Hello everyone! I apologize with how long it took me to update this week. Recovery from surgery took much longer than I expected and I am finally in my right mind without a load of pain pills to make me crazy. Thanks so much to all of you who have stuck through with me through thick and thin! Quite a lot has been changed from the first story and I hope you are all open to this new adaptation and version. All of the relationships are pretty much the same, I have tried to keep them all as close to the last story as possible and the plot is the exact same. I just tried to make this a more mature piece that you readers will be able to understand much easier! The only thing that is REALLY different in this story is the beginning relationship between Persephone and Hades.
So this is the newly re-written version of the Fall of Light and I am very proud to present Chapter 1 of Fallen Light!
"I have not yet dismissed you, Brother!" The God King clenched the arms of his marble stone, attempting to control his usually calm demeanor.
The God with closely cropped, dark hair and pale green eyes turned slowly and reluctantly towards his youngest brother, "Until you have…" he paused, looking for a careful word that would not offend his sensitive sibling, "determined… what our next move is, my time here is done." He turned and continued his slow and steady gait down the white steps from the throne room.
Zeus stood up and whispered in frustration, "Hades!"
The God of the Underworld stopped on the last step but did not turn this time, knowing full and well that he had to obey the youngling as much as it grieved and pained him to do so. Hades only followed what must be enforced and no more. His brother did not merit any more respect than what Hades had already begrudgingly bestowed—which was practically nothing. He remained silent and let Zeus continue, "We must consult with the Olympians."
Hades jaw clenched and he bit back a rhetorical remark, "So let it be done."
The dark ruler motioned for the Shade, a mortal spirit who had not passed into the afterlife, who was waiting in the royal hallway, to follow him. He took his helmet from her but did not place it on his head as he vanished out of view of his brothers.
Poseidon sighed as he turned to Zeus, "We haven't seen him in almost ten thousand years… you would think he would be reluctant to return to that pit of hell."
The youngest brother shook his curly, shoulder-length hair, "We do not need him, Poseidon. This is absolutely ridiculous. If our eldest brother does not wish to confer amongst us as a Godhead, then why should we parade him here only to allow him to humiliate us? No more, Brother! No more."
The King of the Sea rose in agitation, "Come now, do not speak so foolishly! We cannot do this without him."
Zeus took a deep breath and looked to his right where his stoic wife sat as still as a statue. The God King turned back to his older brother, "Hera and I are the rulers over all of you fools. I cannot allow such maltreatment in this court—"
"Take heed, Husband. Our eldest brother is not to be trifled with." The Queen interrupted him in an authoritative tone.
He whipped back to the beautiful Goddess and eyed her warily, "Are you doubting my power over Hades?"
Another female voice echoed into the throne room as a wild-haired, bronze skinned woman appeared, "Do not let your pride take over in a time like this!"
"Demeter," Poseidon straightened, ready for a battle between Goddesses.
The halls echoed in frustration as Demeter closed the gap between her and the King of Lightning, "Don't you dare lose your focus on the task at hand, Brother. You know as well as I, the consequences we shall face if Hades is not involved."
"Calla, send word to Thanatos immediately. We will not be accepting any more visitors to the Underworld… All Deity is banned from my realm. If they enter, I order him to kill them." Hades spoke calmly although in a rushed urgency that the Shade knew better than to question. She vanished from her master as water vapor evaporates from the rushing waterfalls.
Hades slowed to a stop after the exit of his servant and covered his eyes with his hand as the burning sun blasted rays over him. He was outside the steps of Zeus's multi-column domain atop Mount Olympus. Fields of long, unnaturally green grass spread as far as he cared to look. The hand that shielded his sensitivity to light, trailed down his cheek, reminding him of his short, coarse facial scruff that he hated so much. His hand dropped to the helmet underneath his other arm and he placed it on his head. Hades shook himself; he refused to appear anything like his younger brothers who were so quick to throw away their armor for thin robes and who let their hair grow out and their beards become untamed in some idea that they would appear more intimidating.
