A/N: In order to understand this story fully, you will need a bit of background information. I suggest you read the Orpheus legend in Ovid's "Metamorphoses" -- it's quite short (you only really need to read "Orpheus and Eurydice" and "The Death of Orpheus"). Here's a summary, if you don't want to read it:

Orpheus and Eurydice get married, but it's not blessed by the gods. Eurydice goes wandering through a field and gets bitten on the ankle by a snake. She dies. Orpheus is devastated and goes on a quest to retrieve her from Hades. He is a bard, and his song moves Hades and his wife to where they decide to let him have Eurydice back, as long as he can lead her out of the Underworld without looking back at her. He agrees, but he fears she is falling behind and glances back. She fades away, dying a second time. Orpheus tries to go back, but is prevented. He swears off the company of women and continues to live as a bard for many, many years. The women are really miffed that he doesn't want them and they work themselves into a frenzy, then kill all the animals around him and tear him into pieces and throw his head into a river. His head goes floating by a snake, which tries to bite it, but Apollo intervenes and Orpheus goes to the Underworld.

This was my final for a writing class I took in college.

Please review!

As he searched the Elysian Fields,

he found the wife he had lost and held her close in his arms.

At last the lovers could stroll together, side by side --

or she went ahead and he followed; then Orpheus ventured in front

and knew he could now look back on his own Eurydice safely.

--"The Death of Orpheus" from Ovid's "Metamorphoses"

After Death

Awareness came slowly. First, a small twitch of the finger. Then, a fluttering of eyelashes and the soft rise and fall of his chest. Orpheus' eyes flickered open, and groaning, he rolled over onto his side. Slowly, his eyes became accustomed to the darkness, and pushing himself up, he carefully took in his surroundings. In the distance, he could see a softly glowing light. But it was the sound that made him realize where he was.

Crying. Millions of voices mixing together into one cacophonous din. It was a sound so eerily familiar that he had to follow it to see if his suspicions were correct. Cautiously, he began to stumble in the darkness towards it.

Finally, he stopped at the edge of a great river, filled with the shades of millions of people. Orpheus nodded to himself, confirming his suspicion that he was once again in the Underworld. He supposed that, perhaps, this was yet another nightmare -- for he had experienced many nightmares after his failed attempt to retrieve his wife from Hades. And yet, this time felt different somehow.

With a sigh, he followed the pull of the river downstream for what felt like miles, until he reached a turn in the river. Rounding the curve, Orpheus had to stop suddenly to shield his eyes from the unexpected brightness. In front of him, a wide, grassy field stretched out for miles, swaying slightly in the breeze. Assured that anything was better than stumbling around in the dark surrounded by the cries of the lost, Orpheus silently entered the field, brushing aside an errant butterfly that tried to land on his shoulder. After walking for a few minutes, he turned around to see where he had come from, and noticed with a jolt of surprise that all he could see was unending meadow; the river had faded completely. Turning forward again, he continued towards a dark mass in the distance that he hadn't noticed before -- trees.

Soon, he heard the rushing of water and the sounds of women singing. Recognizing that he was in an inhabited area, he slowed down and began to walk more cautiously than before. Suddenly, two men leaped out from behind a bush. Orpheus jumped, but the men did not notice him; they just continued chasing each other through the trees. Several woman walked by chattering among themselves, not even sparing a glance for the newcomer. Slightly confused, Orpheus continued to walk through the trees, following a path that crossed the river on a fallen log and continued through the forest. A few miles later, the trees began to thin and Orpheus saw another meadow.

Reaching the edge of the meadow, Orpheus noticed a doe standing stock-still a short distance away from him. The doe twitched its nose once at him, then turned tail and bounded across the meadow and out of sight. Orpheus took a few steps into the meadow, only to stop once again when the doe returned, but this time accompanied by another figure dressed in white robes. Frozen, Orpheus simply stared at the figure, who was bending over to pet the doe, her long hair waving behind her in the breeze. He felt his breath catch in his throat when she looked up at him with a glowing smile, for even at a distance, he recognized the figure of his beloved Eurydice.

