A Child of Darkness and Light
The gods had all gathered for the Great Festival, their finery more
impressive than anything seen on Earth or the other minor planets. They
drank the finest liquors and tasted of ambrosia, commenting that the
honey had never been so fine as it was that year. Some of them boasted
of their children's fame, their kingdoms, their followers, but one god
in particular was unusually silent.
Hades, though the mortals feared his emotionless calm and unwavering
discipline, was a very lively man, his dark colors used to scare mortals
into obeisance and souls into silence. At the Great Festival, he wore a
dark blue hemmed in garnets and chains of black opals, his favorite
stones. His staff was long and silver, black with an opalescent shimmer
when power ran through it, a deep red garnet gem sparkling from the top.
In normal gatherings, the ringing of his black boots filled the halls as
he passed from reveler to reveler, but today he sat in a corner to the
side of his brother and sister's magnificent golden thrones, unable to
smile, unwilling to move. The God of Death and Time was troubled.
"Hades? There you are!" Zeus, shrunk to manageable mortal proportions,
his golden hair rivaling his gemmed crown for color and brilliance,
stopped by his brother's chair, blue eyes worried. "Hades, why are you
not enjoying the party? The mortal Queen of the Silver Millennium and
her attendant Lesser Queens will be here soon. They expect to see your
smiling face."
"I do not feel like smiling, brother." Hades briefly marked Zeus's easy
nature—today he and Hera were not fighting. Lately, it was not a
strange occurrence for the queen and king to exchange smiles instead of
blows. They were finally getting along as they had in the beginning of
Zeus's eternal reign.
"Why is that?"
"Persephone is ill, and I fear that it may be the atmosphere of the
Underworld that sickens her. She could not attend but insisted that I
make an appearance for us. She's in bed, Zeus, and has not moved in
days. I fear that I may have to bring her back to Olympus for good.
Maybe it would have been better if I never stole her away, but I would
rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one
touch of her hand, than eternity without it."
Zeus rested a hand on Hades's shoulder, moved by his brother's
selflessness. "Hades, I hope she gets better. None of my children have
ever had problems living in the Underworld or the Mortal Lands. It's
strange that Persephone should be ill now. I know what lengths you went
to for her, and I know that she loves you now for all her initial
reluctance to stay with you in the Underworld. Everything will be
alright. The luckiest man in the world is he who finds true love, and I
can tell that you have in Persephone. You will not lose her, Hades."
A sudden commotion at the golden gates caught the gods' attention, and
the pair of them headed for the entrance to Olympus. Aphrodite, Hera,
and a few other goddesses were blocking the view, exclaiming over the
visitor. Hades pushed forward, determined to see what caused the
ruckus, and stopped dead at the sight of his wife, a cloth-wrapped
bundle in her arms. Persephone's long, curly brown hair was held back
by intricate golden combs, her dress adorned by flowers, and her green
eyes were sparkling. Silence fell as the pair met. "Hello, Hades."
"I thought you were sick, Persephone," Hades murmured, unable to keep
his garnet eyes off the bundle. It moved, and he stepped closer. "Are
you feeling better?"
"Much, my love. I want to show you something." She pulled back the
edge of the white cloth covered in red filigree to reveal a tiny pink
face, striking garnet eyes clear and curious, a tiny dusting of dark
green hair on her head. A baby.
"Baby," Hades managed, ignoring the amused chuckles of his brothers and
sisters. "A baby . . . you . . . you had a baby?"
"Your baby, Hades. Your daughter."
"Daughter. I didn't know . . . I thought that my power over death
prevented me from having children."
Demeter stepped forward, eyeing her brother with eyes a darker green
than her daughter's. "It is not just your power, you know. My daughter
has the power of the living world inside her, and nature has a tendency
to want to give birth. She's a beautiful girl."
"Indeed! Such an unusual coloration," Aphrodite pointed out. "She'll
be a heart-breaker when she grows up!"
"I think she deserves a name," Hera murmured, smiling at her brother.
"Give your daughter a name, Hades."
"Se," he whispered. "Can we name her Se?"
"Of course, my husband."
"And I was hoping to make a scene, too!"