Fools, he thought to himself. They believed they were invincible and untouchable. What he wouldn't give to force them into a battle arena. They would surely lose against him. His deep red cloak around his armor waved in the wind when he began his slow pace once more towards his home, where he belonged. As he trailed through the grass, not yet in the mood to call for his chariot, he closed his eyes and let the heat of the day heat the engraved, bronze armor in relish. He soon would be in the chilly presence of the dead once more and he was not so anxious to return to the Gods that resided there just yet. Thanatos, his second in command and the God of Death itself, would take care of his Kingdom for a few minutes longer, surely. He would not be missed.
"Capillum nigrum, tenellus, oculos… Osculatus fuero faciem quae est somniculosis."
Hades looked up when he heard words being sung in the mortals' language and saw a figure bent low in the tall grass. He knew he was invisible with his helmet, so he stopped where he stood and watched this young girl with the beautiful and ethereal voice sing.
"Quasi colore caeli Ι vado tergum ad litus, Ι animadverto desiderio, conquirentes in abscondito…"
He never came to Olympus unless forced and he knew no deity beyond the twelve Olympians and usually he did not care to find out who had been spawned from his idiotic brother and his adulterous tendencies but this was different. Her voice was angelic and granted him with dreams of perfection more so than even Elysium could offer him. Who was this young Goddess who tended to the wild fields and sang as if she was joyful about her tedious and tiresome work?
The girl stood and smiled down at her craft before letting her hair loose and taking off in a run through the fields. Hades could only follow in wonderment at this new deity's spontaneous and refreshing personality.
He followed strawberry blonde curls through fields and meadows until a she reached a small pool of crystal clear water and began to wade into its shallow depths. She continued her song,
"Video ex in profundo atram tenebris obtutum,via obscura tempestas factusin colore caeli. Cur non tu obturatio, sed inducet noctem neglegentes tam frigidum!"
He smiled to himself as she let her hands glide over the surface of the water. He repeated her verses back to her in their own language, "I see out in the deep your black, dark gaze…a dark path the weather becomesin the color of the sky. Why don't you stopbut bring the night regardlessof the cold!"
She turned quickly in alarm, "Who's there?"
There was no response and she bit her lip nervously, "That better not be you, Hermes!"
Her eyes were the color of sweet honey and glowed from the sunlight that reflected off the water. Her hair was as wondrous as rose gold and flailed about as she searched for the owner of the voice. Hades was rather amused. He hadn't let himself have any sort of fun for quite some time. He decided not to respond to her call and let her relax once more, although it took longer than he would have liked. He knew he should be leaving but something much stronger than his guilty conscience willed him to stay.
After humming the melody for a few minutes, the girl continued as she played in the water again, "Capillum nigrum, tenellus, oculos… Osculatus fuero faciem quae est somniculosis."
"Black hair, tender eyes, I kiss a facewhich is dreamylike the color of the sky." He whispered back to her. Instead of getting the pleasure out of her fear and uncertainty, the young Goddess smiled when she heard his voice again.
To his surprise, she continued her song long enough to hear a translation in return, "In tenebris ego videre stellas, per fenestram, in alte. Accendens, iter nostrum iterum. Finge, amissum cor."
He entertained her wishes, "In the darkness I see stars from the window up high,lighting our path again.Imagine that, lost heart…"
Her small lips curved into an excited smile as she finished the last line in the language of her mysterious interpreter, "Come back again."
After a moment's pause, Hades whispered to her, coming closer to the pond than ever before, "Iterum venio…"
"Who are you?" the girl asked curiously. She neared where she had last heard his voice and sat on the shore line, letting the small pool water lap around her legs that were tucked underneath her.
Again, she received no response. Frowning, she tilted her head and looked down at her hands in her lap, "Are you only here when I sing?"
