HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: A SUBTERRANEAN ROMANCE © 1998
Author: M. (Quantum Witch)
Rating: M - language, violence, sexual situations
Summary: "Disney's Hercules" sequel - In which Hades' kingdom is in danger, an immortal witch wants control, the Fates predict a miracle & Hades falls flaming-head-over-smoking-heels in love. The usual stuff of myth.
Disclaimer: This particular version of Hades and characters from the movie and TV show © Disney Enterprises, Inc. This story, this version of Persephone and other original characters are owned by me. The general mythology is public domain for which no one owns the copyright.

STORY ILLUSTRATIONS: quantum-witch. deviantart. com

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: A SUBTERRANEAN ROMANCE

1 : Diabolic Simpatico

It was just another perfect day on Olympus. Same as the days, weeks, years, in fact the millennia before. Except for a minor disturbance about five weeks ago, things almost never changed.

The minor disturbance in question --an unsuccessful coup attempted by Hades to overthrow Olympus and usurp Zeus' throne -- had been quite a topic of conversation for days afterward. The damage caused by the rampaging Titans had healed completely, but of course clouds tend to bounce back into shape without any special help.

At first there were heated suggestions to hunt down Hades and bring him to justice, but Zeus had vetoed this. Though he too had been surprised and angered at the assault, he believed it to be just one more in a long line of things his brother had done to get attention. True, it was by far the most drastic thing he'd ever done, but it was obviously the biggest plan Hades could have made. And since it had failed utterly, the big baby had run home to sulk.

Hercules had brought news of Hades' complete defeat, how he'd knocked him into a pit of fire. Zeus was sure they wouldn't see the Lord of the Dead around for quite some time, and even if they did the dark god had no more aces up his sleeve. There was nothing more he could do to threaten them all, ever again. However, to allay any fears, Zeus made a formal decree: Hades was prohibited from entering Olympus proper, and officially bumped off the Great Council.

The other gods agreed with this wisdom. And now things had resettled into the usual routine of lazy recreation and blissful indulgence, just the way everyone liked it.

However, the whole incident had caused one deity to really think about Hades' motives, to start contemplating what his personal feelings might have been, to recall his long sad history of isolation. The one deity had even begun to sympathise with the dark god of the Underworld, something no one else had done.

That one deity was Cupid.

Though he never pretended to understand what went on inside Hades' mind, nevertheless he, of all people, could spot the lonely soul with ease. So he began to formulate a theory, which led to a plan of action. Something that might change Hades once and for all, and bring Olympus permanent peace and quiet...

Shoot Hades with a love arrow, and let the chips fall where they may.

Okay, he wasn't quite so cavalier about his job as that. People may have thought he was, but he truly cared about the finer points. He was often the scapegoat for a disastrous relationship, but it was always one that he either had no involvement with in the first place, or one that went on much longer than intended. Humans, though, often blamed the gods for every tiny little thing that went wrong. He was used to it.

His powers were also quite capable of affecting gods as well, and that usually meant he was catered to outrageously. Gods preferred to make their own decisions, and he was one god who could make a decision for them, whether they liked it or not. He found this amusing, since he had never intended to use his powers on another god in the first place (though occasionally Zeus still tried to blame an errant arrow for his own stupid actions). But now there was justified reason to do so.

And so, the young winged god worked all night to prepare for the attack. He dragged out his entire arsenal, deliberating over the caliber of arrow to use. He carefully mixed the love potion to be inserted in the arrow's tip, since the chemistry between people was the most important factor. The formula had to be just right. He had many, many types of potions, and some were standard fare he could use for most humans: Infatuation, Devotion, Crush (used mostly on high-schoolers), Unrequited, One-Night Stand, etc. Sometimes he felt like his own mother, with her line of commercial cosmetics and perfumes. He couldn't afford to have it wear off too fast, since Hades was a tough case to crack. So he chose the most powerful and enduring potion of all.

When all was ready, he sat cross-legged on a cloud chair in his mother's sumptuous home (Cloud Nine) polishing up the ErosArrow™ that he'd filled with the potion and chuckling to himself mischievously. When it was buffed to a suitably high gleam, he held it aloft, declaring, "Aha! It's done!"

