Hello all you beloved readers!~ I'm back!...and yes...I know I'm late...Forgive me? I'm onto my third day of college and still trying to get the swing of things, so updating will...remain sporadic! :D I know you're all excited to see where this is going, considering it's...quite a different lead than what I was going with with it's Prequel. Anyway, I'll have the first challenge up soon!

PLEASE REVIEW and tell me how intriguing you think the beginning is. :)

If anyone has any good...sadistic challenges, message me about them.

And yes, Insanity is My second name, I'm hoping you'll come up with a good one too! xD

Okay okay, enough of me! Onto the story!~

Part II

Waiting.

I had nothing to do but wait.

Sitting outside in the sunshine on one of the large boulders in a clearing, I sighed and looked down at the river flowing nearby. Unknown to me at the time, the Underworld was actually surrounded by an enchanted forest, forever kept green and flourishing by the spirits who had come to dwell there.

Hades had been kind enough to show me around me after we got back, perhaps trying to change my mind from the Challenge. He would do anything to try and get me to choose otherwise.

Zeus had agreed to my Challenge and decreed it would be in a week, giving the Gods time to pick their tasks for me. It had been deathly quiet for a time, I found I was the only one breathing in the entire room. Zeus' look of shock dissipated quickly and it turned into a sneer of cruelty. I had managed to keep from shaking as he leaned back and scoffed at me, then glanced at me with a look so full of coldness it made my blood run thick and cold it felt. The tile beneath my feet was all I could focus on to not lose my will.

Hard, cold, smooth stone I was standing on. It wasn't damp, and it wasn't opaque either. It shone like a soft glimmer, something suitable only for the Gods. I used my toes to feel the texture as I kept my face rigid towards Zeus, if I gave an inkling of fear he would cast my request away immediately. He stood in front of his throne and pondered the Challenge briefly, and replied with what it was so hurriedly I vaguely wondered if he had been waiting only for this day to get ahold of me if I failed.

Zeus said each of those with a throne in the court would give me a task, Hades excluded for personal reasons and thus Zeus would be allowed two challenges. They would grow increasingly difficult, and if I either fail to complete the task or die in the process, then my eyes belong to Zeus and I can never return from death. Then without another word he threw me from Olympus (a very frightening experience if you can imagine being throne to Earth from Olympus by a God with unfathomable strength) and said I would be summoned in a week by Hermes.

It had only been a two days since then, though it felt like months were dragging by. I shifted and turned to lay on my back, putting my hands behind my head to watch the clouds go by. There was a soft breeze that blew by, sounding like the music of the forest.

What have I gotten myself into?... Hades is angry, Zeus will do everything he can to kill me, I don't exactly have the greatest relationship with most of the Gods, Demeter especially I'm sure won't be very happy.

I breathed deeply as I continued to think about what was to come. I didn't have any real talents for taking on the Challenges, other than a will of fire to defeat them and become immortal. I rolled over on the rock, watching some birds fly off into the distance.

Maybe I'm not doing what I should be…maybe I shouldn't take the immortal challenges…I could even see Seth again perhaps…

I shook my head, no. I let Seth go, I had Hades for me now and he was someone I was always going to be able to rely on to care for me.

Hades…..

The fire built inside of my stomach as I thought about him. He was the reason I was doing these. I wasn't doing it just to live forever, I was doing it because I wanted to live forever with him. I smiled and rolled back to see the beautiful sky, the clouds gently floating over it. I could feel the my will strengthening itself. I knew why I was doing this, if only I could make him understand too.

I got up from the rock, the sun now casting a bright orange and red sunset from the distance, and walked over to the base of the river, a pool at the bottom of a Cliffside. Maybe there was still a way I could change his mind, to show him I can do this; I know he wants it too. I walked deeper into the waters and took another step before I was passing through the Cliffside entirely and walking straight back into my room, my own special portal had been created when Hades had seen how much I loved it.

