Greetings, from Celadon!

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The air in that part of the Divine Realm was soft and warm; clouds of the prettiest pink drifted through a passionate purple sky. The winds on which they rode were scented like cherries and rose blossoms. And atop the widest, softest pink nimbus, there rested a great mountain, decked from base to peak in lush and vibrant plant life. The rock of the mountain was carved through in perfect detail, leaving a flawless staircase all the way up.

A few paths peeled off from the main staircase, each to a different magnificent view. There were lovely fountains and gardens and sculptures to be seen, the most serene wooded paths to walk through, and ledges railed off with balconies built just for viewing into the amazing infinite distance. Yet, if one followed the path all the way to the top, they were certain to find one of the loveliest sights of all. For there dwells the beautiful love goddess Aphrodite, and her merry entourage of matchmakers and merrymakers, the Erotes.

Lovebirds filled the air with gentle tittering songs outside the front window, but within her grand estate, the air was tinged not just with lilac and jasmine and roses, but with deep, hearty laughter. Where most families might find themselves, on a lazy day, sitting around the TV, watching movies or shows, the love goddess's family would instead be seated around a great mirror.

Their entertainment, thanks to some power exercised over that and every other mirror in the Divine Realm, would reflect both real life and fiction, edited by the lesser gods into their own network of ever-changing, ever-updating TV and movie channels.

A look back to the Trojan War was the marathon show the day before, yesterday would mean a look at the Q'ueilukit Games on Planet Q'ueiluk. And today, Aphrodite was in the mood for a peek into the dreams of various mortals.

"Oh, hey, wait!" Eros gave a hearty laugh, his bright blue eyes alight, "Look at this one, brother. A romantic fantasy...can you guess whose they are?"

Anteros ran a hand through his black hair, his face scrunched up in thought, "Aw, that....that's, uh...that's Bill--no, Brian! Brian Scott! The last one you shot right before we headed back here!"

A sly smile crossed Eros' face, "How did you know?"

"Because, you jerk!" came a laughing retort; their brother, Pothos, "Even in his dreams, he never gets the girl!"

Such was Eros' keen, cruel sense of schadenfreude. Still, the joke was shared among the whole lot of them. They all had to admit, those silly mortals always did have the most fantastical thoughts and dreams.

"Hey, I have a taste for something sweet." remarked Himeros; tossing back his thick brown hair and batting his eyelids playfully, he called out in a sing-song voice, "Oh, Savior! I have a hankering for some nectar and ambrosia!"

Not five seconds pass before a short girl emerges from the other room, clad in various shades of green, with a tray of food and drink in both hands. A brief second of admiring the Erotes' handsome features--Eros' perfect hair, Anteros' winning smile, Himeros' gleaming hazel eyes, Pothos' dimples--and Savior blinked, replying with a little smile.

"Comin' right up, Himeros!"

[ParallelanPrincess]

Savior walked over to Himeros and held out the tray to him. He carefully selected a chalice filled to the brim with nectar.

"Thank you, Little Clover," Himeros said, taking a sip.

"You're welcome, Papa Himeros," Savior said with a smile. Savior sat the tray down on the table, careful not to disturb the heap of bows and arrows that lay there.

For as long as she could remember, Savior had been raised by the Aphrodite and the Erotes.

The gods had doted on her as if she were their own child. Eros had told her stories about love and romance, Pothos had sung her lullabies, and Hymenaios had taught her to play the harp. They had not been perfect parents. Raising a child was even if you were an immortal.

"What are you watching?" Savior asked as she stared into the mirror.

"The dreams of humans," Aphrodite said, gesturing for Savior to come sit next to her. Savior crawled onto the plush sofa beside the goddess of love.

"Cool. Anything interesting?"

"Just a few lovesick humans," Hedylogos smirked.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Under the comfort of Aphrodite's embrace, a beautiful story unfolded. Savior found herself awestruck; no two humans ever dreamed in exactly the same way, and each was such a masterful artist in his own right.

This guy--Brian Scott, she thought she heard Anteros call him--for him to have looked so hum-drum and homely, his dream was one befitting any poet. He was in a moonlit bistro, in maybe France or Italy, or some surreal mix of the two. A single candle sat in the middle of his table; there was no food set before him, just his arms propping him up, as he did his patient waiting. Only once did he check his watch, to straighten his hair, and then back to longing anticipation.

All sounds and sights--honking cars, clacking bikes, chattering crowds, running dogs--blurred past him, silent and ephemeral to the wind. In the midst of purples and pinks and fair flesh tones set by the strings of lights above, Brian's only thought was a single vision. A single sound. A single Jeannine. Indeed, it was only when she, his Jeannine arrived, that he perked up from his former patient apathy.

