Randomly bored. Started another Fan fiction. What else is there to say? This one was randomly inspired by something my friend said one day. So I hope you enjoy.
Chapter One: Blasphemy
Pandora was very shaken. The pregnancy in itself was unheard of. She had fallen in love with Hades, and finally, he had fallen in love with her. But no one had expected her to become an expectant mother. Now she was even more baffled, and so were the few dead that had come to tend her. It was silent. The land of the dead was asleep, for even the dead have to dream. But Pandora had given birth during the night. She was a warrior, and remained silent throughout her ordeal. And now she was holding to silent baby boys in her arms. They were watching her, just as she was watching them. No one in the Underworld had children. Persephone had left many years ago, believing Hades was evil. But she had never really loved him anyway.
There were several things easily noticeable about them. They both had very pale skin, almost a cream color. It still had color to it, but it was very light. They both also had bright blue eyes, which they had no doubt inherited from their father. However, though they were strikingly similar, they were fraternal twins. One of them had bright blonde hair, and the other had bright green hair. She had no idea how they got those colors, especially since both she had Hades had black hair. They seemed strangely alive in a place so dead. Even through the blankets they were wrapped in she could feel the warmth of their skin. They were alive. Born alive in the Underworld.
Pandora instantly recognized that there could be something terribly wrong with her boys, and that they could be in danger. The thought brought maternal instincts to light inside of her that she didn't know had ever existed. She wanted to protect her babies, no matter what. She bugged them to her chest a little tighter, trying to comfort them. She didn't know much about children, but she knew they liked to hear their mother's heartbeat. Pandora didn't have one. Her chest was icy cold and dead. But the infants didn't seem to mind. They nestled closer to her anyway.
"Oh my darlings," she said quietly, fearfully. "What have I cursed you with? Don't worry though. Mommy and Daddy will protect you."
She looked down at them. They were silent still, and that worried her greatly. She looked from one small face to the other, trying to read them. Then something extraordinary happened. They both suddenly smiled and let out laughs. Pandora paused, watching them. The pure innocence of the two children seemed to brighten the dark room considerably. Their laughs sounded incredibly happy. And Pandora smiled gently and lovingly at the two of them. The sound was beautiful. A servant took them for a few moments to dress them and then handed them back to her, wrapped again in their blankets.
She was a beautiful woman, tall and slender. She had a nice build and was rather well endowed, and she knew it. She was always confident, and usually she wore a low cut black dress with slits on the sides of the skirt to show her legs. Her eyes were a deep lavender color, her skin sickly pale. And her hair was long, hanging down to her waist, and had a tint of purple to it. She was Hades' right had. She was incredibly beautiful, so it made sense that her children would be too. Because it was the only words she could think of to describe them.
"They're wonderful," one of the dead servants said as she finished cleaning up and looked at them.
"Yes they are," Pandora replied with a smile. Then she looked up. "Did someone go to get Lord Hades?"
"Yes," another woman servant replied. "But the castle's big. It probably took a while to wake him too. He should be here soon."
Pandora nodded. She was completely exhausted. But these two were well worth the effort it took to bring them into this world. She would wait as long as it took for Hades to get here. She began to gently hum a tune. It was a beautiful melody, but hauntingly so. It seemed eerie and mysterious. But it seemed to calm the infants. They smiled at her and cooed. They knew their mother, even if she was dead and they were not.
It seemed a long time passed that way, until suddenly the door was thrust open and Hades ran in, panting for breath from the long run. The two startled infants looked towards him but did not scream or cry. Hades was tall and proud, and very handsome. He had a strong build, and everything about him was majestic and spoke of power. His hair hung well down his back and was dark black, and his eyes were an electric blue. He wasn't wearing his armor now. He and his army had been sealed down here for centuries after the Holy Wars were put to an end by Zeus in the 1800's. He was wearing an all back robe with gold etchings on the neck piece, and a long black cape. He immediately went to Pandora's side, taking her face gently into his hands. He stared into her eyes with worry and love. He was tall and had broad shoulders.
"Pandora," he said. "Why didn't you call me? I should have been here with you."
"You needed your rest," she replied. "And it was something I had to do on my own anyway."
"But you're okay?" he asked. "He's okay?"
"We're all fine," Pandora replied with a smile. Hades paused.
"All?" he asked.