His mother Aphrodite was lounging redolently on her cloud sofa, while waiting for her workaholic husband Hephaestus to finally leave the forge and come home for dinner. In the meantime, she was reading the latest comedic scroll by Aristophanes, and had been chuckling occasionally herself. Mostly, though, she loved seeing her own name in print. When her son spoke aloud, she raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow at him. "Why so excited? It's just an arrow."

"Looks can be deceiving," Cupid said, waving the purplish-red arrow at her. Then he began to pitch his product effusively. "This one is very special. The tip is filled with a time-release capsule of undiluted True Love serum! Guaranteed to melt even the coldest, hardest heart, in time. This, Mom, is a real super-arrow!"

He struck a proud heroic pose, wings extended, arrow held to the sky, as if awaiting the requisite heavenly choir to strike up and spotlight to shine down on his grand achievement. Unfortunately his cherubs, the Muses, and Apollo were all busy elsewhere.

Aphrodite stifled a laugh. Then she stretched her tall rosy form, fluffed her long gold hair and arose from her couch, though it still mistily clung to her generous curves, of which there were plenty and then some. "Interesting idea," she said sincerely, coming for a closer look and smiling indulgently at her son. "Should be good for those really hard-headed cases. Like I always say, everyone deserves to experience True Love."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Cupid grinned slyly. His infamous dimples deepened and his eyes twinkled from beneath maroon bangs. Which should have been ample warning of the mischief he planned.

"So, who's the guinea pig?" Aphrodite queried, not noticing the gleam. "Some grouchy old king who's never been in love with anything but his own power?"

"You could say that...," Cupid drawled innocently, adding almost as an afterthought, "my target is Hades."

It took a full three seconds for that to register properly in Aphrodite's mind. The first second, she merely nodded, not truly aware of what she'd actually heard. The next second, she turned to stare in disbelief at Cupid. The third second reduced her to hysterics, leaning against a pillar and laughing herself nearly sick.

His pink skin flushed red, he said in a tight voice, "It's not funny."

She righted herself, wiped away mirthful tears, and looked more closely at her son's face. "Oh, my gods... You're serious?" she nearly choked on the question.

"Yes, I am!" he declared heatedly. "It's my theory that if he had known True Love, he never would have become so evil."

"Your 'theory'? Oh, please!" Aphrodite rolled huge lavender-blue eyes framed with long curling lashes. "This is Hades you're talking about. I don't know if he's even capable of love, 'super-arrow' or not."

Cupid narrowed his own violet eyes at her. "So... you think I can't do it, is that it?" The challenged tone should have been a second warning.

And she missed it as well. "I did not say that!" she protested.

"You do doubt me, don't you?" he demanded, pointing a finger at his mother accusingly. His feathers ruffled angrily.

"Oh, stop it," she frowned, putting a tiny crease beside her perfect lips. "I just can't imagine any girl who'd want Hades to be in love with her... Can you?"

For a half-second, Cupid opened and shut his mouth, trying to find a suitable response. How could he have skipped the most important detail? In his pursuit of the perfect formula, he'd neglected to find the perfect girl. Well, this just sucked. He slumped, sighed and admitted the truth. "Good point."

Aphrodite was glad he saw the wisdom of her words and the error of his ways. Sometimes his enthusiasm carried him away, and she felt he needed reminding of the fact that his powers, though massive, were still developing as he aged. However, she unwisely decided further persuasion was needed, and said, "That's right. Every goddess knows Hades' reputation all too well. We'd all rather stay single for eternity than have to be stuck with him..."

Cupid flinched as the salt poured over his wound. "All right, you've made it clear," he grumbled.

"I mean, frankly it would take a goddess who's never met him," she continued, oblivious to her son's pointed stares, "who's been locked away on an island or something her whole life, to even start thinking about--"

"I get the picture!" he finally shouted, which stopped her in her tracks.

"No need to yell." Aphrodite looked at him in surprise.

Further discussion was interrupted by a cacophony of voices outside their door, in the courtyard of Olympus. The voices were mostly curious and friendly, but it was still unusual. Almost nothing new ever happened on Olympus (if you didn't count recent months) so this was something to grab their interest. The two love deities shelved their differences for the moment and stepped toward the door.

