Edited
This story is inspired by Yours Ever by Ame no itteki, meaning parts may seem similar to that story at the beginning but I'm making an effort to no copy their story.
If anyone has a problem with this, PM me.
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Wait for me, Sasha! Tenma declared as she, Yato and Yuzuriha ran toward the exit of the long underground hallway that Yuzuriha had told them would lead to where it was they needed to get to, the location was unknown to Tenma but she knew where ever it was they were going was important.
As the light from the end of the tunnel caught her tea-brown eyes, they widened.
"The exit?" Yato inquired, though it sounded like more of a statement than anything.
Yato didn't receive an answer as both girls believed it to be obvious. The trio rushed up the stone steps, only to halt at the top because before them was a large three-headed white dog.
The animal sent warning bells flaring inside Tenma's head, both at the size and strange sense of familiarity it brought her.
"What's that?" Yato yelped in shock, eyes wide.
Before either Tenma or Yuzuriha could answer, the middle head launched itself at the trio. Fortunately, they were swift enough to leap out of the way of the snapping jaw.
Tenma flipped and grunted as her body ached at the movement. She wasn't sure how much more strain her body could take before it gave out. She was tired and exhausted, both physically and mentally.
Tenma jumped once again to avoid the dog's jaws.
"The guardian dog of the underworld, Cerberus!" Yuzuriha finally declared from her spot on the other side of the large now name creature. "Be careful!"
Cerberus, Hades' person pet. The hound of Hell, Tenma shuddered.
Tenma put distance between her and Cerberus, desperate for rest; her lungs burned as she gulped up hot and stale air. Her knees quivered despite her attempts to stop them, it took nearly everything she had not to allow them to give in.
Tenma glanced Yuzuriha's way as she spoke again. "It's probably here to fend against intruders. Watch out for its three heads!"
Tenma yelped as she had to once again move to avoid getting eaten by the overgrown dog. As she hit the ground, her legs finally gave out and she rolled backwards, managing, after several seconds, to settle in a crouch. Yuzuriha landed beside Tenma, this drew the attention of Cerberus to them. Before Tenma could stand and go for an attack, Yato landed in front of the females.
"Yato!" Tenma rasped in concern.
"You two don't have armour. Just leave things to me. I, the great Yato, will take care of this puppy!" And with that Yato leapt into the air towards the middle head.
"Unicorn Gallop!"
He kicked the middle head but the left one turned to him and opened his jaw to bite causing Yato to shout in surprise. Luckily Yuzuriha was ready and stabbed her small blade into its snout. It gave a wail while the final head snapped its jaws at her but she jumped onto its snout then away from it.
"Damn! It's too clever, having so many brains!" Yato cursed.
"It would be great if we could damage its three heads at one." Yuzuriha stated, looking up at it.
Yato gritted his teeth, glaring over his shoulder at the brunette. "Damn it, Tenma! I'm counting on you after all! Hit all three heads and send them flying!"
Yato and Yuzuriha both fled towards Tenma, who was still knelt. She smirked and stood to her full height, raising her Cosmos.
Tenma attacked. "Pegasus Meteor Fist!"
Cerberus yelped in pain before falling to the ground unconscious. Tenma landed feet away, she stumped before finding her balance.
Something in Tenma twisted at the sight of Cerberus laying there unconscious. She hissed under her breath in confusion.
"She did it!" Yato celebrated with a cheer, throwing a fist into the air.
Tenma ignored Yato's cheering and finally noticed of their surroundings. There were large craters full of a red liquid (Tenma thought, knew, to be blood) with bones of the dead littered in them. It made her stomach clench.
"What… What is this place?" Yato asked, a grim look of his face as his eyes scanned the landscape.
The trio started walking, now no longer needing to run, they arrived at a cliff edge which allowed them to overlook before them.
There wasn't a shadow of a doubt that this was truly the Underworld.
"This is the swamp of Tartarus where the souls suffer. It is probably the seventh prison where people that dedicated themselves to bribery and thievery end up. I never thought that this path would take us in so deep." Yuzuriha finally answered Yato's question and began to lead them again.
"It's horrible." Yato muttered, grimacing as he continued to look about.
Tenma rapid blinked, numbly staring at the liquid filled craters. She looked ahead, bowing her head, so this is truly the underworld? Despite loving the light and the colours, this is the world he chose...? Clenching her teeth, Tenma managed to just stop her eyes from tearing up, I will open your eyes no matter what… I'll do it… I don't care what I have to do to do it but I will.
Yato's eyes softened as he glanced back at Tenma, his lips parted to speak but he clamped his jaw shut as a strong Cosmos sudden filled the air. Yusuriha and Yato paled.
"Someone is coming!" Yato hissed and Tenma blinked, turning towards them confused. Yato snapped: "It's your friend, idiot!"
