Pandora (No posting please <3)

[BuddyMaltese]

x
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. . .

. . .with a kind heart, a wish, and a box.
XXXXXXYoung Pandora was only a child when she found herself placed in a newborn world, teaming with danger, freshness, and beauty. She was amongst the first of the celestial dragons to walk the Earth, though at the time she was unaware of what she would become, and had all the curiosity and naivety you would expect of someone her age.
XXXXXXAs she blinked open her eyes for the first time, she was met with the fight of a large celestial dragon towering over her.
XXXXXX"Hello," she said in a tongue that would later become lost to the sands of time. The stranger before her did not reply, but merely gave a nod and walked to rejoin a group of similarly large dragons behind him. Not knowing what else to do, Pandora followed him, all the while maintaining an acute alertness of her surroundings. As she approached, Pandora noted that all the dragons exhibited a sense of dignity and grandeur, which was intimidating to her as a newcomer in what was presumably their world.
XXXXXX"Young Pandora," spoke a large female dragon, stepping toward her so as to be heard more clearly, "welcome to your new life."
It was all Pandora could do to stare at the scene before her; just a few moments ago she had not existed, and although there were a multitude of questions racing through her mind, the one thing she desperately wanted to know was...
XXXXXX"How...how did I get here? Who am I? Who are you?" Her tone was eager, but not impolite.
XXXXXX"You are special, Pandora. Our own Prometheus molded you from the clay in our canyons and the water running through our ravines. Had it not been the
gift of life breathed into you by Athena, however, you would have remained that: a simple mold."
XXXXXX"But that is not my only gift to you." The celestial dragon called Athena stepped forward from the group with beautiful garments draped neatly over her tail. "These are for you," she continued, setting the materials down in front of the new dragon. They were truly beautiful; the largest piece of clothing was made of a transluscent purple fabric, which appeared to have the very stars themselves woven within it. It was attached to a golden ring meant to be fitted around the head, and embedded within the precious metal were bright, shining diamonds.
XXXXXX"Of course, you'll need to bear an appearance of equal beauty to the garments which you will soon adorn," came a beautiful voice that seemed to float through the air. It was Aphrodite, and she made her way over to Pandora as Athena returned to her place among the others. As the goddess came closer, Pandora noticed that, although all the gods and goddesses before her possessed a high degree of attractiveness, Aphrodite's was especially apparent.
XXXXXX"Pandora," continued Aphrodite as she looked down at the child before her, "I give to you the gift of beauty. You will forever retain your beautiful looks for as long as time exists, and in the eyes of mortals and gods alike your looks will be second to none. Except," she added with a playful smile, "perhaps mine." They both giggled at this and Aphrodite walked back to her spot next to the others.
XXXXXXThe rest of the gods and goddesses continued taking their turns in presenting their gifts to Pandora; Apollo the gift of music and healing, Demeter the gift of gardening, Poseidon a pearl necklace and safety amongst the waters of the seas, Hera curiosity, and finally Hermes a box.
XXXXXX"A box?" asked Pandora, "It's quite lovely, but what am I to do with it?"
XXXXXX"When the time comes in which you must use it, you will know. However," cautioned Hermes, "Be warned: if you open it before then, you may plague our beautiful world with horrors unheard of, so choose your timing wisely."
At this Pandora's eyes widened and the expression on her face turned from one of excitement to that of fear. How could she possibly know when to open the box? The last thing she wanted was to be responsible for ruining such a perfect world. It was in that moment when she decided that she would never open it. The risk was too great, and she had no idea what the potential benefits may be.
XXXXXX"Well, I appreciate you bestowing something so powerful upon me. I assure you I will not open it when it is not needed. Thank you."
Hermes nodded and returned to the group.
XXXXXX"The rest of your gifts you will receive in due time. They are not tangible, but rather lessons of life that must be learned through experience and guidance." It was Athena who was speaking now. "Come, Pandora. You have much to learn and see."
Athena and the rest of the group began turning and walking towards a large valley behind them. As Pandora followed, she noted that there was one dragon whom had not spoken a word since she arrived. He was perhaps the largest and strongest of them all,
though appeared to have separated himself from the rest of the group. As Pandora looked at him, their eyes met and the mysterious dragon's eyes seemed to pierce her very being, as if he was trying to will her away. A feeling of unease set over her,
and it troubled her throughout the remainder of the day.