Outside, a fairly large crowd had gathered around Demeter, who was waving them all forward. She was delighted by everything that had transpired of late. Not only had she made a momentous decision in her own life, but she had also become a full Council member instead of merely an alternate, taking over the seat once held (unjustly, she felt) by Hades. And now she had news that would shake the gods, but in a good way.

"Attention, gods and goddesses! I have an important announcement, one that's long overdue." The green-skinned full-bodied earth mother, lush as the very fields she presided over, dressed in a forest of green, a corn-leaf headdress atop her autumn-orange hair, smiled as everyone grew quieter. "Two days from now, as you know, is the celebration of First Harvest, that midway point between Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox. And I'd like to inform you all... that this past Springtime was my last one."

This led to gasps of surprise and worry, whispers of confusion. But Demeter just held up her hands and silenced them again.

"...Because," she continued, "as of next year, my daughter Persephone will take over as Goddess of Spring!" With a gentle push she produced said daughter, who had been semi-hiding behind her mother's ample frame.

Persephone grinned nervously, waving generally to the crowd. She really, really didn't want to be there and wished she could melt through the cloud floor, then realised she probably could, but would never hear the end of it from her mother afterward.

Demeter went on, smiling at her child. "Most of you have not gotten to know Persephone, and I do apologise for keeping her to myself for so long. I've been a bit over-protective, I suppose."

Persephone, turning her head slightly away, rolled her large eyes ironically. Oh, boy, if they only knew the half of it...

Demeter resumed, unaware. "But until she returns to our secluded island home of Nysa, let's please make her feel welcome on Olympus!" She opened her arms wide, encouraging everyone to welcome her daughter into the bosom of their society.

The gathered gods applauded and milled about, greeting and congratulating the young goddess on her appointment. Persephone wished fervently for another Titan to wander by and start a ruckus, anything to distract the crowd so she could run for the hills.

Cupid watched Persephone closely. He'd met her a few times, but the last time he'd actually paid attention had been several years ago, and she'd really grown up since then. She'd always been lovely, but now she was easily as beautiful as his own love goddess mother. With bright golden skin like sunlight, wide eyes blue as a cloudless morning sky, knee-length blazing-scarlet hair capped by a pink flower-shaped headdress, and a lissome figure in flowing white chitonion, nearly covered by a modest rose-coloured peplos pinned at the shoulder... she was a total babe. But he knew, better than most, beauty wasn't everything.

He'd been looking more at her reactions to the situation, and he seemed to be the only person aware of how uncomfortable she was. The looks she angled at Demeter said she hadn't chosen anything for herself, and Cupid knew how stubborn the elder goddess could be. He was willing to bet Demeter still treated her like a little child, which she clearly was not. He was also willing to bet the younger goddess would do nearly anything to get out from under her mother's green thumb.

He pondered over the two or three times he'd seen her at various get-togethers with the gods, and recalled Demeter's habit of leaving quite early. The most recent time had been thirteen or fourteen years ago, at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis (gods, what a disaster that was). If he remembered correctly, Hades had shown up for a short while, arriving just about the same time Persephone was being dragged home. Cupid had a sudden sharp memory of how the dark god's eyes had widened when he'd seen her... how he'd stared almost unblinking, silent and breathless, a look of sweet pain on his face, until she was out of sight... how he'd hinted casually for information about her afterward...

Hey, wait a minute... Hades had never looked at anyone that way before. Now, what was it Aphrodite had been saying...? And what had Demeter said just moments ago...?

No way was this a coincidence!

Cupid was one of the few gods on somewhat friendly terms with the Fates, and had occasionally done a bit of dirty work for them (though he didn't often discuss it with anyone else). Years ago they'd told him that, one day in the future, he would have to do something no one else would approve of. That he would 'strike the heart of death and bring it to life'. He narrowed his eyes, thinking. The God of wintry Death... the Goddess of lively Springtime... And what a mixed-up name she had. Persephone. Life and light, combined with sacrifice and killing. What had Demeter been thinking when she'd named her daughter? Probably not this.

Yep, karmic needlepoint was stitched all over this one.

A huge grin spread across his face like a hungry wolf at an all-you-can-eat wild game buffet. "Talk about divine intervention," he chuckled half to himself.

