at the sufferings that you are forced to endure, and I am powerless to help you. At least Demeter still remains to me slightly, though she is still somewhat distant.

So, as Aphrodite's calling grew I decided to let her go to the Sea as she wished. Normally she would be free to leave with or without my consent, but with Cybele's desire to make Aphrodite Earth Mother, I had to watch her. So I let my daughter leave me, as it turned out, forever. I believe that since then we have not had a moment together.

I had little time to train Demeter before the news of the Invaders came. We all were astonished, but We could not imagine ever falling to these Invaders. But We did. They killed Our people, and with that We lost much of Our power. But I remained strong. My people were the so-called "Witches," and they continued their rites, and I appeared at all of their ceremonies, for they gave me my power. But we were all held captive.

Even with my power, greater then the other goddesses in this time of suffering, I could not completely withstand the power of the Invaders, who gained their power from conquests like the one they were conducting on us. I was in the high places of my land, the land of the dead, the land of the Darkness. They came, the Invaders, they came because they wished to dethrone me.

I sat upon the Highest of my seats, and I waited for them. I did not wait as I knew Cybele did, feeling my strength drain away as the vision of my doom grew closer, fearful, but not understanding what to fear, or even the nature of such fear. I sat, knowing that this day would come, for all those called by the Darkness have the gift of foresight. But I had not known that it would happen in my time. Let Cybele seethe away in her desire for revenge and fruitless clinging to her Aspect. I knew that nothing was eternal, that all things, even the natural balance of nature, must pass. I knew that through this conquering I could not remain Mother, I would pass into the Wise-Woman. I did not fear for myself, I would remain strong to hold the Old Ways through the new age that would come, so that they would become a natural part of this new life. I was only afraid for my daughters.

So they came to me, and I knew that they had already taken Cybele, for they were surprised that when they entered shouting; "Hecate, submit, we have taken your People, surrender to us." I only gave a slight smile, and spoke to them, "So, you have set your hearts on having our little land to add to your vast empire. Well, I suppose that in wherever land you come from you were told that if you conquered us, then you would be able to set up your own pantheon, and be Kings in your own right. And you have listened, and will try to eradicate all traces of us from your land. Fine, take my world of Darkness. But you will never be able to control it. You will set up some King to rule over my people, to do what I have done. But they will fail and all will be chaos. And you will do some drastic things I suppose, but unless a woman again sits upon my throne, then you will have no order from my land. For men cannot know the Darkness."

The triumphant smiles fell from their faces. They did not know how to react to my calm. Until the youngest brother recovered his composure. "Be that as it may, Hecate" he spoke, "we will still place one of out own on your throne. We cannot afford to leave a woman in such a powerful position now that we are ruling. I know that a woman must be on the throne of the dead, but my brothers do not agree. I promise you that if I am given the throne of the dead then I will rule jointly with one of your people. But I cannot say so for my brothers." These last few sentences he whispered to me. One of the older brothers was angered by this. "Hades, you cannot speak to one of these women in such a friendly way. It is not fitting. I know that whatever affection you may hold for these women, you must abandon it now."

He seemed defensive. "Poseidon, I am at least have feelings and treat the defeated in a humane manner. This woman will not give us respect from the men if we humiliate her, so why do it? Let her be my aide, for we need more women among us if we are to keep peace. Do not worry about her." They seemed unsure, but I was obviously a nuisance, and they were glad to hand me over to the less powerful among them. And I was glad too, for at least Hades let me retain my Power in some aspect. He respected me, and the others grew to as well. For I still held the power of the earth in my bones

Of course, I became the Wise Woman. I knew when the virginity of my daughter was taken, and she became Earth Mother. I grieved, but there was nothing I could do. I remained in the realms of the dead, acting as a link between them and the world of the living. When Demeter's daughter came to serve as the promised consort of Hades, I taught her what she needed to know. I, her grandmother became the single presence in her life that she could trust, understand. I was proud of that, and I was glad to aid that daughter of my daughter.

I also served as the patron deity of Witches, those rebels who denied the power of the new Gods, and refused to serve them. I kept lending my strength to their gatherings when even the new Gods had been forgotten. For this is my secret. I hold power even now that my conquerors do not. In that manner I am greater then them all. And I secretly laugh at the irony.