[BuddyMaltese]

“. . . have you ever considered whether your happiness is worth sacrificing for the sake of your work?”

XXXXXXDays turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. Pandora spent her time in the kingdom of the Gods, dubbed Olympus, and became well-versed in their teachings and histories. The gods intended for her to serve as an intermediary between themselves and their subjects, the mortals, and thus allowed her to travel between Olympus and its boundaries freely. The busy streets and unique personalities of the earth-bound celestial dragons fascinated her; Olympus was lovely, but this seemed to be an entire world of its own. Pandora had watched how the mortals developed over time, and they never ceased to impress her. During her time among them, she had to take on a mortal form under the name of Agave, and enjoyed participating in daily trips to the market and attending story-telling sessions in the theatre.

XXXXXXIt was during one of these sessions that Pandora's life changed forever. As the assembly was dismissed and the dragons who had been in attendance began to disperse, she spotted a few children running about in the field a few yards away, evidently engaged in a game of chase. She sat down on a rock nearby, observing the festivities. Because she served the gods, she was not permitted to find love or have children. Seeing these boys and girls instilled a sense of longing in her; she wanted nothing more than to have a family. This was something she had been dealing with since she was told the restrictions that came with her service, but it was not until now that she was not able to keep the feelings subdued. Sighing heavily, she picked herself up and began making the journey back to Olympus.

XXXXXXUpon her arrival, she was met with with the company of Aphrodite.
XXXXXX"I saw how you looked upon the game of chase those children were playing," she said, her voice sympathetic.
XXXXXX"Yes," admitted Pandora, "but you and I both know I can never have any of my own. If I were to do so, Zeus would deem me too impure to continue to work for you."
XXXXXX"True," replied Aphrodite, "which is pretty rich coming from him when you think about it."
XXXXXXThey both laughed at this; it was indeed true that Zeus had many children with many different mortals, and the irony of him not allowing Pandora to have a family had been a source of debate among the gods.
XXXXXX"Aphrodite," Pandora said as she turned her gaze towards the goddess, her eyes sullen, "why does he do this to me? Why must I live in constant romantic seclusion?"
XXXXXX"Before you were created by Prometheus, it was made clear to all of us that no one was to fall in love with you. Zeus, being the god he is with the tendencies he has, viewed this as a personal attack. He adamantly opposed your creation, arguing that we should just make you ugly instead," Aphrodite chuckled, "but eventually he gave in and you were created."
XXXXXX"Is that why he stared at me with such hate on my first day?"
XXXXXX"Yes. He viewed, and still views, your existence as an attack on his very name."
There was a moment of silence as the two of them sat there thinking upon what was said.
XXXXXX"Pandora," Aphrodite finally said, "have you ever considered whether your happiness is worth sacrificing for the sake of your work?"
Pandora's ears perked up and she quickly turned her gaze from the ground to Aphrodite. That was the last question she was expecting to hear.
XXXXXX"You all gave me life, it is my duty to serve and repay the gods for that."
XXXXXX"You have served us well during your time on Olympus, and we have come to see you as an extension of our own kin. That means that for many of us, we would rather you live among the mortals happily than among us lonely."
XXXXXXPandora smiled at Aphrodite's kind words, though she feared that they were merely words of comfort rather than ones that were substantial. Nevertheless she appreciated it, and nodded to her friend as Aphrodite got up and walked away to tend to her duties.

[BuddyMaltese]

“All her life she had been terrified at the thought of opening it, and now that was all that seemingly laid between her and the life she craved.”