The trio tensed and turned to faced forward as a transparent violet mist descended from the sky, the mist parted to reveal Hades, who levitated just above the ground. The distance between the trio and God was close enough that Tenma could see his face—see the cerulean blue eyes which were locked onto her.
Tenma felt her heart lurch when she saw his hair.
"Tenma, I came to see you."
"Alone!" Tenma's eyed widened before she glared, Why has the Emperor come here personally?
Tenma was too caught up staring at Alo—no Hades, that it was only when Yuzuriha leapt to attack, was she brought back to the present.
"Are you trying to get between Pegasus and me with such nonsense?" Hades tut as annoyance flickered into his eyes. "That's simply a tactless act!"
With that, Yuzuriha was thrown back, Yato leapt into her path to try and catch her, but the force behind the throw forced them both to continue backwards.
Tenma spun around, her eyes widened once more. "Yato, Yuzuriha!"
She gritted her teeth and spun back around to face the God. "Alone, you...!" She cut herself off, stiffening when Hades was suddenly invading her personal space, taking her face in his hands. Memories of the same hands that had killed her only hardly a day ago burned in her mind.
"Yes, after all I came here because you're still my favourite." His hands were soft against Tenma's scratched and bruising face. She found herself unable to move, it was like she had been turned to stone as the hands that touched her face fit perfectly as they cupped her bleeding cheeks. Her lids unconsciously fluttered at the soft touch.
"Wha...?"
Hade's eyes focused on a recent scratch, gently running his thumb over it, letting his nail catch on the scab that was beginning to form as he continued. "I cruelly attacked you as the Lord of the Underworld to save your soul—"
Save my soul…?
"—And even though you still have Sasha's bracelet, you still came all the way here… this wasn't merely an accident." He was so close that their noses brushed, their hair interlinking. The soft touch felt so much like Alone, the gentle and kind Alone that she knew so well, not the unfamiliar cold-hearted Emperor he had become. Her eyes locked onto his, entranced and unable to look away.
It was as if it were just the two of them, no Underworld, no Yato or Yuzuriha.
Nothing.
The black-haired Alone gave her a small heart-breaking smile. "Change the world with me, Tenma. Together, let us..." Hades leaned impossibly closer, resting his forehead against hers. Tenma found herself closing her eyes at the soft touch and the calming voice of Alone as he rubbed circles on her cheeks. "Make the world a peaceful and serene place. Cover the land with darkness... defeat Athena... and attain true happiness."
Tenma became distantly aware of someone, Yato, yelling something at her. Something about tricking and that she needs to snap out of it, she wasn't too sure. She could fill his body heat radiating from him, his palms and fingertips rough yet impossibly smooth at the same time against her cheeks. His warm breath fanned her face… she found herself finding it increasingly difficult to focus with Alone being so close.
Her half-lidded, tea-brown orbs flickering with confusion as Yato continued to shout, his voice shaky, worried and terrified; she needed to know why. However, she found that Alone gently guided her eyes back to him, it was only once he spoke her name did her eyes snap back to him. "Tenma."
Before her was the golden sun-kissed hair and calming blue eyes Alone, not the raven-haired and dark blue eyes Alone. Her breath hitched. "Alone..."
"You won't leave me again, right Tenma?" He looked so sad, so lonely, like he had expected her to refuse and leave him all alone. Again.
"I—" Tenma knew that look. It was a look she was incredibly familiar with. It was a look she'd always identified with Alone when something was bothering him, something that upset him and she always felt the strong urge fix the problem—even if that meant beating someone up, she didn't care as long as that look was gone.
But now… he was wearing that look because of her.
She'd always do whatever it took to make him smile again because as long as Alone was happy, it didn't matter whatever stupid things she ended up doing. As long as Alone was happy, she—
She had always fought for Alone and Sasha, without them, her life would lose its meaning.
Without Alone, Tenma's life would be...
"Tenma." She didn't feel as her lips quivered, her eyes stung as she heard the silent words in the air: 'Stay with me. Forever.'
Her lips parted and before she could realise what passed her lips, she spoke: "...Yes."
The world around Tenma darkened and she slumped against the dark-clad form, Hades wrapping an arm around Tenma's waist tightly as her beaten and battered body fell against his.
"Tenma!" Yato screamed in shock, his eyes widened as the purple flames that separated them died out. Hades looked up at the two humans with a large smirk. The raven shifted the unconscious Tenma and lifted her into his arms, her head slumped back.
The same transparent violet mist began to form around Hades as he was lifted into the air once more. Cerberus stepped behind his master and all three were covered before disappearing into thin air
"Tenma!"
o-o-o-o-o-o
I wrote Alone and Alone, the normal one is when Tenma saw her Alone, the blonde haired one not the raven and Alone was the raven.
