I woke up in the middle of the night. I don't know why. I had been sleeping peacefully. But once I woke up, I couldn't go back to sleep.
I sat up and lit a lantern beside me. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the sleeping forms of Grover and Leo. I felt Talia dozing in my hair. For some reason she found it a better place to sleep than a sleeping bag. My eyes moved to my bag, which glittered gold in the light. I unzipped it and brought out my book.
I ran my fingers over the leather binding, the yellowing pages. I traced the pattern of an apple tree on the front. I opened it and read:
Ate is known for her cunning and witty ways. She is the daughter of Zues and Eris, the goddess of strife and discord.
"Eris?" I said to myself. "I thought her mother was Hera".
There is much controversy over Ate's parentage. Some say her mother was Eris, some Hera. The only source of the answer to that is in this book. Eris was Ate's birth mother, but Zeus knew that Hera would become outraged, so when Ate was born, Zeus gave her to Hera as a gift, to raise the child as her own. Eris was outraged at this, and told Zeus that the girl would grow up to remind him of her, and that she would never belong in Olympus, and also that one day she would hate him and Hera. Eris had been banished from Olympus many years before, and she said that one day Ate would follow the same path as her for the decision Zeus made.
"Wow," I said. I wondered what it was like, growing up in the home of the gods themselves, but not feeling welcome. I wished I could know more.
The moment I made that wish, the book started glowing. I gasped as my vision went white, and suddenly I was in a different place.
I was in an ancient Greek temple of sorts, with white marble pillars and a mountain rising in the distance. I didn't know how, but I knew I was in Mount Olympus, the old one in Athens. But it looked brand new. I looked down to see my reflection. I was wearing a white Grecian robe, and my hair was braided with pearls. Across my forehead ran a band of silver and gold.
My thoughts were interrupted by a little girl's voice. "Daddy!" it said. I looked and saw a little girl with smooth black hair and in impish smile. She looked only about five years old.
"There's my little girl," said a booming voice. I turned and saw a big man with a dark cloud of a beard and teeth brighter than a lightning bolt. The little girl ran into his arms, and he hugged her.
"Daddy, I was walking through the garden, and you'll never guess what I saw," the little girl's eyes were impossible wide, and shone like two big moons.
"What did you see?"
The little girl smiled and whispered, "I saw Aphrodite and Persephone. They were arguing about who was prettier".
"Again?" Zeus said with exasperation, but also a little of amusement.
"Mm-hmm," the little girl nodded. "And Aphrodite threatened to curse roses for all time, but then Persephone said she would curse all the lovers on earth. It was hilarious".
"I do wish Persephone and Aphrodite would stop it," Zeus said thoughtfully. "Teenagers".
"Who?" said a voice. I turned and saw a woman who was dressed in a white gown that shimmered with rainbows. Her hair fell around her in a way that seemed angelic. Her face was pale and regal. She held two babies, one on each hip; a boy and a girl. When the woman saw the black- haired girl, she smiled, but a little coldly. "Ate," she said. "Were you spying in the gardens again?"
"Maybe," the girl stuck out her lower lip in a heart-breaking puppy dog face.
At the name of my mother, I jumped a little.
"It was just a bit of fun," said Zeus, who stood up. "Let it go Hera".
Hera didn't look like she wanted to let it go, but she changed the subject. "Zeus, could you help me with Apollo and Artimes?"
Zeus took Apollo from Hera. The baby squealed in delight, and his golden hair shone in the sunlight.
Ate stood looking at the baby, unsure of what to do. Then, with a dismissing look from her father, left the throne room of the gods.
I followed after her, down the steps and behind a pillar. There was another girl there, with black hair and stormy eyes. She looked at Ate with curiosity, but said nothing.
The scene changed, and I saw Ate in the garden in Olympus. She looked older, about my age. She was talking with the stormy-eyed girl.
"I just can't believe it," Ate was saying. "Why didn't they tell me before?"
"They're our parents," the other girl said. "I guess they were just trying to protect you".
"She's not my real mother Athena," Ate said. "I would expect at least father to be honest with me".
"Just because Hera isn't your born mother, doesn't mean she doesn't care for you," Athena's eyes showed that she was speaking earnestly. I could tell that the two goddesses were close. They spoke to one another with the ease of two best friends.
"No," Ate said with distaste. "I always noticed there was something different about how she treated me and how she treated her other children. How she treated you".
Athena's face turned red. "I'm sure you're imagining it—"
"You know I'm speaking the truth Athena," Ate said. "You've seen it too".
Athena sighed. "You never could be fooled, could you?"
