The Colour Of Pomegranates

Chapter 32

Persephone had forgotten how bright the Mortal Realm was. She had missed the green grasses, blue skies, warm colour of the stones, the bright colours of the flowers and fruits, the sounds of rippling water, children laughing, the smells of freshly baked food, the blossoms and the warm earth. She lay in the grass, arms and legs spread out, breathing in the smells of a Summer coming.

'Here you are', Demeter said as she approached the young goddess. Persephone smiled absently, enjoying the intense heat of Helios' golden rays. Demeter lay down beside her daughter and drew a sharp breath.

'Isn't it beautiful?' Persephone murmured, eyes blissfully closed, fingers laced with the tall blades of grass, skin tingly from the heat.

'It truly is.' For a moment the two goddesses remained silent. Persephone had missed these times, from before her escape into the Underworld. She had given it some thought and she knew this was true, although she had a hard time admitting it to herself. She loved Demeter dearly, and she would always love her the same - but she felt she could be bigger, more powerful... And when she hurt the cries from Below, she really thought to have found her way.

'Would you like to go into town with me this afternoon? Some change of scenery would do you good.' 

'Sure', Persephone said. 'Can we go into a tavern, though? I'd really like a hot chocolate with whipped cream.' 

'Whatever you like, Kore', her mother said lovingly, but it stung Persephone to hear her mother call her Kore again. It had been the first time since she was Above. She counted the days, although she wasn't sure what she was counting down to. She had been with her mother for three weeks now. It felt like longer. She couldn't even remember what she was doing with Hades when she had been there only two weeks. They would probably have been reading, or listening to music. Maybe he had been showing her around. She smiled faintly, thinking of him.

The small traders' town was bustling with hundreds of mortals. Persephone walked among them with ease, leaving flowers in her tred for the children and women to pick. Demeter followed her closely, wearing a flower crown with blue and purple wildflowers. It had been a while since Persephone proceeded among the living and she loved the energy that radiated from them. For a moment, she could forget about everything she had left behind. 

'What about this?' her mother wondered with the same radiating energy. Persephone looked around, whipping her hair over her shoulder, smiling. Demeter offered her a necklace, which Persephone happily locked around her neck. 

'I love it', she said, wearing it proudly. At the end of the street she spotted a crowded tavern and took her mother by the hand, pulling her toward it. 'You're going to love this!' They sat down at a small square table. Persephone studied the menu while Demeter admired her beautiful daughter. A tall man walked up to the table and Persephone asked for hot chocolate with whipped cream for two without looking up.

'Persephone, it's me', a pleasant laughing voice said. The goddesses stared in the face of handsome Apollo. 'Can I sit?' No. Persephone's smile faltered as he sat down with them before flattering them with time to answer.

'Why are you here?' she asked. Apollo chuckled.

'Your directness is adorable. Coincidentally, I was sitting right over there when I saw you two walking in.' He held his hands out surrendering. 'It's the truth. How have you been, Persephone?' Demeter snorted.

'How do you think?' she said bruskily. 'She has been a prisoner to that awful creature who couldn't keep his paws off my daughter. I swear if I'll get a hold of that monster I'll-'

'Mom!' Angry, Persephone got up, a dark all-consuming fire blazing in her eyes. 'I'll see you at home.' She swallowed every angry word that came to mind, she tried to forget that same seething rage she had felt toward Minthe, she tried to ignore the black crawling up her spine. As she stormed off, no flowers bloomed where she walked.

'Persephone!' Apollo called out, 'Persephone, wait up!' He ran down the streets and followed her silently. She marched out of the village and into the fields. She hadn't even gotten the chance to taste what hot chocolate and whipped cream was like. She hadn't even gotten the chance to remember what it was like to sit down with her mother. For the last couple of days the only thing Demeter could do was release her spitting anger at Hades, who couldn't even defend himself. Just as often as Persephone told her to stop, she ranted on about him. Apollo still followed her from a small distance.

'What's that?' she sighed after a while. 'No smart-ass jokes?' He shrugged.

'No. You're obviously upset. It's not the time for joking around.' For a tiny moment she recognized Artemis in his kind eyes and she dropped her defence.

'I'm sorry', she said. 'She still has a hard time coping with all that has happened.'

'So, what did happen, exactly?' He waved his hands apologetically as she turned around, the same angry fire in her eyes. 'Not what I meant, Persephone. I was talking about all the time you spent down there. I mean - I've been there, you know. I've been at Tartarus.' She cocked her head to the side, studying him. Oh, Hades told her - but Apollo didn't know that.

'Is that true?' she asked sweetly. He nodded.

'It was true Hell', he admitted. 'I have been there for - what? - three years? Thank Zeus I'm a more than powerful god, so I survived. And then there's you... The only thing that seemed to have happened to you is that your tan faded a bit. You must be some strong goddess.' She chuckled.

'I guess it wasn't a trying time for me down there. I kinda loved it, actually.'

'Did you now!' he cried out. 'Tell me all about it!'