Still standing beside him, Aphrodite had of course viewed the scene in the Olympian courtyard differently, and no such thoughts had entered her mind. In fact, her most prominent thought had been, What a shame, she's so pretty and that outfit really doesn't flatter her at all. I should give her some fashion tips...

But when her son spoke aloud, she spent another three seconds in contemplation. The first, nodding blankly; the next, her eyes grew wide in realization; the third, she nearly gave herself whiplash as her head snapped in his direction, an absolutely horrified gasp on her lips. "You... wouldn't... dare!" she hissed.

Cupid, already halfway to where he'd left the super-arrow lying, laughed. "She fits the profile like she was made for it. In fact, I'm sure she was."

Aphrodite frantically followed him, whispering harshly, afraid they'd be overheard. "No way! Demeter would kill you!"

Cupid merely grinned, shrugging nonchalantly. "Hey, I risk it all for love, don't you?"

She just groaned, holding her head. "Oh... oh, gods, nooo... this is not a good idea!"

He looked at her with a serious face then. "You said it yourself, Mom. Everyone deserves True Love." He dared her to contradict herself.

"But... yeah... well...," she faltered, searched for some way to take back her own deepest-held philosophy, and couldn't find one. Then she spoke more firmly. "This girl just can't be the right one for him! She's obviously too young and way too innocent, and she doesn't deserve a lovestruck Hades dragging her off to the Underworld! Hell, no one does." She dared him to prove her wrong.

But Cupid knew he was right, he sensed it with every beat of his interfering, match-making little heart. The Fates had put this in his path, and he agreed with their decision. His mother just wasn't giving things a fair chance. Shaking his head, he said, "Too young? Not. First of all, she's clearly old enough to be making her own life decisions. Have you forgotten how I lobbied six years ago to get the age of self-reliance changed? Twenty-one was just way too old. Even mortals are considered adult long before that age."

There had been a majority Council meeting before which Cupid and Hebe, the goddess of Youth (and Age), had presented a most convincing argument. To allow all gods of his generation an earlier release into adulthood. The age had been moved back to fourteen, which truly made sense because that was the time at which their full powers began to manifest. Cupid himself was now nineteen, and hadn't been willing to wait any longer for his own apartment and a little privacy.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Aphrodite rolled her eyes at her son. "You go your own way, do your own thing, have your own space... So how come you spend half your time in my house, eating my ambrosia, using my laundry facilities?"

"Hey, the light is better over here for my work," he protested half-heartedly, "and besides, this isn't about me. It's about Persephone."

"Right. And the way you want to ruin her whole life." She crossed her arms, still unconvinced.

"Well, what would you know about her life?" he crossed his arms right back. "You've probably never even talked to her, have you?"

Aphrodite wavered again. "Well... no... but..."

"Once again, looks can be deceiving. So let me be the judge," he said gently. He knew his mother was still unsure. But then she couldn't always sense things like he could, the subtle ways people were right or wrong for each other. In fact, he had a few ideas about her own love life that he'd learned to keep to himself, since she never appreciated his comments. She might have been the Love and Beauty Goddess but she spent her time making the atmosphere of love better or worse, not finding the proper combinations. That was his area of expertise, and she knew it.

"But," she tried again, "it still should be fairly obvious, especially to us, that she's a virgin goddess. Maybe not official, but definitely innocent and untouched." Her eyes narrowed at her son, and at the thought of Hades. "And although many men, both gods and mortals, may fantasise about taking such a thing from a girl, that doesn't mean the girl wants to give it... Right?"

He sighed, knowing she was right. So he compromised in a way that he still could win. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. How about this... I talk to her awhile, get to know her better, figure out what sort of things she's wishing for her life. You know I can see right through people, if I want to. Part of my powers, seeing the true desires of others... Right? And then, if I still think she's the right choice -- which I do -- I go stealth-radar target Hades, and no one will ever know I'm involved."

