The Catcher beginning..
Title…
Hades had lived a long life and seen many things change throughout his time. Hades was about to live the biggest change since Prometheus gave fire to the mortals…
When Hades became the King of the Underworld, it was in pieces. Souls wandered randomly, now system or set up. Changes began the moment his foot hit the dirt. The domain enlarged to the size it had meant to be. Rivers erupted, islands came up from the earth and paradise was built. Tartarus took the longest time to rebuild because of the many caverns and Titans who already inhabited it. He used his new-found powers to expand and deepen the cavern he made mazes and layers, traps and pits. He found the God in charge, dirty and crazy to whit's, where the Pit received it name. Tartarus was in bad shape, he tried burn Hades but was too weak to conjure. As Hades dragged a screaming Pit God out of his domain, Hades used his powers to rebuild the old forsaken castle that was in ruins on the tallest hill in the Asphodel Field. Something began to change in him as he worked away, for forever it seemed, to perfect the hell mortals seemed to think it was. He became rough, but merciful. Unrelenting but compassionate. But with as meticulous and precise as he was, something was still missing.
Once Tartarus could stand on his own two feet, and talk, he thanked Hades and told him that he was forever in his debt. Tartarus introduced him to Nyx and Erebus who, oddly, already knew who he was and called him son. Soon, out of the dark corners of the earth, Gods came to him to seek home. Hades even released Chronus who, upon Hades declaration, was powerless and if he left he would turn to ash. Eventually the Underworld was pieced back together by the man who was meant to rule it.
Years later, centuries, Hades was still comfortably the King. Hades would get up when Thantos knocked telling him it was time to begin Judging. When he was finished judging, he would walk around from Field to Field, making sure everything was in the way it should be. He would normally run into a nymph or two, normally they kept their distance but they always stared. The nymphs of the Underworld were deceptive and mean, but, apparently to Tartarus, they were freaks. Hades didn't even want to know whether this was true or not. He would usually find Chronus in the Elysium Fields, playing hide and seek with the souls of departed children. Oddly enough, being locked in Tartarus for the time he was changed him. But if anyone brought Zeus up, he became vengeful. He had no love for his youngest son, only hate. He hated him for sticking him in the Pit, and for separating him and their mother, he would never forgive him either. Chronus and Hades developed a good relationship, Chronus taught him about the mistakes he had made and taught him not to let anger control you, it would overtake him and he wouldn't survive. Hades had finally had a home all his own. He had family who loved him more than his own blood.
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Hades did this for many years, slowly deepening that feeling that something was missing. He tried to get advice from Chronus, but he had no idea what he was even talking about. Hectate, the Goddess of magic, advised he take a break and find out what it was that was bugging him. Nyx hugged him and told him he just needed to sleep, and sent him to bed, like a child. He decided to take Hectate's advice and go up to the Upper world to try to relax.
Up on Olympus, while Hades was ruling his kingdom, Zeus was planning. Long had it been Zeus's goal to control the Underworld, he wanted somewhere he could take his mistresses and not have his wife question where he was. He thought of no better place other than the Underworld. Mighty Zeus sat on his throne pondering the thought as Hera came into the throne room. Hera was a strong woman, who loved her husband deeply. Although his constant cheating sent her into almost infinite rage. But as determined as he was to cheat she was just as determined to keep them together and be the picture of a perfect marriage. Hera was calm at the time, she planned on seducing him to bed tonight.
"My dear, I have a proposition." He stated sternly. This sparked her interest immediately. "I want to have the Underworld under my domain. And I want your help." She blatantly laughed at his desire for control. Hera knew that there was no possibly way for Hades to simple step down, not with as much dislike for their brother as he had.
"Oh! And how do you plan to do that? And more importantly, why?" She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning to one side giving him a doubtful look. Zeus silenced when he grinned evilly.
"A thought struck me the other day, if hades were to want to take over Olympus, he could. He has the resources and the will power, I mean, his servants are devoted to him. Aren't they not? So think if he were to ask them to help? He could have that Goddess Nyx make it eternal night." He knew in his mind this would never happen but he also knew if he planted the seed of doubt she would believe the possibility. "And if he did, where do you think the Gods who opposed him or irked him will go?" His wife sat for a moment contemplating her husband's idea. To her it seemed like if someone angered Hades enough he might, but would he really?
"He might even release the Titans." Zeus's whispers of deception brought fear running through Hera. She had never thought of the possibility. Not only would the Titans in The Pit want revenge on the Gods, but they would end the lives of their children and their worshipers, who are their main source of their powers.
