Author's Note: Three posts in one week! I just got so excited about this point in the story I couldn't hold them back and dole them out one at a time like I usually do. This chapter ties up a lot of loose ends and answers a lot of questions, so please review/comment to let me know what you think!
Deities and Downfalls
"In the past…" Hades deep voice rang out.
He stood in the center of the small group in the living room and evoked a time beyond the distant memories of his listeners. With a wave of his palm, a pale mist formed above their heads and an elegant city appeared in rich detail.
It was unlike anything the gathered mortals had ever seen.
Huge islands of land ranged across a cloudscape and enormous waterfalls trailed from one level to the next; the spray sparking rainbows in all directions. Pearlescent, graceful, white towers rose from the land; piercing the blue of the sky like knives while delicate bridges connected the disparate spaces.
As the view pressed in towards the city, the sun traced intricate patterns of light and shadow across the masses of buildings in an intelligent design. Geometric and flowing nouveau lines led the eye in complicated paths that the startled viewers determined were actually streets.
No two buildings were alike, each boasting untold numbers of archways, walls, battlements, and columns encased in artful etchings of every subject imaginable. They flowed smoothly into one another with no discernable beginning or ending.
Sculptures of flame that actually burned, viscous liquids that formed intricate three dimensional art pieces and trees growing in living barriers that looked to have been carved by the finest artisans, decorated the open spaces and incredibly complex mosaics graced the pavement.
"In the past," Hades spoke more softly this time, "at a time when the battle of the Titans had just ended, the world was divided, and Zeus was a powerful new king; the city of Olympus was founded.
It was a haven for those weary from the ravages of war and hopes were high that this new order would allow our civilization to flourish. For some few centuries, these hopes seemed well founded. We, as gods, found focus and purpose in the universe.
Those with a certain affinity for the Earth we had left undertook responsibility for its harmony of systems; using their energy to maintain the delicate balance that allows for life on the planet. Helios and Selene among them.
Others took charge over the dimensional barriers, monitoring passage between them, and policing our realm. And Zeus ruled over all; content with the smooth running of his kingdom and adoration of his subject peoples."
The two humans and four turtles watched Hades story unfold in the vision above their heads with rapt attention. Michelangelo flopped back from his seat on the floor, laying flat so he could see everything at once. He poked Raphael.
"This is even better than IMAX," he whispered.
Raph extended a leg and kicked him in the shin.
Don was standing with his head in the cloud, examining the section where Helios and Selene were working. Luna had tried to explain the workings of celestial forces to him in scientific terms he could understand, but this actual look at what the gods were doing was irresistible to him
April watched in fascination as a mythical history, that humanity had only grasped the edges of, played out in front her eyes. Casey was bored. He was hoping Hades would get to some action scenes soon.
Leonardo felt an ache begin deep inside as he watched the images unfold. It was a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. A deep longing that only increased as the story continued. He looked to his beloved. The feelings were hers; coming to him across their bond. She sat apart, a single crystal tear traveled slowly down her cheek as she watched with luminous eyes.
She was homesick.
Leonardo moved toward her with stealth to avoid disturbing the others in the room. He sank to her side and took her hand gently in his. When she turned to him, the look in her eyes was lost.
"We will find your souls, dear one," he murmured intensely to her. "Never doubt it. Then you can show us this marvelous city in person."
He smiled gently at her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
Hades waved a hand and the cloud cleared to show a new scene.
"Our numbers gradually increased and this new generation of gods were true Olympians; bread from select pairings with the blessing of Zeus, they never knew anything less than this perfection. But as often happens, this younger generation grew restless and discontented.
They no longer appreciated the isolation and beauty of their home and were not satisfied by their contributions to the work of the whole. They began to travel to the Earth searching for their own amusement, and in doing so began interacting with the peoples developing there.
Some shared secrets known only to the gods; and the development of Zeus' subjects advanced far more rapidly than he had intended. Some dallied among the mortals, not out of love- for most gods lack the capacity- but for power and mischief. Crossbreeds were born. Heros that were mortal but had inherited incredible strength and hardiness and Monsters that appeared fearsome, lived long, and were enslaved.
Now, the peoples of the Earth, during their mortal life, were to be the sole domain of Zeus; as was the agreement set forth at the Division, and as Zeus discovered these...breaches by his progeny he became enraged.
Many were dealt extreme punishments, some were banished from Olympus, and others were completely destroyed."
Hades bowed his head in Luna's direction.
"I believe your brother was among them, my lady," he said sadly.
"Phaethon was head-strong," Luna retorted angrily, "but he was not a rebel. He was merely trying to learn his duty as heir and Zeus took advantage of the unrest to remove him. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He did not deserve that thunderbolt."
She turned her face sharply away from the image and nestled into Leo's chest as the horrific story of the young god who could not control the sun played out before them and Phaethon's fiery body plunged to the Earth.
Leo gently wrapped his arms around her head and shoulders, holding her close and covering her eyes so she wouldn't have to see. He kissed the top of her head and rocked her in sympathy with the rolling feelings of grief made fresh inside her. He suddenly understood her hysteria at finding the charred body of Donatello in the lab. She had already lost one brother in a similar fashion.