Jeannine was no award-winner with her looks; not ugly, for certain, but not gaudy or showy about what beauty she had to offer. After all, the greatest beauty she had to offer came from inside. She was modest, preferring nice plain clothes and simple pleasures to the glitz and glamor that so many others covet. She was neat, smart, poised but never coy about her thoughts and feelings, and unashamed, even proud of the glasses that framed her sparkling hazel eyes. In her bright and beautiful down-to-earth-ness, she was, to Brian, something otherworldly.

Through the midst of the dream, Jeannine's pace was as certain as in real life, easing with unnatural finesse past the hustle and bustle of the night life. Preceding her, as she was now just yards away, was her Eau de Vanille et Narcisse, the perfume whose very name evoked her face (the thought of which was perhaps the reason for the dream in the first place).

Brian did all he could to contain the boyish excitement that built up inside him as he drew closer and closer. He reminded himself, this was no mere girl, like all the others he had once fancied. Jeannine was a lady, one with passion for philosophy and poetry and art and science. Though, it only helped to increase his nervous eagerness. She drew nearer, and her expression grew warmer as they met glances at last.

She reached the table, and as she put her hands on her hips, spoke at last, "Hi there, Brian! We missed you at the library yesterday! It's so great to see you now, though! And at my favorite restaurant, of all places! How's everything been?"

"Oh, well, actually, I came to talk to--" Before he could finish his sentence, a male voice called, and Jeannine turned to wave.

"Oh, gosh, how rude of me!" she said at once, turning back to Brian, her expression flushing a bit from embarrassment, "I forgot to mention, I'm here with my friends from the library, Etienne and Margaux, waiting to meet my boyfriend Fabienne. Would you like to join us?"

Everyone in the room let out a simultaneous outcry of despair, but Anteros and Pothos' rang loudest.

Perhaps it was time to change the channel.

[ParallelanPrincess]

Savior grimaced. There was nothing as bad as unrequited love. Watching someone get rejected was always painful. Aphrodite had always taught her that rejection was part of life, that love was a gift freely given or refused. Still, Savior had seen a lot of infighting amongst the Erotes when it came to certain people's romantic fates. The tale of the infamous Romeo and Juliet had been a cautionary tale of how horribly things could turn out if they couldn't come to an agreement.

Hedylogos changed the channel while Anteros and Pothos groaned in frustration.

"Keep it PG, Hedylogos. Savior's here," Eros warned when Hedylogos lingered too long on a dream that looked like it was about to venture into adult territory.

"But of course. We wouldn't want to taint Savior's purity. Just imagine, Eros,  she'll be a teenager soon and we all know what that means-" Hedylogos began.

"Perish the thought!" Himeros cried.

"Don't even go there," Pothos moaned.

Savior was only twelve years old. She was on the very cusp of puberty. Savior was a rosebud about to bloom. The Erotes weren't quite ready for her to grow up. Her teenage years would be a monumental time of transition for all of them. It was hard to believe that nearly twelve years ago the Fates had deemed it best to place an infant in their care.

"Alright, I'll table it," Hedylogos said as he finally settled on an appropriate dream.

Eros glared at Hedylogos before glancing at Savior. Their ward was busy playing with Aphrodite's hair to notice.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

When her attention did, at last, return to the mirror, the dream Himeros decided on was only just getting started. Savior did so love when they caught dreams just as they began. There was even a bit of a dark, mood-setting prelude, long enough for Savior to hurry into the kitchen.

Looking around, she hurried to the pantry for a wooden bowl, and then made her way over to the Horn of Plenty which lay on the short-legged table. On the outside, it always appeared to have fruit pouring forth, but when a hand reached in, it might land on anything from the smooth husk of a watermelon to the warm skin and meat of a chicken drumstick.

Savior fiddled around, reaching her hand in as far as the length of her arm would allow...grapes...grapefruit...fruitcake...bundt cake...cinnamon buns...cinnamon sticks...pocky sticks...popcorn bag! She snatched it out, a hungry smile coloring her expression. Humming the tune to 'Harry Potter', she snatched the bag open and poured the unpopped kernels into the bowl. They would pop within the bowl as she made her way back to her seat next to Aphrodite.

"So, this one." Savior was curious, "Got any idea whose it'll be? Maybe a Roman prince? An alien emperor? That awesome guy with the blue box again?"