"Fine. What is it you have planned?" she agreed shakily, not wanting to think about the possibility. Her husband smiled the evilly beautiful smile again, and they planned and planned till they had almost every detail in order. When she heard what her husband had planned she smiled too, feeling devious. What an amazing plan it was too.
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Thantos came into the throne room, carrying in his arms in the last soul to be judged for the night. It was the soul of a child who had died in her sleep. Poor thing was sick and was not getting better, her parents prayed to Hades that he would judge kindly as she was a child. Thantos gently set her feet on the floor to be judged. Although the child's life had been short, she had been kind to all she met and was fair for a child as young. If she had had any chance of surviving, she would have made a beautiful maiden. As Hades saw through her brief life, he noted that she sheltered and saved many a hurt women and children alongside her parents.
"Elysium, Thantos. She will wait there for her family, her grandparents are waiting." The little girl smiled at him kindly before curtsying and taking Thantos' hand, allowing him to lead her to her grandparents. Upon Thantos' return, he noticed his King's look of emptiness, and not being a man of many words, didn't know what to say.
"My Lord, if you don't mind me saying, you look somewhat off. Would you like to take a break and escape to the Upperworld for the rest of the afternoon? The Judges can take over while you are gone. Not like they are doing anything in particular." He got a dry chuckle out of Hades with his unknowingly sarcastic comment. Hades thought on this for a moment and decided it was time to pay his brother a visit, see how thing are fairing on Olympus.
"I'd planned on that, but thank you. I will go now. And don't worry I won't tell the Judges that you called them lazy." Thantos's confused expression brought a smile to Hades' face, albeit briefly, "Go and let the Judges know that they are needed, I will go and take Archippos with me. I will be back by this evening, tell Nyx to try no to skin Tartarus. He may deserve it but she needs restraint." He chuckled at his own joke. Tartarus loved to pick on Nyx and bug her, he knew when enough was enough but there was a couple of times that Erebus had to step in and separate them before his wife killed his brother. Thantos nodded and left the room, leaving Hades to his own devices.
He became lost in thought as he prepared for his travel upward. He couldn't just leave whenever he felt like weird, he had duties that he couldn't always just drop on the Judges. He was the King! If he left, the Underworld would go back to the terrible shape it was in before. He had spent centuries repairing and shaping his kingdom, before it had barely been in working order. What was nagging him? What was he so down about? He couldn't place it. He walked toward Charon's ferry, remembering when the young man came to him wanting to be part of his staff.
He was a nice looking young boy, Charon, only just the ripe age of 20. He came to Hades after exploring all the earth had to offer him, wanting to help Hades and stay in the Underworld. Charon being the son of Nyx and Erebus, Hades didn't say no. Hades asked him what he was good at, which Charon replied with a slow response.
"I'm good at boating, my Lord." Hades remembered he laughed lightly at the boy's response and told him that he was in need of a ferryman to bring new souls that wandered over from the living world across the river Styx and the river Acheron. Charon agreed wholeheartedly. Charon found in his first years of work that people were thrown off by his appearance and were never fearful of him like they should. He began wearing a long dark Himation with a long hood that covered his face. After he began wearing the robe everyone who approached feared him and did as he told them to. Years after, Charon was still a very loyal servant to Hades, he would always greet him by lifting his hood enough to see and smile brightly and kindly chat with his King. When Hades reached Charon, he smiled and greeted his longtime friend.
"My Lord, off to the Upperworld?" Charon only became talkative when Hades was on board. Hades nodded a response, choosing to continue to stare down into the river. Charon didn't notice his indifference, it was only when Hades had business upstairs that he rode the ferry. Hades preferred the shallowness of the lights in the underworld to the bright light of the mortal world.
Once Hades had made it across, he thanked Charon, who smiled in response before pulling his hood down, and made his way to the stable to gather his horse. The horses in the stable were not normal horses, they were creatures of the Underworld. Poseidon had created them out of the darkest waters he could find and the blood of other fallen horses. They were a house warming gift for cleaning up the Underworld and putting it in working order. Hades and Poseidon had a good relationship with each other, they didn't fight over the domains like Zeus had.
Once he got everything put on the animal right, he whipped the reins and Archippos was off. Archippos was a brute of a creature, biggest of the horses born this generation. The horses live at least two centuries before they stepped into the darkness of the Underworld and never returned. Nobody knew whether they died or not, the just seemed to disappear.