She looked at her confident, smiling, sincere son and felt her heart sink. She realised too late, he was absolutely determined to shoot Hades, had been all along. And now that he'd chosen the intended object of affection as well, there was no stopping him. She also knew what he said was only fair. Hades probably did need a little love in his life, in fact it might be the very thing to improve the dark god's overall mood. She couldn't personally recall Hades ever having been in real love before. Although he'd certainly had a case of the hots for her a few times (hadn't everyone?), and while he'd been pathetically unsure of himself at first, eventually he had become more obnoxious, though never pushing beyond what she could tolerate. Strange, she thought, perhaps he wasn't a total brute in every respect. But still, this instant case of Spring Fever (pun intended) might be dangerously unpredictable. And she too was a mother, and could sympathise with Demeter on that front. She seriously doubted the earth goddess would thank them for matching up her sweet young daughter with such a dark and bitter old coot. And though no one had really seen Demeter lose her temper, such a thing would probably push even the mildest goddess over the edge.

Her face registering her concerns, she sighed, "I dunno..."

Cupid, misreading her hesitance, thought she was still challenging his efficiency. So he said, "And... I'll bet you a century's worth of Hebe's finest nectar I can pull this off." He grinned widely, challenging her right back.

Aphrodite shook her head. Let him find out for himself, the hard way. But he'd better not come crying to her when all hell broke loose, literally. "I can tell I'm gonna regret this," she said softly, "but... okay."

"Yes!" Cupid hooted, shook hands with his mother over the deal then did a little victory dance.

Aphrodite sighed and moved to the doorway. "Well, you better get going," she said lightly with a grin. "Looks like Apollo is already putting the smooth moves on your little target."

"What??" Cupid squawked. He dashed to the door, in time to see the brawny purple-skinned part-time sun god suavely smiling at the young goddess, the scent of intended conquest practically oozing from his pores as usual. Persephone's expression of infinitely-polite barely-concealed revulsion was clear to Cupid but completely overlooked by Apollo. And by Demeter, who stood by chattering happily at them. When Apollo took Persephone's delicate hand in his own beefy meathook, bending to kiss it lightly, Cupid actually fumed.

"Hey, ya big over-sexed jerk! I saw her first!" he scowled. Half-running, half-flying, the love god scampered out to join and interrupt.

Aphrodite, still standing in the doorway, watched the tableau with a sense of doomed amusement. She sighed, her bosom heaving expressively. "This is turning into a loooong Summer."

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

· THE STORY ITSELF. This is primarily a far-too-well-researched-for-its-own-damned-good piece of fan-fiction. It is based largely on two things: "Disney's Hercules" and the Homeric "Hymn to Demeter". I do draw very marginally upon Ovid's "Metamorphoses" (though I avoid him as much as possible) and I have also used bits from Hesiod's "Theogony" and fragments of poems from the Orphic tradition. The rest is strictly from my own up-close experience with the gods and goddesses involved, as well as personal theories developed over time. Since Disney borrowed mostly from Homer, I tried to adhere mostly to that version as well in this story. If I had presented the story according to what history showed first, things would have been quite different.

· TITLE. In English, the title is pretty self-explanatory, with a play on the "eternal spring" of one of the main characters. In Greek, the story title is "athanatoi elpis anistemi" meaning more or less "immortal hope reborn". The last word translates best as "raised from the dead". The subtitle "katachthonion eros epos" is a lame attempt at a pun, due to the near-rhyme of the two latter words, and since my "subterranean love story" is so damned long it really is an epic tale anyway. Also "epos" means more than simply a long tale, it can also mean "a prophecy, oracle, or word of a god". And I felt somewhat divinely guided in what I've written. Lastly, if you wonder why I call this story a "romance", think of this... All those tacky soft-porn books with titles like "Love's Tender Fury" and "Flame's Eternal Passion" (gag), which are commonly termed "bodice-rippers". You know, the ones with the muscle-bound half-dressed guys holding the voluptuous scantily-clad girls. Well the plot, or their excuse for it, is always about a ruthless man (an unimaginably gorgeous pirate or invading barbarian) abducting a helpless girl (the most beautiful virgin on the planet), and how she eventually falls in love with him anyway. Sound familiar? Mind you, I don't personally believe Hades and Persephone's relationship was ever forced, but if you follow what happened after the initial myth you come to realise their story was the ultimate, the original bodice-ripper romance. It was too funny to pass up.

· CHAPTER TITLE. As for this chapter title, it just about cracked me up (I amuse myself far too easily). Originally I wanted a "sympathy for the devil" kind of play-on-words thing, so I changed it to "Diabolic Simpatico", showing that Cupid wound up in league with Hades, after a fashion. Then I found a word in Greek that fit this perfectly, "symponereuomai", which means "to join one in villainy". By the way, you can blame me for watching way too much Disney, because I include songs in later chapters... but blame Hades for the cheesy chapter titles. Hah!