"Oh, yes, he did have some really great hair." remarked the love goddess, with a coy smile, "...I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

As the last words left Aphrodite's lips, light peered forth from the dream's dark prelude. A single bright point widened into a scene of a temple's inner sanctum. This dream betrayed no romance, no note of hope or wishful thinking. The lighting was no more than a single dimming hearth--out of view--and in the center of the room was a three-legged stool, where there sat a female figure, familiar to everyone but Savior. Next to her sat a tripod, with a tray of burning laurel, and on the faint wind that blew through the dull stone-gray temple, Savior could swear she heard faint whispers.

The sight was an uneasy one, and yet it seemed no one could speak. What had the woman to say?

Her utterance was mumbled at first, so Savior strained to hear. Then she realized the woman spoke Greek. She looked to Eros, "What's she saying?"

He was hesitant in turning back to answer, but before he could say a word, the woman's head raised, and Savior could see her eyes blazing bright like headlights. What's more, she hear her words in perfect English.

"Seek not the lucky numeral//

But instead search the number 13//

In that, you shall find a twist of fate//

One clad in gold and green//"

The room fell silent, except for the woman's repetition, now in a different language. Savior found strength to pull herself away from the sight of the woman's trace state, and heard shallow breath.

"Eros?" came her sheepish attempt to break the silence, "Himeros? Hymenaios? Guys, you're creeping me out..."

She touched Hedylogos' shoulder, and he turned to face her with a start, "Oh, uh, wrong? Nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong? Nothing's wrong. Really. Nothing's wrong."

He and Aphrodite exchanged worried glances, when Savior had turned to the others for answers.

This was definitely not good.

[ParallelanPrincess]

"Who was that woman?" Savior asked the room at large. She was nervous. She rarely saw her guardians so worried. They were all powerful, immortal beings. What could possibly set them all on edge?

Eros was the first to recover. He knew that lying to Savior would only prolong the inevitable. The truth would come out sooner or later. It was time to accept that.

"That was the Oracle of Delphi," Eros said, clearing his throat. "I believe we covered this in one of your lessons."

The Erotes and Aphrodite had served as tutors as well as parents. Many hours of Savior's childhood had been spent memorizing the intricate family trees, alliances, and grudges that existed between the gods of Olympus. It had been necessary to ensure that Savior knew who to trust and who not to allow into the temple when they were away on business.

"Yes, she gives out prophecies and tells the future. Was that her dream?" Savior asked.

"Not quite," Eros said slowly. "It was a vision that she sent to someone else in their sleep. It was a prophecy."

Savior noticed how deliberately Eros was speaking. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Anteros reaching for something stronger than nectar on the table and Hermaphroditos chewing on his finger nails.

"A prophecy about what?"

Eros took a deep breath.

"About someone who has been gone for a very long time," Eros said.

Aphrodite held up a hand to silence him.

"Eros, I think we should discuss this in private first. Savior, go to your room," Aphrodite said, placing a firm hand on Savior's shoulder.

"She should hear this, Aphrodite. I think she's old enough," Eros replied.

Savior looked between the two of them. What was the big deal? Aphrodite and Eros usually got along better than anyone. The prophecy must have been official business. Savior might have lived among the gods but she was still a mortal child. Even when she journeyed to Olympus as one of Aphrodite's attendants she'd been forced to wait outside of the meeting chamber.

"This concerns all of us. Savior is our joint responsibility. Go to your room, honey, we have a lot to talk about."

Aphrodite gave Savior a slight push. The longer the child lingered, the more awkward the situation would become. Savior got off the couch and scurried away. There was no use trying to hide in the garden, one of the doves would rat her out. She went to her room wondering what the big deal was.




"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

As he could sense Savior departing, and at last heard the door close behind her, Himeros let the others know that it was safe to discuss the matter at hand. At that moment, he and the others turned all to face Aphrodite, arms crossed, hands on hips, tapping sandaled feet in anticipation, and shooting accusatory glares.

"Well, then, milady?" Himeros demanded, "Certainly, you can't expect that we should keep it from her forever. I can just feel her curiosity, her desire to know, growing stronger and stronger as we speak."

The goddess tossed her hair back over her shoulder, trying her best to appear nonchalant to his concerns, "Oh, please. You and I both know, you've known mortals with stronger urges than these, who have resisted."

"Ah, but we here all know that such is an irrelevant rebuttal, now don't we?" Hymenaios replied, inspecting his nails, rather than dignify the goddess' immaturity with his brothers' shared indignation.

And Aphrodite would not dignify his smugness with the silence that would acknowledge just how right he was, "Don't be foolish, boys! As you all know, a growing girl isn't the same as a grown woman; why, Eros, just a few minutes ago, you said it yourself. Some things, you've just got to keep PG. Anything that I hide, I hide with good reason!"

