Pandora...

"Pandora! Pandora where are you?" The voice cried through the house, impatient sounding with a hint of worry.

"There you are. What are you doing out here in the rain?"

A man appeared in the doorway, watching as the young girl turned to face him, her clothes soaked from the pouring rain, still hitting the ground with its impatientness. Her face was pale, her long blonde hair tied at the back with golden clasps, now dripping with crystal rain, her eyes as green as the expensive emeralds in the Emperor's palace.

The man ran towards her, his sandled feet splashing in the puddles the rain had created. He was well-tanned and well-built, the figure of a soldier. Yet he was also stunningly attractive, his short black hair just touching his ears, and his dark brown eyes swimming with loyalty and passion. When he reached her, he put an arm around her shoulder, and she allowed him to take her inside.

"I have been looking for you. Did you not here me calling?"

Pandora looked at him, simply saying, "No Attis, I did not. Why did you wish to see me so impatiently?"

He looked at her, pure love in his eyes, "It's not that I don't trust you, but in being such a curious person I thought you..."

"Husband, I will not, do not worry. Besides, I have hidden it."

Attis's face lit up slightly, "Then let us forget the issue. As beautiful as you are, you need to get cleaned up before our guests arrive. Cyrilla is already preparing a bath for you," He cupped her chin with his hand and laid a light kiss on her delicate lips, "Do not worry about anything apart from yourself. I will make sure the preparations are carried out correctly." And he left her, taking large strides towards the kitchens.

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By nightful, the house was full of wealthy, important associates, and the atmospere was high. Attis was a strong and respected leader in the Emperor's army, a general, and highly paid for his loyalty and action in recent wars. A man of this status was as important and wealthy as half of the whole guest list, and his house reflected it. His parents had been well known in these circles, a wealthy family going back generations. But his true father was Zeus, the King of the Gods, a fact he was told at the age of eleven on a visit to a temple of Zeus.

He had married Pandora out of love, but also of protection. Zeus had instructed him to look after her as she had the most powerful object on Earth; a box given by Zeus himself.

As the evening drew on, Attis longed to speak to his wife, an action not possible becuase of the heavy conversations with their guests. As he passed the crowds, making excuses to the now drunken aristocrats, he found Pandora in the courtyard, softly lit by the candles on the walls, alone once more and facing away from him, staring up at the stars.

He walked up to her, putting one arm around her and laying a kiss on her cheek. She looked at him and smiled.

"Come sit with me." He said, as he took her hand and led her to a stone bench to the side, littered with plush cushions and rugs.

"I've missed you." He continued, love and longing in his eyes, as he brushed a golden curl away from her cheek.

"We saw each other only a few hours ago and yet you still missed me? We are even in the same house!" Replied Pandora, though she missed him just as much.

"I know," he started, gripping her hand in his, "But I have been away from you for months because of the recent affairs," He lowered his tone so it was just a whisper, murmuring softly in her ear, "So I have a lot of catching up to do..."

She giggled, shivers running down her spine while a mischievious grin on her face appeared to contemplate his, "Attis... with all these people here? What if someone walks in on us?"

"You mean stumble," He laughed, "They are all so drunk they'd never get up the stairs, let alone remember what they saw."

"What if I don't want to do it upstairs...?" She whispered.

"You are going to get me into trouble one of these days." he smiled, his turn now to feel the shivers run down his spine,and watched her smile back.

"Of course I am; but you still love me for it." She said, moving closer to her lover, pressing up against his musclely thigh.

"Oh definately, I couldn't love another..." And he kissed her, softly at first, until they moved closer in which they kissed more passionately and slid into the soft, plush arrangement of cushions.

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"What a mess!" Exclaimed Pandora, looking around the main room in disgust, "How is this ever going to be tidy again!"

The guests had long disappeared before Attis and Pandora had awokenearly next morning, leaving behind a carnage of cups, cushions and wine on the floor. Not even the ornamental fountain, of which water spurted calmly from the top most sculpted flowers, located at the end of the room had escaped. The small pool of water surrounding it was tinted a dark pink, caused by clumsy footing and over-full wine cups, of which many also had sunk to the bottom.

"This is what you get for being sociable," Said Attis, walking round the corner from the courtyard, "Don't worry, we'll have it cleaned in no time."

He was dressed in his uniform, the sword at his hilt gleaming as he walked over to her and laid a kiss on her cheek. "I need to get to work elsewhere. I'll see you this evening." He continued, and left the house swiftly.

As much as she hated leaving the place a mess, the female slaves had already started to clean up, and a woman of her status was expected to see over the cleaning, not to assist. But she hated the word 'slaves' and how they all waited on her every breath, and she could not watch them clean so she left for the courtyard.