Hades was silent, not sure if he should carry on with her or if he should take his leave. He ached for her name but knew better. He was becoming as easily distracted as his younger brothers! How they would be laughing at him right now if they could see this exchange! How was he so easily entranced by a child deity when he had never been so much as interested in the female species since the beginning of his time?
"Shall I sing once more, then? I feel your presence, so I know you haven't left me yet." The girl questioned. She was very unsure of herself but she found herself enjoying her odd companion.
Hades watched her sigh when he, again, did not respond. He surely could not just leave her sitting there so pathetically, could he?
"I do not require a melody to hear you sing. Just your words are enough." He offered her.
The Goddess was delighted and she made a small squeal of pleasure at his company once more, "I think the mortals' words are beautiful. I never tire of watching them go throughout their day. Their lives are so… short. I believe they must surround themselves in beauty so that they can enjoy themselves for as long as possible. I try to help them but mother tells me I shouldn't."
Hades seated himself at the base of a tree, the fox hide atop his shoulders on his cloak was supplying him with more warmth than he was ready to accept and if he was going to be with this girl any longer than he had already been, he required shade, "And why do you do this? Does it entertain you in some way to see those mortals happy?"
She did not miss his negative tone, "How cruel you are! They live for mere seconds compared to the lives we lead and you are so quick to judge that they do not deserve my help? I enjoy seeing children play together and young people fall desperately in love. They are so free…"
Turning his gaze back to her, he questioned, "And you are not free? Pray tell, what liberties have you been deprived of that the mortals hang over your head?"
Not happy with his comment, she retorted, "They have done nothing against me. I admire their vigor and dreams when they know that they will die shortly. To keep living in such drive is something I always try to apply in my own life."
He did not know what to say to her. Who was this girl? She was so wise and yet so naïve and trusting. He sighed, "All the world is good in your eyes. Must be a pleasant fantasy to dwell in."
"Who are you?" She asked urgently, again.
Hades shook his head to himself, "I'd rather not say, if it's all the same to you."
She smiled, "Are you afraid I will find you good and pleasant?"
He actually chuckled, "If only. Please let a poor man enjoy the company of a youth in peace."
The blonde looked embarrassed and lowered her gaze back to her lap where her soft yellow dress glided in the lapping water. She sighed and opened her mouth to say something but then closed it just as fast.
"Persephone!" she heard her name being called and she frowned deeply.
Hades recognized the voice of Apollo, the foppish boy who enjoyed playing with fire. Persephone… that must be her name. It was beautiful but very ironic and it pleased him. Persephone… She who eats the light… it was not a suiting name at all but with her generous personality it was amusing. He didn't even want to guess how she was given the title. He never would understand the Gods who resided amongst the living.
"Does he displease you?" Hades caught himself asking Persephone.
"Who? Apollo?" she said quickly, "No, he is sweet to me, I am just not fond of being treated like a child. I feel he is more of my guard than suitor."
This struck a chord with the God of the Underworld and he did not like the feeling he received when she told him of her having a husband to be. He clenched his jaw tightly as the sun-tanned boy came running in all his golden glory. Apollo was only wearing an underskirt beneath his skimpy gilded armor and Hades could tell that the Sun God had still not yet grown into his full adult body yet even though he centuries older than this young Persephone seemed to be.
"Where have you been? Your mother wants you to accompany her on her run this evening." He grabbed Persephone's hands and pulled her out of the water with gusto. She went flying into his arms and splashed the invisible Hades in the process. He hissed angrily and Apollo looked around him, "What was that?"
Persephone bit her lip, "Nothing."
"Weren't you just talking to someone?"
She shook her curls, "Only to myself."
Apollo looked at her as an older brother ready to chastise a young sister, "Always my little imaginative child… you know that no one will answer you back when you speak aloud? It is best that you keep those silly thoughts in your head so that no one will hear you and you will not embarrass yourself."
Persephone looked upset but said nothing. She broke the contact between them and started wringing out her dress so that she would not be dripping into the dirt and muddy herself up.
Apollo sighed in defeat, "Your mother is waiting for you in the Great Halls, come and I will take you to her."
