The Fall of Light

After Poseidon had left Persephone, finding a seat was her next task at the meeting. Priapus left to follow Rhodos and so she figured they would all be together, waiting for her and saving a seat. The difficult thing was was to find them in the huge crowd.

"Mother!" Persephone called as she caught sight of Demeter scolding Priapus for his ungentlemen-like actions. Demeter whipped around at the sound of her daughter's voice and stood up to wave her over.

"Sweetie! Where were you? I was getting worried!"

"I saw Poseidon and we talked some. Where were you this morning?" Persephone answered, out of breath from trying to get through the huge bunches of Gods and Goddesses.

Demeter sighed, "Your father sent for your Aunt Hestia and I. He was trying to prepare us for riots and such things that might break out during the meeting. Chaos is a very touchy subject and many Gods and Goddesses don't get along. If you put two and two together... it doesn't turn out well."

Harmonia walked over to them, "Look! It's Athena!" she pointed to her heroine, "Isn't she pretty? Do you think I could go meet her, Demeter?"

Demeter smiled, "Of course," she turned towards the goddess of wisdom and war, "Athena, old friend! Come! I have someone who wants to meet you!"

Harmonia blushed violently as Athena made her way towards Demeter with a huge grin, "Oh Demeter! It's been too long! Almost a thousand years, no? That's much, much too long, my friend."

"Indeed!" Demeter embraced Athena as if they were sisters, "My daughter's friend admires you so much and has been wanting to meet you ever since she could talk, Athena meet Harmonia, Harmonia...Athena."

The War Goddess turned to find Harmonia in a state of disbelief as her childhood heroine was before her, "H-- hel... um...hi."

Athena's eyes twinkled brightly, "Hello, my dear. Would you like to keep me company at this meeting, I would surely love it... I’ve been dealing with mortals for so long that I feel I’ve no friends! Will you be mine?"

Harmonia shook her head, yes, vigorously in reply. Athena turned towards Demeter, "Perhaps I could sit with you and your daughter's friends?" It was more of a statement than a question but Demeter seemed to have no problem with it.

Rhodos cocked her head at Athena, "Why do you have such a funny accent?" Persephone elbowed her curious friend in the ribs, "OW!"

Athena smiled, "I work more with humans than gods, so it is expected that I would probably attain a mortal accent." Demeter looked as if she remembered something,

"Oh, how is Odysseus? Is Poseidon still being brutal? I swear he has a hot head! You know, Odysseus's wife came to my temple the other day in tears... just weeping and weeping to let her crops grow healthily while her husband is gone over seas. Poor Penelope... I feel for her."

"When has Poseidon ever changed? Yes, he is being vicious to the poor man... but Odysseus needs to learn his lesson for insulting a god. I'll inquire after Penelope
for you. But mark my words! We might have another Trojan war on our hands if Ares doesn't watch his mouth!" Athena warned.

Demeter laughed, "I wonder what goes through that man's head besides sex and war."

Hermes came flying around the corner, "Hello my fair ladies! Ah Demeter, looking beautiful as ever! Athena, did you get a haircut? Lookin' good ladies! Keep it up! Persephone! My little ray of sunshine! How are you? We should chat after! Kay? Don’t forget!"

Hermes then flew up to the platform and quieted everyone down.

“Everyone, please... quiet down, now." Hermes tried to get the crowd's attention, but it wasn't quite working out in his favor, "Shut up, people!"

The room went silent as Hermes exited off the stage. Three thrones appeared individually and Persephone immediately recognized the first as it appeared floating above the floor on white misty clouds. Gold ornately wrapped itself around the marble arms with lion heads on each end which were gleaming in golds and bronzes. The back of the shimmering, white marble throne was adorned with amber stones and rubies with a light, translucent material draped over the seat and arms.

Persephone recalled the time when her father let her sit in his throne and hold his golden staff. The cold white marble chilled her soft, warm skin so she had wrapped the gauzy material around her shoulders. She actually hadn't seen her father since then. Zeus had been very busy and his affairs with other women were a big role in the life of the God King.

