Pomegranates

End's Beginning

HIGH IN the clouds, Zeus sat on his throne, Hera beside him as he listened to the distraction arranged, drinking the finest wine and pushed aside everything that troubled him. His distraction lasted for a while and he basked in it. The bubble he surrounded himself in popped as Demeter came marching to him, Helios and Hecate in her wake. Zeus sat up straighter, diminishing the chalice in his hand. Never had he seen such anger in her face and he cowed at the realization, much to the amusement of Hera.

"Zeus! Call upon Hades! Demand him return my Kore!"

Zeus jolted. "Hades? What had Hades anything to do with Kore's disappearance?"

Demeter looked at him, smug. "Tell him, Helios. Tell him of what you had witnessed."

            Helios shared a glance with Hecate and with her silent nod, he stepped forward and began his tale; "I witness, Zeus as Kore, daughter of Demeter being lured by the beauty of the narcissus, its beauty never one to argue for its charm and it brought her to the edge of a wood, where the earth began to shake and the ground beneath her feet split open. From it came to Hades and he grabbed her onto his chariot, her scream echoing piercingly as she called upon your name and his. That is what I had seen, Zeus, of Hades, son of Kronos' abduction of Kore, your daughter with Demeter."

"Lies!" Hera exclaimed as she stood. "Hades would never have done that!"

Demeter cackled, "Defend your beloved brother Hera! Hades had always been twisted, what with ruling such dreadful land of the dead, torturing the souls in Tartarus for his amusement!"

"He is not such a man and you know it! Have you not envied our closeness then, Demeter?"

She flushed. "I have not! I despise him! Of his wretched soul and his wretched land!"

"You crossed the lines, Demeter," Hecate said evenly and the goddess shrunk. Hecate approached Hera then, "I saw it as well, with Helios' assistance. It appears to be so but neither do I believe everything is as it appears. Hades is not one to do such things."

"Blinded! Blinded all of you! Hades shall pay! He shall pay for taking my Kore!" She turned to Zeus, manic in her eyes, "Make him pay Zeus! Take Kore from him! Make him pay for me!"

Zeus took in everything around him and Hades' words reverberated in his mind. With regret, he shook his head. "I am afraid, I cannot, Demeter. I cannot take Kore from him."

"What do you mean by that, Zeus?" She had yet to stop yelling.

"The Underworld is beyond my control. The realm is Hades' and I cannot enter freely nor can I take anything from there freely."

She cackled then, "Then what use are you, as the King of Gods, Zeus?"

"Silence! I will not stand for your insolence, Demeter! I command you to cease this madness!"

"Madness? What madness is there other than you unable to retrieve Kore?"

"The madness you unleashed upon the mortals!"

She thundered. "You care of the mortals than of your daughter? Fine then, let them suffer for as long as Kore not within my embrace!" With that, Demeter left Olympus, retribution her companion, Helios ruefully returning to his post leaving Hecate with Zeus and Hera.

"You are hiding something, Zeus," said Hecate.

"I am. Before this ordeal, Hades came to me, asking for Kore's hand. I cannot grant that to him."

Hera and Hecate gasped. Hera for shock overhearing the news, Hecate for the depth of Hades' love for Persephone, even if it meant lowering himself to Zeus.

"My reaction is as such."

"Even so, Hades... Hades would not have done such a thing. I know that" whispered Hera to herself.

"He did not. He had told me he shall not act for his respect to Persephone though he warned me not to test his patience for my denial."

"What did he have over you, husband for you to adhere to him so?"

Zeus glanced meaningfully at Hecate and the goddess showed disdain for him. "Ambrosia. Only in the land of Hades does the flower of our much-needed nectar bloom."

Hera laughed then. "Then he is of most powerful! How delightful! He, who many scorned for drawing the shortest lot and gained the world so beneath the rest is master to riches beyond compare!"

Hecate smirked then, "He is, after all the often forgotten God of Riches."

"Now he had Kore, the daughter Demeter oh so loved!"

Zeus sighed despairingly, "It frightened me, how you are so amused over this, wife."

"How can I not? Hades has everything now. Everything I ever wished for him. Tell me Hecate, is he happy and do not jest, I know you knew of Kore being with him even before Helios' interference."

Softness in her eyes and voice, Hecate replied, "I have never seen him so happy nor in love." The answer brought such happiness to Hera that Zeus could not help but smile but he became somber again as Hecate added, "His happiness however comes with too much of a price. The mortals are suffering, deaths are everywhere and I am afraid, this will break him."

With that, Hera sobered and with a rueful smile he asked of Zeus, "Then what shall you do, dear husband?"

"... Send for Hermes."