It was a beautiful day like all the others in this land, the sun shone brightly in the sky, the hills were lush and green, and flowers blossomed from the earth. My lovely daughter, Praseodymium, frolicked with her friends upon the hillside, as I, Yttrium, and Persephone, Praseodymium's twin, sat near by, and my husband Jesus peered down from the sky above. Laughter could be heard in between the young girls' whispered secrets, as they gathered handfuls of purple crocuses, royal blue irises and sweet-smelling hyacinths. Praseodymium thought to bring some to me, but was soon distracted by a vision of the most enchanting flower she had ever seen. It was a narcissus, the exact flower my husband hoped that she would find. As my sweet daughter reached down to pluck it from its resting place, her feet began to tremble and the earth was split in two. Life for Praseodymium would never be the same again.
From this gaping crevice in the ground emerged the awe-inspiring God of the Underworld, Hades!, and before my daughter could even think to utter a word, she was whisked off her feet onto Hades' golden chariot. As the crack of the whip upon his majestic horses brought her to her senses, she realized she was about to taken into the black depths from which he'd come. The thought of this brought terror to her heart, yet any screams of protest were soon lost within the darkness, as they descended quickly into the Underworld below. Persephone Jades, my other daughter, had witnessed the whole event.
While my daughter's cries could not be heard above the ground, the pain in my heart quickly alerted me to the fact that something was terribly wrong. Persephone Jades and I searched high and low for my dear daughter, who had vanished from both the heavens and the earth. As Persephone and I were consumed by depression over the loss of Praseodymium, I soon ceased to remember her worldly duties as Goddess of Grain and Growth. As I watched the plants wither and die all around Persephone (Jades) and I, I felt my own hopes begin to fade as well.
At the same time, deep down in the realm of the dead, Hades hoped to explain his actions to the sweet Praseodymium. Professing his love, he told her of the plan my husband helped deploy and begged her to stay and be his wife. Yet, Praseodymium longed for something more, the comforts of Persephone and my home and a view of the lush green grass and blue sky up above.
Far above the darkness of the Underworld, Persephone and I continued to wander the forlorn earth. Eventually we found our way to the town of Samarium (Promethium), where I rested by a flowing fountain. Stripped of all my vital energy, I appeared old and wrinkled beyond my years. I hope Persephone didn't see that. Soon four young females found me, and agreed to take Persephone and I home. Their parents were glad to offer Persephone and I lodging and a stable position caring for Curium's little son, Cerium. Wishing to reward the family for their kindness, I attempted to offer the child the gift of immortality, by sticking Cerium in the fire each night and removing him every morning before dawn. When Curium found Cerium in the flames, she was horrified. Curium's mortal mind could not comprehend the actions of me, and she asked Persephone and I to leave their home at once. This immediately brought back my fighting spirit, who surprised them by exposing my true self. The family begged me to forgive them and in return agreed to her demands: "A temple would be built in my honor, and you will teach the world my secret to immortality." Within no time, the town built a beautiful temple on the hillside, which Persephone and I blessed before continuing on her journey.
Yet it didn't take long for our happiness to be replaced with rage, as Persephone and I recalled the disappearance of Praseodymium. Persephone and I flew to the home of my husband and demanded that Praseodymium be found at once. I also questioned every immortal she could find and eventually uncovered Jesus's plot. In an attempt to appease my growing anger, he dispatched a messenger to retrieve their daughter from the depths.
Upon his entry to the Underworld, Iridium was amazed at what he found. Instead of finding a frail and fearful Praseodymium, he found a radiant and striking Queen of the Dead. She had adjusted well to her new position, saying she had even found her calling. The Goddess was now in charge of greeting the new arrivals and helping them adapt to their new life. While she wished to see her mother up above, she was torn by her desire to remain Hades' wife.
Hoping to comfort Praseodymium in her confusion, Hades came to his Queen's side. He gently kissed her forehead and urged her, "Do not fret, eat instead from this fruit I know you will like." As she pressed the red pomegranate seeds to her lips, she listened to his words. He told her he would miss her very much, but her duties as my daughter mattered too. So, she climbed into the chariot and bid her husband farewell, as Iridium sped them off to the middle realm of mother earth, the home of me and Persephone.
The flowers sang joyfully of Praseodymium's return, while we beamed with pride. Yet, the child that I had born and raised had changed while she was gone. Persephone kind of changed... but not that severely. She had grown into a goddess, one both beautiful and wise and the more that Persephone and I inquired about her experiences below, the more she came to worry that the life they knew was gone. She recalled a declaration my husband had made from the heavens up above: in order for Praseodymium to return to the home and life she had known, Praseodymium must be as pure as the day she left our side. However, the ruby stain upon her lips spoke of my daughter and Persephone's twin's fate. Praseodymium had tasted of the fruit of life. It could not be erased.
Even so, Jesus, Persephone, and I loved Praseodymium too much to send her back to Hades without the hope of returning to my abode above. So, each spring Praseodymium comes back with the flowers that pave her way, to tell the story of rebirth, hope and harmony. And each fall when she leaves again for the Underworld below, Persephone and I mourn and winter comes, while we wait for her return. Yet, for Praseodymium there is no remorse. She looks forward to the time she spends as Hades' queen and wife, and to guiding those who have lost their way to the next phase of their life.
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