She was swimming in a really deep part of the sea she never seen before. She was exploring, a habit for the adventurous little mermaid. Flounder ,as always, was with her a bit scared.
He was telling her to go back when she saw a cave that went deeper to the ground. With her nature curiosity, of course Ariel swam through it ignoring flounder. As they swam further and further through the cave both of them noticed the change around them, it became less livelier which lead Flounder to lean closer to Ariel. She could relate to him but would not stop until she knew where did this lead to. The changes were just a fuel to her curiosity.
They kept swimming as it got less and less livelier until they reached a surface.
Hades was a responsible and a capable God. He was very committed to his job in balancing the world and separating the living and the dead from each other. He was able to establish a system with the help of demons, spirits and some choosed dead souls that he deemed capable. This was so that he would not always interfere all the time. It was pretty remarkable.
The underworld was not so different from the world of the living. There was day and night. It was not dark as it was believed. Tiny Light spirits replaced the sun in the underworld When they rested, night came.
It was normal to have many rumours about the unknown afterlife. Even some denied its existence. The rumours had portrayed him as a very cruel merciless god. Some even said that he was the worst being of all time. He didn't bother himself to correct them. Thus he was deemed as the scary cruel king of the underworld.
He was nothing like the rumours. He was just strict in separating the two worlds to keep the balance. It was his job to protect the universe from chaos. It was rare but there were some of the living who defied the rules of nature to search for their loved ones. Of course he had to stop them. Although He does not understand having a loved one or someone close, he is able to relate to their loneliness.
Once He did love someone but when he tried to approach her, she was scared of him and refused to talk to him. His heart was shattered and he realized he was doomed to live with an everlasting loneliness.
He was relaxing under a tree in his world when he sensed someone breaking in.
When Ariel and Flounder reached the surface they didn't expect this brightness. Ariel thought this was the humans' world at first but the atmosphere was different. It was less bright than there and she couldn't see the sun also.
She was mesmerized when she looked around here. The water didn't get much further so she wasn't able to explore, There were some trees and flowers in front of her. Not that she would know what were those but she knew beauty when she saw it.
"Go back" A deep masculine voice commanded from the land. Both Ariel and flounder ducked their bodies in the water while turning to the direction of the voice.
The owner of the voice looked very human but there was something different about him. He was a very beautiful being. He was lean and a bit muscular. He had long black hair, light green eyes, a straight nose and a stoic face. He was pale, paler than her. His posture and aura gave authority. His black clothes were different from those of the humans she saw before. He was the most beautiful being she had ever seen. His beauty encouraged her to ignore her fear and got herself out of the water to take a better look at him.
"This is the world of the dead, and you are not dead" He said in calm firm voice with hints of irritation.
Both Ariel and Flounder were shocked by where they had gotten themselves.
Her expression turned from shock to wonder as she looked around her and asked "So.. This the afterlife?"
"A-Ariel, I think we should really go back" Flounder said with a trembling voice.
She looked at him and as she was going to tell him to wait she was interrupted "Listen to your companion, mermaid"
She Looked at the man standing in front of her asking him "Who are you?"
'Why is she so persistent' He sighed inwardly. He was beginning to get more irritated with this stubborn mermaid:
"I am Hades the king of this world." He stopped for a few seconds "I am death". He did not take people's lives nor decided their death. It was the course of nature and he happened to be the one to regulate it. He was what people face after they left their mortal bodies so he was death to them.
'He's death?' Ariel thought as her eyes widened and stared at him, Then she started to approach him. Hades was confused at what was happening. Flounder cried "Ariel"
What she said next took him completely off-guard: "I didn't know that death could be this beautiful"
He was shocked. He really did not see that coming. He was used to being afraid that he asked without thinking "You are not Afraid?"
He also took a few steps closer to the water as she reached the edge of the land. The were two or three meters away from each other
At first she didn't know what he meant but then she realized that she was facing death himself and in his own domain. Fear was normal especially with all this negative talk about death. But she was not afraid and that made her smile.
She replied with voice full of resolution while still smiling "No, I am not afraid, neither from You nor from this world." Then she lifted herself out of the water and sat on land trying to be closer to him You are beautiful. This place is beautiful. I just don't see how a wonderful world could be bad." She paused then said "I don't believe death is bad as they say anymore"
He couldn't deny his happiness nor his smile. She was not afraid of him neither did she view him as the monster as he was used to. Although He would not admit it, this little mermaid had intrigued him.
He had a small smile and asked in amusement "really?"
'He's happy?' Ariel blushed when she saw his smile and answered "Yes.. you are more beautiful when you smile."
'You're the beautiful one' He was really amused by all of this but she had to leave.
He gave her his back and ordered with a less stern than the previous time "Go back, this is no place for you"
Flounder was shocked with what happened. They went to the world of the dead, met death and his best friend called him beautiful. He just wanted to get out of here.
"Ariel, Let's go"
"Okay" then she looked at Hades' retreating figure and Yelled "See you Later"
"WHAT?!" Flounder shouted.
Hades stopped and looked at her waving and smiling -a mischievous smile- at him. 'Double meaning?' He was kind of suspicious but he let it slid. Happiness was still lingering in his heart as he continued walking.
"Did I not make myself clear when I said this no place of you?" He told her every told her every time she came back
"Well, Do you want me to leave?" She looked him in the eye.
He didn't expect her to counterback. He turned his gaze away from her, He answered "No"
A/N: I am not much of a writer and this was a very long story for me. I liked the Ariel x Hades (not Disney's Hades). I tried to make the underworld a mix of what I read in other mangas and story not Greek mythology like as did not read much about it.
Hope you liked it