Hera, Persephone's step-mother, usually had to take his place and since she had a soft spot for her step-daughter, the stern Goddess would always let her sit in her lap while she was working. Persephone had loved those times. Demeter was always busy in Persephone's childhood so Hera usually took over as the maternal mother while the busy Goddess would be working the fields on earth.

Persephone shook out of her memory as the second throne arose from bubbling sea foam with the water from the ocean splashing around it. Poseidon's throne was an exact contrasting replica to Zeus's. Gray imperfections in the white marble complimented the silver engravings along the head and arms of the chair. Instead of lions, the head and wings of Pegasus created and sustained the arms in a duel shimmering pearlescent silver. One large blue diamond lay softly on the top of the throne and would have competed against Poseidon's own blue eyes had he been present.

Sea water poured over Poseidon's domain, making everything sparkle and shine all the more. It made a soft caressing sound that could have even put Persephone to sleep.

Persephone had never visited Poseidon's underwater kingdom, but from Hermes' description, it sounded dreamy and breathtakingly gorgeous. Hermes had told Persephone that the throne was silver because his castle was absolutely gold, and Zeus had cursed Poseidon to a miserable life without a partner if he would not turn at least his throne to silver. Persephone believed it because Poseidon's throne competed and rivaled effortlessly to that of her father's and had it really been gold, it would have easily surpassed that of the God King's.

All were silent as the crowd waited for the last throne to appear. Black marble rose from out of the ground through a gaping hole with black mist pouring out of it. Persephone was sure that if the hole was any bigger, it would surely swallow the other two thrones. The black smoke, which smelt of brim stone, swallowed up the gleaming altars to the two other gods in almost sheer jealousy.

If not for the entrance being so intimidating, Persephone was positive that everyone would have agreed that the throne was breathtakingly compelling. While there was nothing fancy about the black marble, the throne dedicated to the God of Death was beautifully simple. Hera had once told her that each brother designed his own throne and it surprised Persephone how attracted she was to that plain, dark and mysterious altar of Hades.

It wasn't until the smoky mist lifted that Persephone heard screams of utter terror throughout the throng of deity. Athena gasped, sitting next to her, the Goddess put a hand to her mouth in surprise. Persephone jerked her head roughly back to see what was wrong with her favored throne. She gaped as she saw a stark white skull resting on the top of the back support, staring at everyone. While shocked, herself, Persephone didn't quite understand what was so wrong about a skull if the throne belonged to the ruler of the dead. It almost belonged there.

"Mother? What's wrong?" she asked, seeing Demeter's worried expression. Demeter turned pale while shaking her head madly,

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!" she covered her face with her hands, "It can't be! Why would he do this to us?!"

Athena put her hand on Persephone's shoulder and whispered softly, "That's the skull of Cronus."

She now understood. Demeter had woken with so many nightmares of Persephone's grandfather that she usually found it routine to sleep in her mother's bed to comfort her. It was not unusual that Demeter would wake up screaming and sobbing when a frightened young Persephone would try to calm her mother's fears.

At one point, it became so bad that Persephone ran to her father's for help. Her mother was screaming insanely when Zeus had arrived and it wasn't until he had held her mother in his arms all night when Demeter came to. Persephone had hid in a corner watching her father attend to her mother. She would never forget how Zeus had held her lovingly, rocking her against his large chest, whispering words of comfort and love that she had never seen him share with Hera.

It was truly a traumatic time for Persephone but she always secretly hoped that when she would get married, her husband would rock her in his arms, love her and take care of her as gently and as much as her father had to her mother. Demeter had never spoken of her loving Zeus, but from then on, she knew that Demeter didn't have to, it was just a lover's secret shared between two people that would never be broken.

When Persephone came back to reality, she saw that Hermes had climbed back on stage but off to the side this time. The ruling Gods were about to appear in all their glory... and she couldn't wait for her father.

"All arise for the Almighty God King! God of all things living, Ruler of the most high Olympus and Earth, the God of lightning and thunder, Zeus!" Hermes raised his voice over the cheering crowd as all the deity stood for their king.