· HERCULES Just a tidbit of info. For those who didn't guess, the end of Disney's movie where Hades is knocked into the pit is based mostly on the scene in "The Iliad" where Hercules wounds Hades with an arrow. In that story, Hades needed to go to Paian to be healed, but since Paian is Apollo (by most accounts), I doubted very seriously that either of them would want to see each other after the Olympian attack. So we'll just leave it at that.

· CUPID (Sigh) I'm sorry Disney, I simply DESPISED the way you mangled him, changing the fairly accurate depiction from myth --as seen in the background of the film-- to the obese cherub seen in the TV series. Now this is merely my opinion, but just because it's a more popularly-known version, DOESN'T MAKE IT GOOD. I preferred to return him to his original form, with a little tweaking. Of course I'm using the Latin version of his name, but Disney did as well. I found the idea of using so many similarly-pronounced words rather irritating... Eros, arrows, Ares, Eris, Iris... Too many, too much alike. I couldn't change them all, so he gets to be Cupid. I don't think he minds too much (especially since I promised to write his story next).

· APHRODITE I really liked her personality from the TV series, so I kept that fairly intact. She may look like a over-proportioned Barbie doll, but she talks like a really with-it woman (unlike in the "Hades Challenge" game, where she sounds like an ultra-bimbo Marilyn Monroe clone). Taken mostly from Ovid is the idea of the two love gods plotting to shoot Hades with an arrow, but for slightly different reasons than I present here. However, there are paintings found at Eleusis itself, attesting to direct involvement of Aphrodite and Eros/Cupid in sanctioning the Divine Marriage of Hades and Persephone. As for Aphrodite's powers, I have always viewed her as more of a Sex and Beauty goddess, rather than simply Love. Yes, I know, most people say Eros fits that better (i.e. "erotic love"), but I think their histories speak for themselves. Aphrodite slept with practically anyone, having children by many of them, and her name lends itself to "aphrodisiac", a sexually stimulating substance. Eros, by almost all accounts, had only one lover whom he faithfully married. Sure, he understood sex was a part of love, but he always seemed more romantic than merely sexual. As well, the word "eros" means "love" and little more than that. So I stand by my belief, that she more represents "sex", where he represents "love". And I intend to represent them in this way for my stories.

· DEMETER I kept her general Disney appearance as well. Myth maintains that she and Persephone were often seen as being so much alike that they were nearly duplicates, and I played on this idea to change the colouring for Persephone, their skin and hair just one pigment removed from each other. In fact, ancients called them "The Two Who Are One". My opinions on Demeter are not so nice. As for Persephone's behaviour in my story, think of this... she was a teenager, and teens tend to rebel. It worked well enough for me.

· SEASONS. I am using exclusively the seasons and celebrations as used by wiccans in temperate climates only. The Greeks have a Mediterranean climate, which is quite different. For them, Spring-like weather begins in January or February, and Summer weather is quite harsh. In their tradition, Persephone was with Hades only four months of each year, during the hot and desolate Summertime when nothing would grow. Wintertime is much milder, there is rarely snow, and things can actually be planted and harvested at that time. I use the wiccan tradition only because it had long been the most familiar to me, not because it is most correct according to Greek tradition. My apologies.

· YOUTH AND AGE. As for the divine aging process itself, I've always figured that Hebe, Goddess of Youth, should also play a hand in Aging. She was part of the first generation born after the rebellion that stripped Kronos of power, and the gods of the generation before (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, et al.) seemed to be the only ones who aged completely to elder status. Those coming after (Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, etc.) all seem to retain a sort of permanent youthfulness. Interestingly, it is maintained that there was no nectar or ambrosia in Kronos' day, and Hebe is the one who supplied it to the gods afterward. So it made sense to imagine she created nectar and ambrosia herself, that her natural powers of maintaining Youth would include the youthful immortality of the gods themselves. The generations raised on these foods would surely have a longer delay into full maturity, and so a new system of aging would be set into place. In Greek, "hebe" or "heba" generally means "youthful vigour and spirit". While "helikia" ("elixia", from whence comes "elixir") means "age, advance in years", yet it also means "youthful heat and passion" ("helikie epitrepein"). So it seems the concept of opposites like Youth and Age were connected, like Alpha and Omega, and I believe it to be Hebe who bridged the gap with her powers.