All eyes turned at the petulant voice as a very familiar winged god
landed beside his mother, purple-eyed wife by his side. Psyche also
possessed a pair of white wings, mostly so she could live in her
husband's floating palace, her silvery blue hair pulled back by strings
of turquoise and aquamarine. She carried something in her arms, also,
which she covered with her wings as Eros bowed to his family, red-gold
tunic a match for Aphrodite's pink and gold dress. "What now, Eros?"
"Nothing, mother, except what you have been bugging me for since I
brought Psyche here in the first place. Psyche and I, like Hades and
Persephone, are parents."
A great cheer went up from the gods, even from the Lord of Death, who
had already wrapped his arms around his wife in congratulations. Eros
grinned and held out his arms, accepting the large bundle from his wife.
His smile never wavered as he pulled aside a corner of the blanket to
reveal two tiny faces. A wave of shock spread through the assembled
gods. Goddesses had not birthed twins in a very long time. All twins
were special, even among the gods, and Zeus stepped forward, eyes wide.
"Twins," he rumbled. "I . . . there haven't been twins in a very long
time. Psyche, Eros; you know that these children are special. Do they
have names yet?"
Eros nodded, his face serious at last. "We named the boy Tranquility
and the girl Serenity. He is golden and she silver-white, like Artemis
and Apollo."
The twins of the Sun and Moon stepped forward at the announcement,
matching bows on each strong back, a staff in each right hand, identical
save for their coloring and gender. Apollo leaned forward first and
touch the blonde boy's head, smiling as the baby's pale blue eyes
focused on the God of the Sun. "He has the spark of greatness, Eros.
Watch him well. He will be independent and prone to rash decisions, but
the world will benefit from his wisdom when he finally settles down."
Artemis closed her eyes and touched the girl, feeling her soft, silver
hair, touching her pale cheek, letting Serenity's fingers curl around
her own. "This baby will be more important to the Earth and the
kingdoms of the Silver Millennium than even I can see. She will know
the greatest joy and the greatest pain and she will save the humans from
their own stupidity. Eros, brother, let me take her as my apprentice.
I can teach her power and purity, love and hope, strength and
fearlessness. She will need them."
"When I first saw her, I knew that she was destined to be a Moon Goddess
Child," Psyche whispered. "Apollo, we need you to teach our son
everything, because he will be a lot like you and bring light to the
world."
Apollo nodded as Aphrodite joined Hades and Persephone, her sudden
motion catching the attention of every God. She touched her brother's
arm and moved the blanket to show Se's face once more. "Hades,
Persephone, I know your fear. You think that your girl is a child of
darkness, cursed to never know the light."
"She's the daughter of Death," Hades whispered. "The children of Love
and Hope will be great Gods, save the world, bring light to mortals, but
Se is doomed to be sad, alone, in the dark, forever."
"She will know love, true love, one day. For now, we all will teach
her. She will learn everything that can be learned on Olympus and in
the Underworld until she is ready to find her own place. I will teach
her of love and kindness."
"I will teach her how to be a good friend and leader," Hera added.
"I will teach her how to cook and clean and keep herself happy," Hestia
piped up.
"I will teach her how to plant and grow all that she needs and wants,"
Demeter added, smiling at the challenge of a pupil.
"I will teach her of the Moon and wilderness," Artemis announced,
glancing at Serenity. "I will teach them both."
"I will teach her humor and fleetness of foot," Hermes grinned, amused
at the prospect.
"I will show her all of the wisdom I possess," Athena declared.
"I will show my daughter the wonders of this world and teach her how to
be a mother," Persephone whispered.
"I will show her the beauties of the Underworld and teach her to control
time and walk its myriad paths without effort," Hades smiled, amazed at
how much he wanted to teach his little girl.
"I will teach her how to fight and be the deadliest warrior she can be,"
Ares determined, twirling a staff in one hand, sure of his prowess.
"We will all teach her," Zeus announced, touching his niece's face. "We
will all teach the trio of them. They will grow up together and be the
closest of friends for sure, and that strength will carry them through
the separation sure to come for such very special Children of the Gods.
Se, Serenity, Tranquility; welcome to Olympus."
"We all love you," Hades whispered, taking his daughter. His heir.
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