Farewell
She looked up at the hole in the sky and saw the sun as it tumbled into the dark hole she lived in. Living below the Earth was all she had ever known and now she would go into the Overland and immerse herself in a world she knew nothing about.
"Persephone?" Midas touched her shoulder ever so gently with his opaque fingers. "It is the time to fly and leave."
Persephone looked at the king, her leader, and felt tears prick her eyes. She knew he was trying to be helpful, trying to support her in this dangerous duty, but all she felt was a stirring sense of grief and anger. So, mustering up all her self-control she managed a mere shrug of the shoulders.
"We have prepared you for this day all your schoolings," he continued. "It is in Nerissa's prophecies. "
"Yes," she sighed and turned back to face her mother. The short, thin woman looked frail and worried as she gazed at her daughter. Persephone ran to her and embraced her. Their bodies shook as mother and daughter sobbed into each other's shoulders.
"I love you," her mother whispered. "It is not easy to be chosen by a prophecy, but life's path is never certain or chosen. Please remember that, and make me and all of the Underland proud.
The daughter took a step back and tilted her head again towards the tiny speck of sunlight miles above her head. Stroking her burn; Selena, behind her ears, Persephone turned again to the assembled group. Tears shone in her periwinkle eyes and she brushed them away with her sleeve.
"We are very proud of Persephone," King Midas said, "For agreeing to take upon herself this perilous quest for the good of the entire nation and indeed all of Sandwich's Underland. She has been trained especially for this longest journey into the Overland. As many of you know, the world above is having many struggles and there are many weapons of massive size being threatened upon them. They are called Nuclear Bombs and their magnitude would be noticed even down here. This is why we send Persephone, the one of whom Nerissa prophesied. I ask you to join in the Capital's song as Persephone prepares to leave."
Voices groaned together into a chorus as they sang the words once written in a prophecy by Sandwich many long years ago. Two youth, a boy and a girl, scampered to the front and made their goodbyes to their friend. They had always known this day would come but it had never quite sunk in until that moment. The boy grinned widely at his childhood friend and the girl gave her a tight hug.
"You are coming back again in six months," she stated as a fact, not a question.
"Bring me a souvenir," the boy joked awkwardly.
"Goodbye," Persephone coughed. "And I will try, I really will."
"We'll miss you," the girl said fervently.
And that was it, King Midas averted her attention again by handing her a supplies pack. He whispered, "Cassius will escort you to the top. It will take a few hours, and by that time it will be night. One of the Gregors will come and pick you up. Good luck, child."
The song ended. "Goodbye, everyone." She got up on Selena's grey and black back and her tears clung and fell to the speckled fur.
"The day is here," Selena affirmed quietly.
"Yes," Persephone said, heart breaking a little. With a last little wave at the assembled crowd and nod from King Midas, Selena took off after Cassius and his bat Dionysus. Persephone clutched the fur and looked at the world below. Her home and the last of her family and friends that she would not see for six, long months.
I hope you enjoyed this. It's not my best work and I apologize. Please review with critique and any compliments. This is my first fanfiction after a long, long time. Thanks, and best wishes on all your writing endeavors.