I inhaled deeply as I stepped back into my room, the scent soothing to my stressed senses at the time, then walked over to the bedside to see a note from Hades next to a tray of food. I picked up the ashen colored paper and read it:

Aislinn,

I had some business to attend to above. Make sure you eat, and don't get into trouble please. I'll be back as soon as I can, and until then stay away from the River Styx.

Yours Truly,

Hades

Looking at his handwriting made me smile, it fitted somehow, although I'd seen his writing on various other documents and this was nothing compared to his elegant style. I set the note down and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. All this thinking was eating away at my energy, and tolerance level. Thank goodness there was no one around this late at night, all the ghosts were retired to whatever it is they do at night (I've yet to figure it out). I opened the hall door before going to the bathroom and whistled softly, a few moments later a large, golden-maned lion was padding his way down the corridor. In all of my excitement from getting back from Olympus I'd asked Hades for a pet lion, which he happily gave.

"Come on Aslan," I said and opened the door wider for him, he gave me a lion smile with deep soulful eyes, golden just like his coat, then pranced over to my bed and happily took up his share, watching me as I locked the bedroom door and headed towards the bathroom. After showering and changing into something comfortable to sleep in (I asked Hades if he would be kind enough to bring me some clothes from the above world). Since the maids were already gone for the evening I didn't bother summoning them to make a fire, I simply crawled under the covers and snuggled up close to Aslan for heat.

"Hades should be back by tomorrow morning," I yawned and settled in comfortably, Aslan gave me a noise to tell me that he'd heard me and was soon purring like the cat he was. Smiling I followed him soon after.

Something in the middle of the night woke me up with a fright. I looked around the dark room wildly and realized Aslan wasn't beside me. Scared of what it was that could have woken me up I fumbled to reach for the lamp, there was a heavy breathing coming from nearby. My eyes widened, my hand felt like lead as I reached out for the switch. The breathing became louder, it was coming closer to me. Fear struck deep inside of me, I couldn't move, I panicked and began looking for anyway to possibly get out of this situation.

"Aslan," I tried to choke out, too afraid to breath hardly. I heard it move, and something brushed against my arm, I thrashed to the side with all my might and knocked the lamp over , shattering it all over the stone before I had a chance to turn it on.

My breath catches in my throat, choking myself.

Everywhere I look there's another noise to haunt me.

"Who's there?" I mumbled out, trying to find a shred of courage inside of me to face whatever it was I couldn't see. There was more deep breathing and I could feel its presence moving closer. My heart pounded in my ears, the fear reeking the air around me, paralyzing me inside its madness.

"Get away from me!" I yelled at it praying I could try to hit. Swinging my arm in the general direction of where the breathing was coming from, but there was nothing, until I felt it grab my arm again, this time licking at the back of my neck, his cold fingers and hands almost burning my skin they were so frozen.

"n-No, stop!" I tried to scream, but my voice was forced away inside my throat. Each moment the hands grew tighter and the fear was solid in my heart.

I felt his teeth where his tongue had been and tried to resist him, but all I felt was the razor sharp teeth biting into my neck with a burning I couldn't describe and the warm sticky fluid running down my back. My skin burned, every nerve in my body felt alive to the pain in my neck.

Every gasp was torture, I reached around to feel the blood soak my hand in an instant.

The thing behind me gave a maniacal laugh and shoved his fingers inside of the gash he had made. The most unimaginable scream came from my lips as the pain overwhelmed everything else around me, my limbs trembled in shock and pain, and I could feel the life being pulled out of me from it. Suddenly, there was white everywhere. I was throwing myself awake.

I sat up in bed and threw whatever had been on top of me off, nothing but a cover, and tried to focus my eyes on the darkness still around me, but it was pitch dark. The lamp was on next to me, and Aslan was sitting up on the bed looking at me with deeply concerned eyes. I sat there in shock for a moment, and raised my hand up to the back of my head, almost afraid to find out whether or not what I was going to feel. But my neck was cold, and dry. It took me a moment to realize I was shaking and panting from the struggle in my dream.