Lightning struck the throne, violently, and through the smoke, Zeus appeared. No god was as royal and majestic as he. A gold crown was nestled between silver white curls that fell right above Zeus's brows. His beard was short, curly, and pristine and his skin was golden brown, contrasting greatly against his hair and white robes. Zeus's eyes glistened a bright yellow-gold that shone with youth. His chest was wrapped with the same gauzy material that swathed his throne, making his muscles soften underneath. In the god's right hand, he held his golden staff which gleamed for attention. The god was power... masculine power.

Hermes began again when Zeus had settled in, "Would all arise who are ruled by the Sea King?" Many Gods and Goddesses in whom Persephone didn't know, stood in regal silence as their main ruler appeared. Hermes continued, "God of all water and sea creatures, brother of the God King and ruler of the depths. Aphrodite, herself, bounded from his kingdom below, sculpted by the beauty of the waves! God of the Sea, Poseidon!"

The water pouring over his throne started to foam and bubble out of control, underneath the cascading waterfall was Poseidon in all his marine glory, curtained by the silvery substance. As the water calmed, Poseidon was in full view while his followers cheered and shouted, "Long live the Triton! Long live Poseidon!"

In Poseidon's left hand lay the infamous Triton that commanded the seas and ruled the oceans. The three spear-shaped prongs that jutted out of the staff represented the three main gods, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades and he raised it in the air three times to signify the ruling godhead.

Hermes flew back to his station of announcing, "Fellow men, sweet ladies... as is customary of the tribute to the godhead, I ask all to stand who are ruled by the eldest brother.... the most ancient of gods, the Lord of the Dead."

No one stood except for a hooded figure in black velvet, Hermes smiled at the cloaked god and raised his arm to him, "Charon, ruler of the Styx! Arise! Prepare for your master!"

The figure now known as Charon, walked gracefully to the stage, almost hauntingly floating. He took a handful of black sand from a pouch within his cloak and raised it above his head,

"My Lord and King, my only master is delighted to bring you a gift from the underworld! The ashes of every Deity that has fallen into the hands of death," Charon spoke calmly while throwing the ashes down. Then the blackest smoke surrounded everything, it ate everyone within its powdery grasps and Persephone found herself enveloped in it.

Deimos grasped Persephone's arm, "Are we dying?"

Screams were erupting throughout as they saw the past deities appear in the ebony mist and Persephone shrieked as a face jumped out at her through the smoke.

"That is quite enough!" Zeus yelled, and with a wave of his golden staff, he made the smoke disappear. While most of the ebony darkness had cleared, there was a dark cloud surrounding the throne of Hades.

An old, rotten hand appeared from out of the smoke, wrapping its way around the black staff that apparitioned at the same time. The staff was made from a substance that Persephone had never seen before. It shimmered in the light that Zeus' amber stone on his throne was making. It was almost purple, then it turned blue as the long fingers twisted it back and forth in its grasp.

The mist faded away and uncurtained a relaxed, slouched, and cloaked figure. It was as though it was hiding from the light and the hood was draped over the veiled head so far down that one could only see the bottom portion of the mouth and chin.

"I thought you would enjoy that, little brother," a soft, dark voice called, smoothly, from the 'evil' God, and made sure that everyone heard him when he spoke.

"I think not," Zeus mumbled, glaring at his older brother.

Hades chuckled.

"I see you've grown into a shriveled old man, now," Zeus grinned, smugly, glad to have insulted his rival.

The Lord of the Dead cackled once again in a soft laughter, "Says the baby of the family."

Hades had obviously pushed the wrong buttons for Zeus sprang out of his throne with full force and with intent to do much harm to the King of the Underworld. His brown eyes were filled with rage as he lunged at Hades.

Persephone closed her eyes in fear until she heard Poseidon's scolding, she looked up, timidly, and saw her uncle restraining Zeus while Hades didn't even flinch.

"I see you're still having those tantrums of yours." Hades remarked, coolly.

"That's enough, Hades!" Poseidon stated, firmly, as Zeus struggled to get free from his brother's grasp.

Persephone was amazed at the anger shown by her father and Poseidon while Hades was carefree and was not in the least bit intimidated.

After Poseidon had let go of him and he had calmed down, Zeus struck his staff down against the marble flooring three times to start and announced that the meeting was now in session.