XXXXXXIt had been a few days after the two friends' conversation when Pandora was summoned into the Meeting Hall. Confused, she stepped up the great marble staircase and pushed open the freshly polished granite doors as she speculated as to what could be unfolding. She had never been called here before as it was reserved exclusively for the gods and their discussion on matters pertaining to the world which they watched over. When she entered the room, it was as equally breath taking in its grandeur as the rest of Olympus; it was a long rectangular room, made out of white marble like the rest of the buildings. It huge had pillars holding up the roof, which morphed into a glass dome that displayed the night sky and its constellations and stars at all times. In the middle was a long table skirted by chairs that were similar in size but different in design. Pandora knew this was because each chair's appearance was specific to the god to which it belonged. At the far end of the table sat Zeus, and on either side of him, sitting in their seats, were the gods whom Pandora had known since the day of her creation. She stepped forward, not knowing where to go as she did not have a seat, and was signaled by Zeus to take the seat next to Hermes. Pandora did as much, and the meeting soon commenced.

XXXXXX"Pandora," bellowed the voice of Zeus as he pushed away his chair and stood up, "child of the Earth and creation of Prometheus. It has been brought to the attention of the gods that your respect for the life we have given you has begun wearing...thin." Zeus sneered as he spoke the last word, and Aphrodite quickly interjected.
XXXXXX"You lie, Zeus!" she shouted as she quickly stood up. "That is not what I told you and you know it! You're just mad that-"
XXXXXX"Silence yourself Aphrodite!" the king of gods yelled back, "Lest you be thrown from the kingdom of gods, too!"
XXXXXX"Thrown from the kingdom of gods?" Pandora couldn't contain the terror in her voice.
XXXXXX"Well this is going over well," mumbled Hera as she placed her paw over her face.
XXXXXX"No, Pandora, we're not throwing you out," Aphrodite replied as she shot a poisonous glance at Zeus.
XXXXXX"Wait, you mean we're not throwing her out?" Inquired Dionysus, who was having just as much trouble fallowing the chaos as Pandora.
XXXXXX"If you'd prefer something a bit more violent, I'd be willing to h-" began Ares, but he was shortly interrupted by Hera.
XXXXXX"For gods' sakes!" she shouted as she, too, stood up, "No, we're not lifting Pandora up and chucking her off this damned mountain. We're relieving her from her duty! Now," she said, in a much calmer manner, "I believe it would be appropriate to discuss the terms surrounding this decision. Does the council concur?"
XXXXXXThere were murmurs of agreement from the gods as they looked at each other and nodded.
XXXXXX"Good. Now, Pandora," sighed Hera, smiling at the newly established order, "Aphrodite has revealed to us that while you appreciate what we have given you, you long for a life that is your own to guide."
XXXXXX"That...that is true. But I mean no disrespect! You see, I just-" but Pandora was silenced as Her closed her eyes and lifted her paw.
XXXXXX"It is not necessary for you to defend your feelings. Myself and the other gods have thought about this long and hard. We believe it would be inappropriate to subject you to a measly mortal li-"
XXXXXX"Oh Hera, their lives aren't measly! They're wonderful; full of love, passion, independence-" but she was again silenced by Hera.
XXXXXX"What I mean is that given who you are and where you come from, to let you simply saunter off into, say, Pompeii, then live out a life and die like the rest of them, with your body lowered into the dirt and your soul guided into the underworld as is the usual with the mortals, would not be ideal for someone of your nobility."
XXXXXXZeus spat as Hera spoke, and she promptly brought her tail to the back of his head, which evidently worked in getting him to act more civil.
XXXXXX"Then...then what am I to do? If I can't live here, and I can't live with the mortals..."
XXXXXXHera smiled. "I never said you couldn't live with the mortals, just that we did not want you to die like them."
XXXXXX"W...what do you mean?"
XXXXXX"Pandora, it has hereby been decided by the Council of Gods that you will be honorably discharged from your service and allowed to live out the life you wish, with love and kin, with mortal health and limitations, on account of one condition."
XXXXXX"Yes! Anything, Hera."
XXXXXX"When the time comes in which your health begins to fail you and you fear you may be taking your last breath soon, you will open your box."
XXXXXXAs Hera spoke, Hermes lifted up the box that he had given to Pandora all those years ago, set it on the table, and pushed it towards her.
XXXXXXPandora didn't quite know what to do. All her life she had been terrified at the thought of opening it, and now that was all that seemingly laid between her and the life she craved.
XXXXXX"Do not worry, young child of the Earth. Your actions will not curse the world which you hold so dear."
XXXXXX"I accept your condition. I will proudly live among the mortals, guided always by my love for the gods."
XXXXXX"Then it is decided. Pandora, you will now live as one of the mortals. May your days be blessed with all the happiness that you anticipate."