Dream….that's all it was…a nightmare.

I rubbed my face, almost too exhausted to go back to sleep. Aslan laid down again, still looking at me, I buried my face into his soft fur to keep from crying, and tried to calm down.

"It was only a nightmare."

A nightmare I wished could have been over the first time I had it. But the whole night left me tortured with frightening dreams of the same figure, the same darkness, and the same fear of being unable to move or scream until he bit me. Fear paralyzing me, pain overcoming all my senses. It didn't end.

When dawn started to peak through the windows of the Underworld, I gave up sleeping for the night and sat on the window seat, looking out over the entire vastness of the River Styx and the chasm below. Aslan snored softly, his paw twitching occasionally, but remained asleep. Wrapped in a blanket I sat there, waiting for the light to restore my room to full sight.

No one was awake quite yet, so I slipped silently out of my bedroom and walked along the cold floors to the throne room. I wrapped the blanket tighter around myself to keep the chill away and laid inside his massive throne, wishing he were here to chase away the nightmares. More tired than I thought I was I fell into an undreaming sleep the instant my eyes were shut, fast asleep in his soft throne.

Hades was finally getting to return as the sun began to rise over the horizon, Apollo never failing in his duties. He had been called away on some troublesome demons that were harassing a graveyard he was fond of and wanted to put an end to it. He had no trouble sorting them away, but he was anxious to be back where he could keep an eye on Aislinn, who knows what kind of trouble she get into between sunset and sunrise, with her it was unimaginable. He urged the Pegasus on faster and was at the entrance to the Underworld within a heartbeat.

Charon was waiting for him with the boat at the dock.

"Anything happen to her while I was gone?" He asked swiftly, internally preparing himself for what might be told. But, Charon shook his head.

"She went to bed no too long after you left and hasn't been up yet to my knowledge. Nothing happened to her, or was caused by her while you were gone your Majesty," he said politely and directed the boat to the approaching dock for the main hall. Hades smiled at the news and breathed a sigh of relief. The boat journey was very short and Hades thanked Charon before intending to proceed to his own bed and get some rest, even for a God he felt weary after last nights events, demons were such troublesome pests, and always full of energy until the very last instant.

He smoothed his hair back and passed a glance into the throne room. His face held a quizzical glance as he walked closer to see me sleeping in HIS chair. Though Hades was mature, most of the time, he was still spoiled, and acted like a kid at times. He huffed slightly, but smiled anyway and gently, as to not wake me, scooped me into his grasp and let me sleep in his lap on his chair.

I shifted, starting to wake up finally, and yawned, feeling an arm around me. Blinking my eyes open clearly I found myself in Hades arms, sitting on his throne. He gave a questioning smirk at me.

"When did you get back?" I asked sleepily, moving to snuggle more deeply into his side, his scent delightfully covering my senses.

"Why're you asleep in my throne?" he asked with saucy edge. I paid no attention to it.

"I asked you first."

"Earlier this morning, you've been asleep ever since," he said, moving into a more comfortable position. I looked around confused.

"What time is it?"

He smirked again.

"Close to midnight, and you're still exhausted," he said watching me settle in to sleep again.

"What could you have possibly done to make yourself so worn out while I was gone?" he asked, giving me a slight jostle to show he wanted an answer now. I shrugged, not knowing how I was supposed to tell him I was having terrors while I slept.

"I have Challenges coming up soon, let me rest," I whined at his jostle. He stilled when I said the word, but he said nothing.

"You don't know what you got yourself into now."

It was silent the rest of the night.

Omgsh, :o Aislinn is being haunted? By what?

Oh, and yes, there is a sunrise and sunset in Underworld I've decided. Please understand, this is not based off any historical fact, most of it I'm making up. Yes, some symbols are historically accurate, but those are few and far between with this story, just go with it please. :) REVIEW.

...Now. Review. All of you. Anonymus or not. Member or not. DO. IT.