Ate looked up at a statue. It was Hera herself, holding a peacock. She looked just as regal as she was in person. "It's not so much that she's not my real mother I mind. It's who is".
Athena looked at the statue too, then at Ate. "Don't think about it. You've never known her. It doesn't matter".
Ate looked at Athena. "For the wisest of the gods, you sure don't sound like it. Of course it matters Athena. Eris is my mother, my kin. I belong with her. It's in my nature".
"It doesn't have to be. Mischief and strife are two different things".
Ate looked down at the ground. "Maybe your right. But they're still wrong for not telling me".
"Even Gods make mistakes," Athena put a hand on her half-sister's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll make it up to you".
"I don't know," Ate then changed the subject by saying, "Hey, I hear Dionysus got that big role in the newest play at the theatre. Wanna go?"
Athena laughed. "And miss my half brother crash and burn? You bet". The two girls giggled as they walked towards the theatre. I followed them.
"Hey," I said, walking alongside them, "I don't know how I got here. Do you know how to wake me up from this dream?"
The girls ignored me. I followed them into the theatre, and I realized that they could neither hear nor see me.
I slipped past Hermes, guarding the entrance, who looked only in his early twenties. I recognized him only by the winged sandals he wore and the staff with two snakes coiling around it. I sat next to Athena, who was scanning the crowd for someone.
"Where is the little creep?" Ate asked, scanning too.
"I don't know," Athena said, squinting. "Perhaps he's backstage".
Suddenly a boy of about ten appeared onstage. His unforgettable golden hair made me realize it was Apollo. Apollo bowed, the curtains opening, and he took his place on the left side of the stage. He plucked on a harp while other nature spirits stepped onstage and started the play.
They play was a little hard to understand. I thought it was about some hero, or maybe a village or something. But everyone else in the theatre seemed to like it.
"Oh no!" said a nymph. "Who will save this cursed village from the dreaded hydra?"
Just then another boy about my age stepped onto stage, apparently the person who played the role of the hero. I almost busted out laughing because he looked anything but a hero. He was scrawny, with long arms and legs. His brown hair lay in straw-like curls and he had an almost wild look in his eyes. He wore a purple toga that hung on him like a potato sack.
"There he is," Ate said with an amused smile.
"My Lady," Dionysus bowed to the nymph, a pretty woman with red curls and a blue dress, "Where is the terrible beast that torments this land?"
"He slumbers on the high mountain at day," said the nymph, pointing into the distance. "Oh, please rid our peaceful village of it, and we will be very grateful".
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Ate said. "I hate sappy stories like this".
"It does seem a bit animated," Athena admitted.
"I think this play needs something," Ate said.
"What are you suggesting?" Athena asked, raising an inquiring eyebrow.
Ate responded with only a mischievous smile. She turned back to the stage and continued watching.
"I fear what I will encounter," said Dionysus, who apparently was climbing up a hill, as there had been an artificial mountain prop added to the stage. "I wonder if I will ever see me home again". Finally he reached what I guessed was the top of the hill, and a hydra stepped onto stage. I leaned forward in my seat in surprise, but then I realized it wasn't a real hydra. It was translucent, as if made of mist. Dionysus grabbed a wooden sword that was strapped to his side and started what was probably a pathetic attempt at fighting the dragon. He swung the weapon awkwardly, and I was thankful the hydra wasn't real.
"Ok, I think I've seen enough of this," Ate said.
Athena looked at Ate, and something passed between them. Athena didn't really show emotion much, but I saw her eyebrow twitch in what seemed like the slightest hint of realization. "Ate, do not try anything rash".
"Rash?" said Ate with a particular raised eyebrow smile that reminded me, with a shock, of myself "Since when have I done anything rash?" Ate turned her attention to the stage, analyzing the scene. She seemed to be looking for just the right moment.
Dionysus whirled around and slashed with his wooden sword.
Ate gave a small, almost unseen half grin, and in a movement that was professionally clandestine, flicked her wrist.
And at that small, professionally clandestine movement, multiple things happened at once. First, a string on Apollo's lyre broke, sending a vibrating throng! sound across the theatre. Then a split second later Dionysus's toga shifted, and he tripped on it, and since he had already been in a movement forward, he fell right through the mistform hydra, fizzling the image and sending the mist around the room, a loud wizzing sound filling the air. Dionysus fell on his butt, tripping over the curtain, ripping it off, revealing the nymphs that had been standing behind it. They, shocked from their sudden exposure, jumped back in surprise, knocking the back wall, which was only a temporary prop, down.
By now the theatre was total pandemonium; gods, satyrs, and nymphs alike fleeing from the place. Dionysus just sat on the stage, a look of pure mortification on his face.