[BuddyMaltese]

“It was given to me by...a very special someone, for a very special occassion. I think now is the time to see what all the excitement was about.”

XXXXXX"Mother! Mother come look quickly, we've found another carrot!"
XXXXXX"Oh have you?" Pandora stood up and laughed, brushing the dirt off of her paws.
XXXXXX"Yes! And it's a big one, I think it's even larger than my head!"
XXXXXX"You mean to tell me you've found a carrot the size of Athens itself?"
XXXXXX"Mama, my head's not that big!" giggled Pandora's daughter, "But brother's might be!"
XXXXXX"That's not fair, our heads are the same size!" the young dragon's brother shot back from the opposite end of the garden.
XXXXXX"Come now you two," Pandora walked with her daughter to join her son at the carrot garden, "your heads are equally lovely," continued Pandora, kissing the young girl on the head, "in their magnitude," she finished, granting her son the same affection.
XXXXXX"Let's pull it out Mama! Brother, you take the leaves with your tail, Mama and I will grab it from the sides."
XXXXXX"I can do it myself, I've been training to become a soldier!" The young boy puffed up his chest and grabbed the leaves with his tail, yanking on the carrot which remained rooted in the ground.
XXXXXXPandora smiles at her son's tenacity, then decided it was time to get cooking.
XXXXXX"I'll leave you two on carrot duty," she said, "I'm going to go inside and prepare supper." And with that, she turned around and began making her way back to their small clay house at the far end of the garden. While making the trip back, she couldn't help but admire the beautiful sunset behind the grassy hill upon which their home sat. Every day that wonderful star made its way across the expansive sky, and Pandora knew that Helios was always hard at work ensuring there would be a new day to look forward to after every night. After all, as the god of the sun, he took pride in providing the mortals with the light they needed for their crops and activities.
XXXXXXUnfortunately, Pandora knew her time here was becoming shorter with every one of those sunsets. Now that she had the limitations of mortals, she fell susceptible to their illnesses. It was all she could do to hide her condition from her children, but her partner was aware of her current health status.
XXXXXX"Pandora!" her partner set down the book they had been reading and rushed to her side as she stepped through the door. "How are you? You've been outside all day with the children, you should be inside resting."
XXXXXX"I know." She sat down on the sofa and took a moment to catch her breath and rest her aching limbs.
XXXXXX"Pandora," her partner said again, sitting next to her, "I don't like to see you in pain, it hurts me every time you cough or-"
XXXXXX"I know, I know. I want to make my last few moments count. I want to give the kids memories of me that they can keep with them when they grow old." She tucked her tail around herself and rested her head on her partner's chest, and they sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company and love.


[ Three weeks later ]


XXXXXX"You should have told us, mama." Pandora's daughter was sitting beside her mother's bed with her eyes closed and the rest of the household next to her.
XXXXXX"What matters to me," Pandora replied, her voice weak and shaky, "is that I was able to watch you and your brother spend your childhood having fun, and see our family grow closer every day."
XXXXXX"M...mama, do you still want this?" Pandora's son stepped forward with a black box in his tail, decorated neatly with golden filigree and the crest of the gods in the center of the lid.
XXXXXX"Yes please."
XXXXXXThe child walked over to the bed where his mother was laying and placed the contraption next to her.
XXXXXX"Thank you honey. You know," she said with a reminiscent smile, "I've wondered my whole life what was in here."
XXXXXX"You mean you've never opened it?" inquired Pandora's partner.
XXXXXX"Never. It was given to me by...a very special someone, for a very special occassion. I think now is the time to see what all the excitement was about. Come," she patted the bed, indicating for everyone to come closer. The two children sat down on either side of their mother, with Pandora's partner standing to her immediate left.
XXXXXXPandora lifted her paw and reached toward the lid, hesitating for a moment, then finally lifting it.
XXXXXX"It's...it's the stars!" gasped her daughter.
XXXXXXIndeed she was right; the inside of the box appeared to be a window into space. Little orbs of light were everywhere, with some even making up the...
XXXXXX"Constellations!" remarked the boy.
XXXXXXA few of the stars began to lift out of the box. Despite the large volume they held in outer space, in this room they were only mere centimeters. Eventually all of the stars has lifted out of the box and began floating toward Pandora, who closed her eyes and welcomed them.
XXXXXXThe stars and constellations began to settle all around her fur, becoming part of her markings. They glowed brightly for a while, the likes of which eventually calmed down into a subtle radiance.
XXXXXX"I think this means my time here has finally come to an end," Pandora whispered, opening her eyes and looking around at her family, "but I also believe now that when you look up at the..." she took a deep breath, swallowed, and continued, "...when you look up at the night sky, you may yet see a new constellation."
XXXXXX"Mother..." both her children began, tears welling up in their eyes. Pandora used what energy she had left to left her paw and wipe the tears away.
XXXXXX"Shhh," she whispered to them as the burrowed into the softness of her fur, "shhh. I will be in the stars, watching over you and giving-" she paused to caught, then collected herself once more "-giving you strength...and...and guidance..."
XXXXXX"Pandora," her partner bent down and rubbed their cheek against Pandora's, hiding the tears from the kids." They pulled back slightly, looking into Pandora's eyes, which were filled with the same mutual feelings of love and warmth. This family had given her all she had ever wanted, and thus she was able to pass having been fulfilled and happy. She took one last breath, and closed her eyes for the last time.