Hades sighed and returned to his narration.
"This regrettable incident created a rift between the houses of Helios and Zeus, but Helios was too important to life on Earth for Zeus to remove him. Relations between the houses have been… tense, for centuries."
"Damn right!" Raphael exclaimed. "Tense is an understatement. Ya shoulda' heard the things that guy said ta Luna just last month. I wanted ta kill 'im where 'e stood."
Luna flushed, as Hades raised a brow at Raph and snorted.
"You are still here, so I assume that you did not make your move on the king," Hades said.
"Only cause Selene wouldn't let me," Raph groused.
Hades let the matter drop and continued.
"Zeus cleansed his mortal subjects of the majority of the cross breeds in an incident the gods refer to as the Purge; but he had seen their power among the populace and he was determined to create his own. He chose a particularly gifted mortal and came to her disguised, as was his want, for a night of passion.
Some years later, he tested the resultant child and found she had an incredibly strong gift of foresight, though only as pertained to mortals. He christened her the Pythia and made her the Oracle at Delphi."
Casey's eyes were riveted to the 'night of passion' scene, and Donatello discretely poked him from across the room with his bo, shaking his head. Casey glanced at April and blushed but April wasn't paying attention to him; she was too wrapped up in the history.
"I thought the temple at Delphi was dedicated to Apollo, a.k.a Helios," April said, "Wouldn't that make it under the control of Luna's father?"
Luna laughed bitterly.
"The temple was dedicated that way at Zeus' command; it was a way to humiliate my father. Zeus wanted the Olympians to believe that the Oracle was my fathers offspring in defiance of Zeus after the Purge. The records cite her birth correctly, but the rumor was more fun for the gossips to believe," Luna said darkly.
"Is this the same Oracle that's holding our Father?" Leonardo asked.
Luna nodded.
"So she's immortal? I thought she was a cross breed," Leo said.
"Serra is not an immortal although she has done everything in her power over the years to get Zeus to grant her that privilege." Luna said.
"I thought her name was Pythia?" Casey said, confused.
"Pythia is a title, Case," April sighed. "It means 'head priestess' and was applied to the series of women that held the position of Oracle over the centuries."
"Wait a sec," Raph said. "How can Serra still be alive if she wasn't immortal an' a buncha girls had the position?"
"That brings us to the next part in my tale, Raphael," Hades said smoothly. "Serra was always a clever girl and saw right away the benefits of having an immortal father. While Zeus held no love in particular for his crossbreed offspring, she did have his ear because of her gifts.
She began to play on his fears and made herself indispensable when it came to his rule on Earth. As she grew older, she began to hint at a disaster that would befall the Earth after her death.
Zeus had no intention of losing his stable of admirers; so to fend off this mysterious disaster he made a deal with Serra to keep her power active past her body's mortal lifetime.
He would maintain her bloodline on Earth and give her the ability to move her soul into any female in the line with a special ceremony. That's the way she lives on; taking over the bodies of other women in her family tree."
"That's despicable!" Mikey shouted. "What happens to the souls of the poor women and girls?"
"Like all souls, they enter my realm," Hades said quietly. "They are a special case and do not follow the same path as all the others. They are not judged, for they have had no life of their own. Some I offer reincarnation. Others are too damaged to return to the overworld. They spend their time in a solitary peace of their own making."
Leonardo nodded. Who would have thought he and the God of the Underworld would share a common morality? Hades was doing what he could for these souls who found themselves in a difficult situation.
"As you can imagine," Hades continued, "Serra keeps her female relatives close, but slowly the males in her family have come to outnumber the females."
"Why is that?" Raphael asked curiously.
"The women in the family have been taking drastic steps," Hades said sadly, "to keep their girls out of Serra's hands, they sacrifice all the female children."
They gasped.
"All of them?" Donnie asked sadly.
"It's been a slow process, happening over a long period of time," Hades said. "Out in the world, there have been a few stray female offspring from time to time, but the males usually hunt them down."
"That's awful!" Mikey said.
Hades bowed his head, and Luna left Leo's lap, standing and touching Hades elbow in sympathy.
"I'll take it from here," Luna said, "In the present day, Serra has run out of bodies."
"But that's good, right?" April said, "I mean it's horrible that all those girls have died, but now it's almost over."
Hades stiffened and turned his back; walking quickly out of the room. The vision remained behind him but changed to be that of a single girl rotating in 360 degrees in the white cloud. She looked about 16 years old, had black hair, brown eyes and a sweet expression.
"She's the only one left," Luna said quietly, tears in her eyes as she examined the girl.
"Who is she?" Leonardo asked gently, feeling the turmoil this girl's image generated in his beloved mate.
Love, fear, anger, worry, concern, despair, and hope swirled palpably around the room. So strong that even Mikey, Don and the humans could feel it emanating from her.
"She's the child I saved," Luna said simply, "She's Hades daughter."