As the two young deities made their way through the fields, Hades stood and took off his helmet, relieved to feel the cool breeze against his face once more. He watched Persephone fade into the distance but was not prepared to see her shove the escorting arm of Apollo away from her. She appeared to be very upset about something enough to make Apollo leave her and disappear so that she could continue her journey the rest of the way alone. Angry, Persephone glanced back at her previous haunt where she had been conversing with the mysterious voice only to see a grown man standing next to a tree by the pool.
She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him, soaking him in from head to foot. Persephone had never seen him before and found herself unable to look away. He had shortly cropped, dark brown hair and days old scruff around his face that she guess would normally be clean shaven. His heavy eyes sloped down in a forlorn expression that made him seem less intimidating and more sad than anything but still regal and more handsome than ever. He had a fur pelt atop his shoulders that rested on a dark burgundy cloak. His armor was ornately dressed in silver and his breast plate gilded in bronze. His wrist cuffs extended to his elbows where his undergarments, which were also the color of his cloak, were carefully tucked in. He had boots instead of the gladiator sandal that most of the Gods inhabited. He looked as though he was clothed for chilly air but even in the warm sun, he was beautiful sight to behold.
He held a General's helmet underneath his arm that sported black fur instead of the dyed red fringe that the soldiers of Sparta would sport. In the blink of an eye, a large horse seemed to sprout from the ground and the man quickly jumped on and disappeared…
Was he the owner of the voice? Who was this figure that wished to be hidden from sight yet not absent of her presence?
Persephone knew that if she dawdled any longer after the man that had disappeared, she would be in more trouble than she wished to think. She quickly turned and started up at a run towards Demeter and her ridiculous suitor, Apollo.
"My Lord," Charon bowed as Hades stepped off the gondola and onto his domain from the River Styx, "It is a pleasure to have you back once more. The mortals are awaiting your judgment."
Hades raised his hand slightly, letting the ferryman know that he understood. The helmet beneath his arm vanished and as if sensing its master, the two pronged fork appeared in front of the God. He snatched it quickly and used it for support as he climbed the stairs to his throne where all the deceased mortals were huddled in small groups, frightened of his arrival. He was used to this, being so dreaded and how easily terror and fear would grip anyone he laid his eyes on.
"Thanatos!" he called loudly, giving the spirits quite the shudder and worried whispers filled his court but he paid them no heed.
Cerberus, his loyal three-headed dog, slowly emerged out of one of the dark corners of the room and joined Hades' side as he quickly closed the space to the throne. A younger-looking God rushed into the court and bowed upon seeing Hades seated, "Yes, my Lord?"
"I expect you received my message?" Hades questioned.
Thanatos nodded and his light brown hair swayed, "Yes," he made eye contact after giving a respectful nod and placing his hand on his breastplate where his heart would be, "What is going on up there? Hermes just left before I was sent the orders by Calla from you; he says it's a mad house on Olympus. There is hardly any peace and order and-"
Hades silenced him, "Hermes does not belong here any longer."
Thanatos bowed his head, "Yes, my Lord, he has been informed, I assure you."
A woman dressed from head to toe in white knelt down next to the God of Death, "Lord Hades, I must request an audience with you as well."
Hades gave a flick of his fingers to motion for them to stand as he got to his feet himself, "Very well, we might as well gather Hypnos and Charon too. Meet me in Elysium, it is not safe here." He glanced to the spirits around them and the two deity on their knees understood what he meant.
The King of the Underworld never trusted mortals and it was more than treacherous to openly speak around the dead spirits when they had not passed over into their afterlife. With the monsters that resided in Tartarus, Hades did not need any of the creatures in that realm hearing about any disturbances. It was too risky. The titans were banished to the darkest corners of hell and yet the only one he was truly worried about was Cronos. It had been far too long that peace had prospered in the Underworld. It was only a matter of time before Hades' father would make a move and strike again.
Hades was not sure that he could suppress the Titan this time.