One shot on my version of the Hades/Persephone myth.
Persephone PoV
I slammed the door of my mother's cottage shut. I wanted freedom, not to be my mother's doll! I stormed into the dark forest. Of course, I loved the sun, but in moods like this, the darkness was my sanctuary. I heard a horse gallop close by. I hid in the trees. A chariot stopped right in front of my hiding spot.
"What's a pretty thing like you doing in the Death Forest?" Asked a silky voice, hidden from view. "Demeter will be mad if she finds you here." He said."I don't care about what my mother thinks!" I yelled coming out from my hiding spot. I saw his face.
"Lord Hades." I said. Mother always said to stay away from him. "Hello Persephone. Why are you not home?" "My mother and I had a fight; I just wanted to get away for a bit." I admitted to my uncle. "It's dangerous here. Come, you want to escape for a bit? I know someone you'd love to meet." he said, smiling. He extended his hand.
"Where is there a place on this earth to hide from my mother?" "My kingdom, you'd get away for a bit, and the other Olympians are forbidden from entering." "Who do you want me to meet?" "My puppy," He laughed.
I took his hand and climbed into the chariot. He wrapped my arms around his torso. He snapped the reins. I screamed in excitement as we were off. We sank into the ground. I saw the caves of the underworld, the gems and crystals in the walls. "It's so beautiful here." "I agree." He took my hand softly and helped me off the chariot.
He kept my hand in his as we walked inside. There was a huge dog, with three heads. "Cerberus," I said in awe. Cerberus looked at Hades with pleading eyes. "Go ahead." Hades said. Cerberus ran towards me. I shielded my face.
I felt something at my ankles. I peeked out and Cerberus was as small as a puppy. He was so cute. Hades scratched his neck."The size is just to scare the dead." He laughed. "He's really just an adorable sap." On cue, Cerberus rolled on his back and gave me the cutest face ever. I picked him up. "Hi! Are you the baddest thing in the underworld? I bet you are! Do you like being scary?" I said in a baby voice.
Cerberus licked my face with his middle head. I giggled. "Come Persephone, do you wish to explore my kingdom?" "Yes." I said. I set Cerberus down. "I'll come back later." I said. He barked and grew back to his supersized self. I took Hades extended hand and walked with him to the palace.
There were incredible flowers everywhere. Instead of pollen, there were crystals. We continued walking and I saw a servant serve Hades a pomegranate. "Could I have one?" I asked. "Yes, but not this one." He raised his hand and a pomegranate fell from the sky, well ground above us. He caught it. "Anything grown in the underworld forces the eater to belong to the underworld. I could never make you stay here, but, would you like to stay for a while? Not forever, maybe a month or two. It gets rather lonely down here." He said. "Yes, it's so amazing down here!"
*3 month skip*
I think I have fallen in love. I've been in the underworld for 3 months. Sure, the death part is hard, but I got over it. I was bawling when I saw a child come. Hades calmed me down, explaining the realms of death and the balance of life. I walked into the throne room. "Hello Hades." I said brightly. "Hey Seph, Good timing, I had something important to ask you." He disguarded the document he was holding and it vanished into smoke. "Persephone, daughter of Demeter. I have fallen in love with you. Will you stay and become my queen?" I started crying.
He ran to me. "I am sorry. I did not mean to make you cry. I'm sorry." "No, I'm crying of joy! Of course I'll marry you!" I said. He picked me up and spun me. He set me down. He placed a garnet ring on my finger. "My queen," he said cupping my face. We went in to kiss when the palace doors bursted open. Hermes was there. "Persephone, sister! Thank goodness we found you! Your mother has been worried sick! It's time to return home."
"No! I love Hades! I refuse to return up there!" "Persephone, I am allowed to use force if necessary!" "Try me brother! You could never win against me in combat!" "I don't have to." Snakes of all sizes slithered out from every shadow and held me and Hades. "Hades!" "Persephone!" He broke the grip long enough to cup my face and kiss me. It was official, we were married. "I do!" he yelled. "As do I!" as I was dragged towards Hermes, I saw a wild pomegranate vine. I quickly snatched it up and ripped it in half. I took a bite. "Persephone!" Hades called to me. "I'm where I belong. I belong to the underworld." I said with confidence to Hermes. "We'll discuss this with father." He pulled me to the surface.
The light burned my eyes. "Hades." I wept. I was grabbed and hugged. "Persephone! I am so glad we found and rescued you from that terrible place!" I pushed her off. "No! You took me from my home, my husband." "He wed you?! I will make sure Hades never leaves the underworld again." I collapsed on the ground. "Take me back." I cried to my husband.
"Come dear, let's get you into some fresher clothes, and take that filthy crown off!" Crown? I touched my head and sure enough, there was an obsidian crown with gems of all sorts on it. I remembered a story Hades once told me. "'When a god is given there power source, or duty it's a site to see. They glow and a crown and royal attire appear on them." "What does your crown look like?" I asked. He took me to his throne and rested on the peg was a glittering obsidian crown, with a few gems. "It's beautiful!" "Some gods wear theirs all the time, me, only for special occasions." His eyes glimmered and he picked up the crown and laid it on my head. He showed me my reflection in a huge diamond. It was stunning. "I look so pretty." "You don't need a crown to be pretty."' I rubbed my thumb over each individual gem.
Mother had changed me out of my beautiful silk dress, into her uncomfortable petal dress she made. I put my crown on. I was called to Zeus' chambers. "My daughter, I heard you ate the pomegranate. Your mother hasn't. You sacrificed your life on Olympus, for Hades. Why?" "I love him." Mother opened the doors. "Zeus, he has confused her! He made her innocent mind altered, making her believe he could possibly be loved." "Do not talk about my husband that way!" "Persephone, do you swear by the Styx that you solemnly love Hades?" "Yes father I do."
"I don't see what's stopping you from returning, especially with you eating the fruit of the dead, Demeter. Why is my daughter here?" "I refuse to let that MONSTER take my daughter." "He didn't take me! He saw me after I ran away and he told me I could visit him. Then he asked me to stay! He has been good to me! A respectable Greek! And he loves me. That's why he refused to let me eat the food of the dead!" I yelled.
"Then how did you eat the fruit?" Zeus asked. "He warned me about it, he pulled plants from above ground for me to eat. At our wedding, when Hermes crashed it, there was a wild vine growing. My love for my husband took over and I snatched it up and took a bite." Demeter looked at me shocked.
"I have eaten the fruit if the dead, I am part of the underworld now." "Zeus fix this! If you don't, I will curse the land, ice and snow nonstop."
"Enough!" Yelled an angry voice in the shadows. He stepped out, it was Hades. "She ate the fruit of the dead, but not the entire thing."
"Hades, what are you doing?" "She took 3 bites. She is only required to stay in my domain 3 months. She must leave for the remaining." Demeter's face went to joy. "You can't give us more, maybe 12 months?" "No Demeter, it kills me enough to lose her for that already. I love her, and I swear by the ancient gods that I have done nothing to her. The months of December, January and February are her required months. I best be off." He turned.
I ran towards him. "I love you, why did you do that?" "I love you so much. Now my dear, return to your mother, I will see you in 9 months." I kissed him long and hard. "Don't forget me." "How could I?" he vanished into the shadows. I wiped my tears. I straightened my crown. I walked back to my parents.
"I believe my business at the consul is over. I must return to Earth to prepare to return to my husband." I said, assertively. "But you don't leave for 9 months!" Zeus questioned. "Not to a god." I smiled. He did too. I turned and left Olympus. I'll be home soon Hades.