And with that, the discussion was clearly over. She raised a hand, and without letting so much as another word be spoken by her Erotes, she called Savior back into the room. Savior sat down in the midst of her beloved foster parents, and Aphrodite faced straightforward, but with an expression that dared anyone to bring the matter up again. With a flick of the goddess's wrist, the channel changed to keep the girl's attention. How she did love that madman in the blue box.

[ParallelanPrincess]

Later that night, Eros took it upon himself to tuck Savior into bed.

The preteen's bedroom was decorated in bright reds and dark greens courtesy of Hermaphroditos. Though, for years, Hedylogos had argued that the color scheme was more reminiscent of winter celebrations than love festivals. As a result, he occasionally referred to Savior as “Elf” when he lost patience with her, which was far too frequent for Eros' liking. It went without saying that over a decade of clashing parenting styles had caused noticeable friction within Aphrodite's family. Yet, the care and keeping of this particular child was far too important to let descend every time into petty squabbling.

So, by Eros' estimation, now was the time to take more subtle measures in the girl's upbringing.

“Savior, do you remember those epic poems that we used to read to you when you were younger?” Eros asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

Savior yawned and nodded as she adjusted to get comfortable beneath the sheets, “The ones about Heracles and Odysseus and Achilles and Jason?”

Eros nodded, his smile pleasant.

The most celebrated heroes were those whose lives were touched directly by the gods. They faced numerous trials, perhaps for the crime of merely existing, and maybe even lost everything they held dear, but often emerged triumphant. That is, if they didn't face a tragic death, for all their struggle. It always seemed that when one of the gods was on your side, others were out to get you, for some offense or another.

Wonder and confusion crossed Savior's face. What was this about? Did it have anything to do with what happened in the living room? None of today made very much sense at all.

"I don't get it." came Savior's embarrassed confession, "You told me stories like that all the time. And we go out to see the gods on a regular basis. Am I missing something? I mean, I know I'm only human, but...is there something wrong with that? Something wrong with me?"

The girl's sudden dismay took Eros aback, and he was quick to shoot the idea down, "No! No, of course not, Savior. There's nothing wrong with you at all! In fact, just the opposite! That was why I came in to talk to you. You see, the fact of the matter is--"

"Knock, knock! Am I interrupting anything?" came that familiar sweet voice with a gentle knock on the bedroom door; of course, Aphrodite, "You know, I do hate to barge in on moments like this, but I had to make sure to give my little girl a goodnight kiss before running off on tonight's errands."

As always, Aphrodite's smile was bright as she leaned in to kiss the girl's forehead, but Eros could sense her anger. Despite his attempt to be as subtle as possible, it was unlikely that Aphrodite wasn't aware of his small act of defiance.

“Of course, milady.” Eros said, rising from the bed. “Savior was just having some doubts about herself. Nothing too major. Remember those stories, though, Savior. You are special, and we love you. And the love of the gods is a powerful thing.”

With that, he and Aphrodite rose, each offering their fondest goodnight. Exchanging pleasant glances with his mistress, Eros turned off the lights, and followed Aphrodite out the door.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The warm light of mid-morning beamed in through Savior's window, gently stirring the girl to wake. With a yawn and a quick stretch, she jumped off the bed, and headed over to get ready for the day; bathed, brushed her teeth, washed her face, got dressed, headed for the living room. Except, she would stop short halfway down the hall. Something was different.

Throughout the house, Savior realized...was near silence. No arguing, thank goodness, but no laughter either. No TV playing, no birds chirping, just the empty lull of soft winds through the gardens outside, and the soft trickling-down of fountain waters. A breeze drifted through the window, carrying with it the scent of breakfast.

The smell was undeniable; pancakes slathered in that amazing Peridexion syrup with cinnamon from Cykosha, perfect fluffy scrambled eggs (Helios' stock of roosters and hens always yielded the finest stock), robust and savory sausages from among Apollo's most impressive cattle, toast made with that unmistakable fragrant grain from Demeter's field, and mixed fruit delivered fresh from the groves of the Three Horae. Every aroma danced through the air like a sultry song, and she the snake entwined by the snake charmer's irresistible beckoning.

"Mmm..." Savior said, a smile growing on her face, "Mornin' folks, everything smells so good--! What?"

The sight before her stopped Savior in her tracks, just in the threshold of the dining room. There before her stood the Erotes on either side of the dining table; a beautiful breakfast just as her nose had predicted, prettier than a picture; and a smiling Aphrodite, right next to a stack of packed luggage.

All air seemed to have been knocked out of her lungs; Savior found herself speechless. The gods exchanged glances, and seeing that words eluded Savior, Hedylogos decided he should say something.

He mustered a smile, but only just, "Well, darling? Is it to your liking? We figured you could maybe use a spot of breakfast. Big day ahead of you."