Orpheus took a few tentative steps towards her, his mind reeling. Eurydice matched him, and before he knew what was happening, both were running towards each other. Reaching her side, Orpheus caught her in his arms and held her close, burying his head in her hair and inhaling her familiar scent. She relaxed in his arms for a few minutes before pulling away with a small laugh. Orpheus looked at her quizzically, and in response she simply pulled a similar white garment off of her arm and offered it to him. It was then that Orpheus realized he was naked.

After clothing himself, Orpheus again embraced Eurydice, allowing two solitary tears to fall from his eyes. Brushing them away gruffly, he pulled away and looked at her. "How is it possible that I am here?" he asked, his voice cracking from emotion.

Eurydice looked at him tenderly and kissed his cheek. "You do not remember?" she questioned. Orpheus shook his head. With a small sigh, Eurydice sat down on the ground and motioned for Orpheus to do the same.

"You have entered the Underworld," she explained. "We are in the Elysian Fields with the other men and women who have been judged worthy." Orpheus looked at her, hope shining in his eyes.

"Then this is not a dream?"

"No," she said with a smile. "I'm afraid you're here to stay." Relief on his face, Orpheus leaned forward and kissed his wife.

Much later, Eurydice stood up, looking down at Orpheus. "Come," she said. "I have much to show you, and we need to get to the garden before dark."

Getting to his feet, Orpheus took Eurydice's hand, allowing her to lead him. Walking through the meadow, he admired the way the setting sun framed her figure. Eurydice looked back at him and smiled. "We are getting close now," she murmured, tugging his hand.

Several minutes later, Orpheus began to hear voices: children laughing, men and women talking, and several women singing. Eurydice led him to a small stream up ahead. Stepping nimbly on a series of rocks spanning the stream, she crossed, pulling Orpheus along behind her.

On the other side of the stream, many people were wandering under the trees, picking fruit from branches that were always heavy with food. Eurydice and Orpheus entered the garden, hand in hand. Several people ran up to Eurydice, and she introduced Orpheus to them. Smiling, they welcomed him to the garden, and invited him to eat whatever he wished. He complied, realizing with surprise that he was actually quite hungry.

The next morning, Eurydice took him on a long tour through the garden, which stretched for miles. Hand in hand, they strolled along the well-kept paths, stopping occasionally to try the different fruits, especially the ones that Orpheus had never seen before. It was here, in these gardens, that Orpheus finally felt as if he had come home.

Wandering through the garden soon became a morning ritual for the pair. Every day, they could be found walking under the fruit trees side by side, or occasionally with Eurydice leading. However, Orpheus never tried to lead Eurydice, a fact which she quickly picked up on and resolved to ask him about. That was why, several days later, she pulled him down to the ground beside her underneath the shade of a large birch tree. He looked at her quizzically, and tentatively, she broached the subject.

"I've noticed over the past few weeks that you will go out of your way to ensure that you never walk in front of me. Is something wrong?"

Orpheus flushed slightly, embarrassed that his wife had noticed his odd behavior. "It's nothing," he muttered.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Eurydice stated.

Orpheus sighed. "It's just... well, I'm afraid that if I go ahead of you, I'll look back and you will disappear again. I don't think I could handle that," he stated, refusing to meet Eurydice's gaze.

Eurydice leaned forward, resting her hand on her husband's knee. She spoke, her voice full of compassion. "I'm not going anywhere, Orpheus."

He continued to stare at the ground. "But you did last time," he murmured.

"Last time was an exception, Orpheus, as you know full well. The gods knew you would not be able to bring me out of the Underworld, but they still let you try, just in case they were surprised. As you stated yourself, everyone eventually belongs to Hades. Now, you and I are both here, and nothing will separate us again."

Orpheus looked up at her, hope blazing in his eyes. "You are sure?" he whispered.

Eurydice nodded. "I am certain." Then, gently leaning forward, she kissed him. "Why don't you take me to your favorite place here in Elysium?"

Orpheus paused for a moment, thinking. Then, standing up, he took her hand and tentatively took a few steps forward. Looking back, he fixed his eyes on Eurydice's reassuring gaze and felt the encouraging comfort of her hand in his. Slowly, his mouth curved upwards into a smile and he began to laugh from sheer relief. Eurydice joined his laughter, and he wrapped his arms around her, spinning her through the air. Then, taking her hand again, Orpheus led Eurydice back to his favorite place in the Elysian Fields: the place where he first saw her. They stayed there until morning.