The whole time Ate sat laughing hysterically. Even Athena chuckled. I had to admit it was funny, and I laughed for a while too. But even though I had thought it would be the most hilarious thing to see Dionysus, the curmudgeon Mr. D as I knew him, be totally humiliated, looking at the scrawny little kid that sat before me, I felt a little bad. I looked at my mother, who was laughing, not even bothering to hide her contempt. I bit my lip as I felt a twinge of guilt.
"You feel that?" said a voice. I jumped because it was the first time someone had spoken to me. I turned and saw Athena looking right at me. "Jo".
I looked around me.
"Yes, I'm talking to you," Athena said. "Last I checked, there were no goddesses named Jo".
"How can you see me Athena?" I asked.
"Mm, difficult to explain. Let's just say, I was doing a favor for a friend by visiting you".
"So what am I doing here?"
"Well, you asked to know more about your mother. And I just happened to be on my way to you".
"I feel really bad for him," I said, nodding toward Dionysus. "I mean, a prank is ok, but not ruthless public humiliation".
Athena nodded. "Yes, I remember this day well. It was back when Ate was… not as seasoned with her profession, so to speak. We were young. A mere two hundred years, about".
"So what did you do?" I asked.
Athena's lips thinned. "What else?" she turned to Ate and said, as if I wasn't there, "That was pure genius. That'll get him off the stage for at least a week".
Ate turned to Athena and said, "You think so?"
Athena nodded. "But you might want to get out of here while you can, or people will start suspecting you. I'll cover you". And with a grin, Ate fled the scene of the crime.
My jaw dropped. "I thought you said…"
Athena turned to me with a regretful expression. "This is an image of what really happened. I have to keep up with what was said and done that day" she looked down at her hands, then at the stage, where Dionysus was getting up, brushing himself off, and…sniffling? "So, what do you want to do about it?"
"What?"
Athena nodded toward the boy. "Since you aren't a part of this memory, you don't have to follow the script".
"But," I said, stealing a glance at Dionysus "no one can see or hear me".
Athena smiled. "You want to help him, don't you?"
"Yeah, but—"
Athena looked around, then whispered, "I'll tell you something. I'm not the only one who regrets this day".
"I'm not sure I follow".
"She sent me here to show you this moment, as a sort of test. To see if you would do the same thing, or if you would make a change".
Realization sank its way into my head, and I said, "My mom sent you?"
Athena smiled and said, "I'm not allowed to say" but she winked. "So, what are you going to do?"
I looked at the stage, where Dionysus was straightening his toga. I stood up and walked over to him. He looked really upset.
"Hey," I said, not knowing what else to say.
Dionysus didn't answer,
I reached out and tapped him on the shoulder.
Dionysus jumped violently, then looked at me as if I'd just materialized. "Ah!" he said. "Who are you?"
"That's not important right now," I said.
The boy god squinted at me. "You look a lot like that meddlesome Ate—"
"I said it isn't important".
Dionysus looked down and picked up a tattered piece of a curtain. "So what are you here for?"
"I just wanted to know…um, if you needed any help cleaning up".
The god boy raised an eyebrow. "Sure, I guess. Why?"
"What? People don't help you?" I said with a smirk.
"No, actually," he said quietly.
"Oh," I said softly. Without a word a helped pick up the stage, and soon it was clean.
Afterwards, Dionysus said, "Thanks".
"What?"
"I said," he said, a little awkwardly, "Thank…you".
I nodded. "Your welcome".
"What's your name? You really look like—"
"My name's Jo," I said. "Just Jo".
Dionysus smirked. "That's a weird name".
"Oh yeah?" I said, smiling. "I wouldn't be one to talk, Dionysus". I laughed and Dionysus joined in.
Suddenly I was ripped away from the vision, my sight went white, and then I was back in my sleeping bag in the underground cavern. I looked around. All was silent. I looked at the clock, and realized that no time had gone by since I had woken up. Suddenly I felt my eyelids drooping, and I lay my head on the pillow. A few moments before I fell into unconsciousness, I saw a flash, and a woman in a shining white Grecian dress and amber band across her forehead appeared by my sleeping bag. Her midnight hair fell gracefully around her and her eyes shone like silver shields. One side of her mouth curved ever so slightly upward, and she whispered, almost as if to herself, "Good. You passed the first test". Then I fell into a deep, blissful sleep.
Just so you know, I did find contrary information on Ate's mom, but I made up the part about Hera being her adopted mom and Eris being her real mom. That was a sort of twist to fill in a loop hole.