[BuddyMaltese]

“Life inevitably threw obstacles their way, and their capabilities and strengths were tested, but never once did either of them lose faith in their mother.”

XXXXXXPandora never truly left her family. The gods saw something great in her, something that they believed was worthy of maintaining throughout the rest of existence. Thus, her very being was preserved among the stars themselves. Indeed, when her family looked upon the night sky on the evening of Pandora's passing, they saw a bright new star right above their home. In that moment they knew it was their beloved Pandora, watching over them at all times, and missing them always.
XXXXXXEvery night when the mothers and fathers of the world tucked their baby dragons into bed, Pandora would shine upon their sleeping faces and fill them with pleasant dreams and hope for the future. She became a beacon of happiness for children and their families. During hard times, it was commonplace to pray to the Star of Pandora for guidance, and in return they were always blessed with the courage to overcome their troubles. This was the gods' final gift to her: granting Pandora the power to harness the love she developed for her own family and use it to help ones who needed it.
XXXXXXAs for Pandora's partner, they lived out a long and happy life in the company of their children. Every night they would look up at Pandora's star and thank her for everything she provided them with. During their own final moments on Earth, they laid in the same bed Pandora had, in the company of their children, and passed on peacefully, eventually joining Pandora in the night sky as a star.
XXXXXXThe children, too, had lived fulfilling lives. Life inevitably threw obstacles their way, and their capabilities and strengths were tested, but never once did either of them lose faith in their mother. The daughter made a name for herself as one of the most influential mathematicians of her time, and the son went on to become a skilled architect. He was the first of the two to pass on, and he did so with his sister by his side. When it eventually came time for her, too, to depart, she took comfort in the fact that the rest of her family was watching over her. After she passed, a fourth star appeared among the three which shone brightly over her old home. The family's love would always subsist, on account of Pandora's Box.

[BuddyMaltese]

http://pixels--galore.tumblr.com/

Female {•} Pansexual
Form by: BuddyMaltese

[BuddyMaltese]

XXXXXXAuthor's note: I wanted to use the Greek story of Pandora's box as inspiration, but put my own little twists on it. I thought it would be neat to have a celestial dragon legend similar to one of our own, and I tried to mimic the beginning of the legend of Pandora's box and from there I just kind of went where my imagination took me!
XXXXXXI also tried to keep the identities of Pandora's family vague, so that if I were to win, none of the legend would contradict any potential future breedings. That's also why in the family picture the partner and babies are grey. Plus, if whoever wins her decides to breed her, I can simply color in the appropriate markings of Pandora's mate and children!
XXXXXXThank you very much for this opportunity, it was a lot of fun to practice my writing and develop my art skills through the pieces I created for this competition. If nothing else, it motivated me to get productive and actual make art pieces that weren't quick little chibi drawings (though I do love doing those too of course!)