Curiousity overcoming her, she pulled out a loose brick in the wall, taking out a medium sized box made of pure gold with the most beautiful decoration, obviously not of the mortal world. Replacing the brick, she sat on a bench and looked deeply at the encarvings, the images entrancing her with their beauty and their magical properties. Unable to contain her curiousity or will or mind any further, and with the box calling out to her to open it, she slowly removed the lid...

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In just seconds, the world had become a very different place. Like ripples from a stone that had been dropped into a rather large puddle, vices of the mortals took over everything. Greed, Vanity, Slander, Envy and Pining flew through the cities, affecting all and leaving none free of it. Control and happiness had fled, but the worst area was Atlantis, where Pandora had opened the box in curiousity, closing it seconds later in which Hope was left inside. Atlantis was like the epicentre of a massive earthquake, and fights and fires now replaced conversation and calmness.

Attis, having seen the destruction, knew of the only possibility; Pandora had opened the box. He left his soldiers [who were dealing with the fights and mahem] and ran to the house. When he opened the door, he did not even have to call for his wife, for she had ran into his arms, crystal clear tears running down her pale cheeks.

"Pandora, what have you done?" He asked, embracing her in his strong hold, but he already knew of the answer, he was just afraid of it.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, "I just could not stop myself. Please forgive me!"

"It is not me you need to ask for forgiveness or consol, though you would have it willingly. We have to speak with my father. Where is the box?"

"In the courtyard." She weeped.

"Go get it and we will go to Crialla." He replied as he broke away to allow her to fetch it.

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At the city's temple of Apollo, an oracular God, Attis and Pandora stood before the oracle Crialla and listened to her interpretation of the God's messages.

"Crialla, I've ruined the world and destroyed Atlantis as we all know it. Is there any word from the Gods?"

"Yes you have made rather a mess, but it was not unforeseen." Stated Crialla.

"You mean, this was supposed to happen?" Replied Attis, unbelieved at what she had just said.

"There are...other reasons to decide the fate of Atlantis, this was simply an...easier way."

"What other reasons?" Asked Pandora, curiousity overwhelming her again.

"Oh, I cannot say, and you do not need nor wish to know. All that matters is what you do next."

"What must I do?"

"Finish what you started..."

"I...how?"

"Open the box once more." She whispered, pointing to the golden object in her hands.

"I cannot, not after what happened last time! I..."

"Trust in the Gods Pandora, there is something that you must release from that box; something important."

Looking down at the box in her hands, Pandora lifted the lid once more with after a few seconds hesitation, and Hope flew throughout the world. What Crialla did not tell her was that when Pandora could be free of the box, it would be because she was pregnant.

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Attis and Pandora fled through the crowds of Atlantis, the screams, fires and fights never disappearing for the Gods did not allow it. Atlantis was destined to fall, it was Fate, and Pandora was just the tip of the iceberg. Though she felt that she was to blame for the deaths of those thousands of Atlanteans, their time had come and they were too corrupted by vices to be able to run civil lives. Hope had no effect in such a doomed city. They were told that the Gods would see them to safety as they were not destined to die on this night or in this way. Besides, Pandora had the gift to never drown, given to her by Poseidon himself, and Attis was destined to look after her.

They jumped onto the boat, the vessel casting itself off, pulling itself out of harbor, both Poseidon's and Zeus' handiwork. They were told that once they were at a safe distance, Atlantis would sink, lost to the eerie depths forever, remaining just a frightening tale only looked on as a myth.

As the boat sailed to shore, pushed by the sea nymphs of Poseidon and aided by the strong winds of Zeus, Attis and Pandora stood facing the city. Light appeared beneath the water, surrounding it in an eternal circle; a surreal light show no mortal would ever see again. Entranced, they watched as the water began to ripple, and a low rumbling sound echoed beneath them. The city of Atlantis began to sink, dragged under by the forces of Poseidon on Zeus' orders.

Pandora looked down at the golden box in her hands, wanting more than ever to be rid of it but not knowing if the Gods would allow it. The box could not be destroyed by mortal hands, even the Gods themselves where unsure they could destroy it. Attis put a comforting arm around her, and she lent in close, leaning her head back into him.

"I know what you want to do," He said calmly, looking at her staring at the destruction, "I think you should just do it; no hesitation."

She met his eyes when she looked up at him and she smiled. He always knew what was going on inside her head, and as he smiled back, she knew it was the right thing to do and the right time to do it. She broke away from him, moved to the edge, and without a backwards glance, held the devilish golden box out over the sea and dropped it.

The box sunk slowly, a strange occurance from such a heavy box, and went straight into the hands of a waiting Poseidon, who in turn, sent it up to Mount Olympus, the home of the Gods. This is where the box would remain, whether to keep it intact or to destroy it was an issue that still had to be discussed. Atlantis was to be destroyed forever, the destruction too great to sort out, and Pandora's box would never again reach the mortal world. Pandora would never have to look after it again as she was fated to bear a child nine months later.