"Hades?"
He doesn't know how he got here. Still as a statue on the side walk of the busy town Lina once called home, amidst the small crowd of people that push past him as they go about their day. He doesn't know how he could ever return to any normal day or night or life now.
Hades doesn't know how he got here. Well, actually that's a lie. Lina wanted to see her friends again, even if that meant leaving the Underworld with her husband in her goddess form to see them as they walked
"Hades..."
The voice stops him in his tracks. It's breathy and broken and so familiar that it frightens him. He wants to turn around and confirm his thoughts but he begins to believe that when he does she will vanish. His mind is really that cruel. But slowly, Hades turns his head and his mouth falls open slightly.
"Carolina?"
He has to ask, just in case it isn't her, just in case his eyes are deceiving him. The woman in front of him shakes her head, her tired eyes looking up at him apologetically - she must regret this now.
"Per... Persephone?" He whispers; her averted eyes is his only confirmation.
It's Carolina's body, he knows. But Persephone is there, it's her. His once bride. His once love – the love that was never returned. He gave her all that he had and still she didn't want anything to do with him. She's dressed in a green dress that stops just above her knees, a white cardigan draped over her shoulders and a pair of black flats adorning her feet. In her hand is a plastic bag and he can see from here that her knuckles are turning an unusual shade of white.
Hades is not sure why he still dreams of her, his beautiful bride. She did not love him the way that Carolina does but that never stops him. He stole Persephone not Carolina, he loved the goddess before the mortal. But Persephone did not want him and Carolina warmed his heart (but she didn't plant the seed, help it grow only to tear it from the ground taking her smile that could light up his dark kingdom with her). Persephone wanted to leave and Carolina wanted to stay so he loved the latter as furious and as passionately as he (would've, could've) loved the first.
"What... What are you doing here? Where's Carolina?" He asks the woman who takes the form of his lover.
Her eyes dim, "She's here? Where?"
Hades narrowed his eyes at his former queen, his deep voice erupting from his chest, "Why must you know?"
Persephone shrunk back at the loud sound, even in Carolina's body he could still see, sense the beautiful goddess that feared him. Her lips tightened into a straight line of red and her eyes narrowed. Even now, Hades thought to himself, sighing inwardly. She would yell now, demand respect and freedom and he, in return would mock her, yelling back before she would run and he would follow, begging. For Persephone he always begged, for Carolina he was given what he desired (but what if he desired the goddess instead of the mortal?)
Her fists in clenched and her face fell, arms wrapping around herself protectively and Hades just stared when she looked up at him wearily, "You're still so cold to me..."
Hades gaped at her as she continued, "I have had my freedom, tasted love and life away from my mother's demanding eyes and your hard, tortured, pleading soul and yet... What's she like, the mortal girl Lina? She loves you well, doesn't she? Wise and beautiful, your soul mate... Perfect for you not like..."
'Like me' isn't said but Hades can hear it dancing in the air and taunting his ears. He doesn't say anything and neither does she. Oh, what does she want?! Why must she torture him like this?
"I want my life back. My body, my role."
He's about to walk away when she says this, well, she yells at his retreating form.
He doesn't know what to say, and in utter disbelief he turns on his heel and stares back at the woman, even through Lina's form he can still see the goddess' vibrant violet eyes staring back at him as her thick, mahogany coloured hair falls over her shoulders. Persephone lips curl upwards slightly; she knows she has his attention. Why must she come back to haunt him like so? But her lips fall as she begins to finish her statement.
"I wish to return to the Underworld, my lord-"
This time Hades isn't so calm, he stalks his way towards her, anger consuming his features; she doesn't even flinch, like the spirited goddess she is, not even when he yells in her face, growling threateningly.
"You had that choice, Persephone, years ago! YOU CANNOT TAKE BACK WHAT YOU NEVER HAD!"
It is she who walks away then, slowly as she turns her back on him. If she cries he doesn't know, nothing gives it away as he watches her leave, leave him (like he never got to before, he reminds himself).
Later when he's making love to his dear Lina (Lina is here, Persephone is not. Lina loves him, Persephone does not) he has to bite his lip to stop himself from moaning, gasping, shouting the wrong name.
(Blood and crushed pomegranates look quite similar spilled onto the ground, do they not?)
The mere thought of her makes him cry but he makes sure Lina doesn't see him cry. Hades can't or else she'll ask questions and he can't tell Lina (because Lina is here, Persephone is not, Lina loves him, Persephone does not - no matter how much he wants her to).
Hades may be the God of the Underworld but he's also the God of Treasures.
Persephone is the only treasure he wants but can never have, it doesn't matter how many tears are cried.
Now, I haven't read the 'Goddess of Spring' because the Hades/Persephone myth is my absolute favourite and I didn't really want a mere mortal getting in the way of that! Sue me. So in my angst I wrote some Hades/Persephone-turned-Caroline angst. And okay, I plan on reading it so I can get mad and use the fire to spew more of these up because… it's pretty good (in my head, alright. Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over).
Leave reviews/your wonderful constructive criticism, pleeeeaseeee?
I hope you enjoyed, whomever stumbled upon this.
Thanks for reading,
Shareena.