· PERSEPHONE'S APPEARANCE. I designed some of her looks based on ancient writings as well as artwork. There are especially several statues I borrowed from, each in a pose that has been copied numerous times. She smiles sweetly, her hair is loose and very long and curling, her figure is slender and pretty but modestly covered, though she pulls her chitonion to the side with her left hand, tightly to show off the shape of her legs (grin). Each statue has parts knocked off through the centuries, and the missing outstretched right hand is complete in only one statue I have seen, and in that one she holds a pomegranate. (I like the little Mona Lisa smile she wears in the least complete statue, myself.) As for Disney's version of her, seen only briefly in three scenes in the background of the movie... Sorry Disney, but I consider her far too vapid looking. I couldn't for the life of me imagine a tough-as-nails-bad-to-the-bone Hades and such a powder-puff-cotton-candy goddess making a serious go of it. Both images play up modern misinterpretations of them, Hades as dark and evil, Persephone as weak and helpless. Both images, when combined, insult and demean the actual gods. Persephone had two titles, "Megala Thea" ("the mighty goddess") and "Brimo" ("the strong") which would seem to refute the helpless image. As for Hades looking evil (according to Disney), I can forgive it because he did have a harsh side, which Persephone eventually softened. As for the two of them having a happy marriage, there are pieces of artwork that show this to be a fact. Even the interpretations of the story which claim she was unwilling at first, still maintain that she eventually became content with her life as a strong co-ruler of a kingdom, and even defended herself against those who tried to force her to leave (i.e. Theseus and Peirithous, who will be included in a later story). Disney's rendition seemed weak, and my goddess has a definite spine. Also, she needed to be MUCH more striking in appearance. Myth maintains she was easily as beautiful as Aphrodite. According to Apuleius ("Eros and Psyche"), Aphrodite even requested a box filled with Persephone's beauty to help restore her own. So she's a total babe, babe.

· APOLLO I kept the looks from TV and movie, and decided to play up his actual mythical reputation with the ladies. Which is not that nice, most times. He had almost as many paramours (and therefore illegitimate children) as Zeus, and several of those he aimed for ran screaming, upon which he pursued lustily and either caught and ravished, or missed and cursed them (Cassandra), saw them transformed into something else (Daphne), or die/commit suicide/lose their marbles (Castalia). Lovely guy. Can't for the life of me comprehend why he's so popular. Interestingly, his name "Apollon" is related to the word "apollymi" (also read as "apollyn" or "apollyon") which means "to destroy utterly, kill, slay, demolish". Seems rather appropriate.

· CLOTHING. I decided to describe clothes in a little more detail than saying "everyone wears chitons" (as Disney did, for simplicity's sake). There is more to it than that. A chiton is the generic term for the tunic worn next to the skin. It can be long or short and is a gender neutral item, though usually addressed toward men. The specifically female equivalent is the chitonion, draped to the ankles and pinned at the shoulders. The pin is called a perone, and is used on inner and outer garments alike. Any general robe that is fastened at the shoulder can be called a peronetris. There are some items considered "age-appropriate" (just as today we wouldn't see many elderly women in a mini-skirt, or many teenaged boys in plaid golfing pants). For instance, the chlamys is a short cloak, pinned at one shoulder and worn by boys and younger men. It is often worn alone (yes, meaning they were obviously naked underneath) or over a thigh-length chitoniskos. This garment is basically gender neutral, also being worn by young girls, but the corresponding short cloak for feminine wear is called a chlanidion. Older women and men wear the longer chiton almost exclusively, and the long covering is called either a peplos (feminine) or a himation (usually masculine, but also considered neutral), both of which can be pinned or draped artfully. For women and men alike, the belts tied around the hips or waist are called zonen. For women only, the cord tied beneath the breasts, around the ribs, is the strophion. Fancy dress for men includes a long termioeis chiton with pattern and trim, belted with a zonen, and covered by a mantle called a pharos. I have yet to find a specific name for decorative formal female wear.