It wasn't long before he began to see light and feel the warmth of the Upperworld. He came up out of the mouth of a hidden cave somewhere far south of Mount Olympus. Hades smiled when he felt the warmth on his skin, heard the birds cheeping in the trees, and smelt the blooming flowers all around him. He found nature to be one of the few things about the mortal world that intrigued him. Such profound beauty, he thought, smelling a wild flower. He parked Archippos just inside the cave and slowly started towards Olympus, enjoying the scenery. He walked through the trees, quietly observing all that was around him. The birds chirped happily in the trees, there were deer drinking from a creek a little ways away, and it was peaceful. He took a deep breath and continued on slowly. He walked into a quiet opening in the trees and bent to smell the flowers, not noticing the lady tending them. Well, he hadn't noticed till she screamed bloody murder, making him jump.
"Brother Mine, don't ever do that again!" Demeter's scream resonated deep in Hades' ear, "You don't just sneak up on a lady alone." She laughed and hugged him tight. Hades pulled her deeper into a bone crushingly tight hug, making her gasp.
"I did not mean to scare you sister, I was just smelling the flowers. I didn't even know you were in the area. I'm off to go and talk with Zeus, see how things fair" Before he had been eaten up, he had loved spending time with his middle sister. She walked off towards another bush, giving then water and continuation of life.
"Okay. We will have to have dinner sometime, maybe invite Poseidon and Artemis." She suggested as he lifted his palms up towards the sky, shrugging his shoulders. He had to leave so he gave her a quick hug before departing. This time while he walked through the woods, he watched his surroundings. He slowly made his way up the mountain and was at the path leading to the doors when he was ran into Artemis. Literally. She fell back and landed on her butt, spewing swears as she got up. When she noticed it was Hades, she tackled him and hugged him around the neck.
"Hades!" she laughed loudly. She released him and smiled happily. It had been a while since she had seen him. The last time he had seen his niece, she was still very young. His gift to her when she had been born had been the ability to know when someone was lying.
"Hello Artemis. Where are you off to?" He noticed her battle garb. She shrugged, and said goodbye in a rush. He watched her curiously as she ran off somewhere. He turned back and continued on down the pathway. He saw the sun setting, smiled to himself knowing Nyx was doing her duties. When he reached the gates of Olympus they flung open as Apollo marched out angrily. He marched down the path toward him staring at the ground. Someone has really ticked him off, Hades thought.
"Where's the fire?" Hades asked, officially intrigue. Apollo stopped short, shocked to see his uncle. He smiled his pearly white smile and hugged him. Apollo had always respected his uncle, he intimidated him slightly but he knew that Hades would never hurt nor league against him.
"I wish I knew, but I must be off. Knowledge to teach you know." He waved back as he ran off, just as Artemis had. He once again turned toward the wide golden gates. Few mortals had ever been past them, hardly even seen them. You only saw what was there when it was necessary for you to see it. He walked through the gates, vividly remembering the day they drew straws. He and Poseidon knew Zeus rigged it so he would get the longest straw. But in all honestly if he had gotten another domain, would he like it? If he had ended up being ruler of the seas, would he have been a good ruler? What about the heavens? He was actually quite content with the region he received. He reached Zeus's castle to find Hera holding the door open for him. She had a very hesitant look on her face, worried yet almost relieved.
"Brother! You've come to visit us. I'm so glad." She hugged him briefly before pulling him with her through the doors and shutting them behind her. As he was pushed forward he saw that Zeus and Hypnos, the God of Sleep, were deep in conversation, which immediately stopped upon his entrance. They looked at him with eager eyes, Zeus with a full on grin. Hades immediately knew he shouldn't have come. Hera stood by the door still very cautious, she was unsure if this was the right thing to do. Zeus knew in his mind that this was going to go according to plan. Hypnos didn't care, he just wanted to get back to bed. What did the Gods matter to him?
"Well hello dearest brother. I'm so glad you could visit, but it seems that maybe you shouldn't have." Hades felt something creep up his back and up to his neck, biting him and paralyzing him on the stop. Every muscle in his body relaxed at once and he fell to the ground in a heap. Eyes still wide and looking franticly around. He looked directly at Hera who was standing staring open mouthed. His bright gray eyes were full of emotion and pleading for her help but she turned a blind eye, an act he would never forget.
"You see Brother Mine, I've been thinking," Something you should never do. Hades thought, You will pay for this Zeus, so help me, you will pay.
"You have control of the Underworld and all its inhabitance, who probably outnumber the inhabitance of the waking world. If you were to, say, want to over throw me and take over up here, you would have the man power. So on that note you will now go to bed, Brother Mine, and hopefully you will never wake up again." Zeus came close to Hades' face, grinning from ear to ear. He tried to fight the exhaustion that suddenly overtook him and coursed through him. He had never done anything to deserve this, Zeus definitely would pay. Hades drifts into a deep sleep, the kind that would kill the normal mortal.