"Twins," she replied, putting a small kiss on his cheek. "Look here."
She turned her gaze down to them. His gaze followed, and his breath caught in his throat as he saw them, peering up at him curiously. He took the blonde one into his arms as Pandora held onto the other. He sat down on the edge of the bed, gazing at the infant. Worry crossed his face.
"They're alive?" he asked fearfully.
He knew that the fact they were alive could be disastrous. And now, being a father, he was desperately protective and fond of his children, even though he had only just met them.
"Yes," Pandora replied. But they seem fine. I don't know what will happen, but we can only wait and see. We'll have to protect them as best as we can."
Hades nodded. Then he smiled and turned, planting a gentle kiss on Pandora's cheek, making both infants laugh.
"They're so beautiful," Hades said. "They're perfect. What should we name them?"
Pandora turned her eyes down to the little green haired boy, who giggled. She smiled and tickled his nose with her forefinger.
"He has such twinkling eyes. Let's call him Shun then," she said, kissing his forehead. "It's Japanese for twinkle. Because he's our little star."
"That's a wonderful name," Hades said with a smile. "Little Shun." Then he looked down at the infant in his arms. "This one has such lonely eyes. Let's call him Alone then. We'll have to try our best to make sure he's never alone."
"Shun and Alone," Pandora breathed. "They're beautiful names. Hello my little Princes." The twins laughed again.
"Everyone will be awake soon," Hades said. "They'll want to see them. They're Princes of the Underworld now. Rest here. You'll need it. I'll take them."
"Be gentle with them my darling," Pandora said, handing Hades Shun as well.
"Of course," Hades replied as he balanced them both gently in his arms. "You know, it's very likely that a Specter might fall in love with them. You know that sometimes they fall in love as soon as they see someone. Specters just have the Wakening. And it's literally love at first sight."
"If that's the case then we can't stop them," Pandora replied with a small smile. "Love is a powerful force. We both know that well. I just hope that whoever they fall in love with brings them as much joy as you have brought me."
"I do as well," Hades replied with a smile.
Hades stood then and walked out of the room with the two tiny infants. They were rather small even though they weren't premature. But they were healthy. Hades could tell that even just by touching them. They seemed fine. Still, he couldn't help but worry over them. They were such fragile beings. So innocent. And their absolute trust in him touched his heart. They could tell he was their father, and they didn't try to hide their undying joy at the whole world. It made Hades smile as he walked down the hallways.
He encountered two Specters. One was shorter and acted like a cat. His hair was silver and his eyes gold. His name was Cheshire and he had the Terrestrial Bestial star, the Specter of Cait Sith. The other was a taller young man. He had dark black hair and matching eyes. His name was Kagaho, and he was the Bennu Specter of the Celestial Violence star. Both paused when they saw Hades. They were both wearing their Surplices, black and shining like the moon. Cheshire's chest was exposed to the air, but the rest of him was fairly covered in armor. Kagaho's armor though covered his entire boy and had two large black wings on the back of it.
"Lord Hades," Cheshire said. "Is everything alright?"
"We heard that Lady Pandora's time had come," Kagaho said in a much calmer voice than Cheshire.
"I should have known," Hades said, smiling, amused. "You two were always the first there. Kagaho, my most faithful Specter, and Cheshire, the Specter who has always been with the Lady Pandora. Don't worry everything's fine. It went smoothly. She's just resting now."
Both Specters relaxed a little, calming and sighing. Hades couldn't help but smile a little at the two of them. He felt happier than he had in a long time. And he knew perfectly well why.
"And the child?" Cheshire asked.
"Children," Hades corrected him. "Twins. Both boys. They already have names as well. Here they are."
He looked down at the two boys, and the two Specters looked down as well, surprised. They hadn't seen the boys, mostly because they were so small while their father was so large. Cheshire looked down at Alone, and Kagaho looked down at Shun. Instantly Hades noticed Kagaho grow stiff and gasp, and Cheshire hissed quietly and stepped away. He watched them both carefully.
"The Wakening," Hades said. Cheshire shrank away suddenly. Kagaho looked up at the god.
"I-I'm sorry sir," Kagaho cried. "I...I won't..."
"It's alright," Hades replied with a small laugh. "Don't worry. Pandora thought that this might happen. I'm not worried. I know that I can trust the two of you. You can't help who you fall in love with. I know that well. We have all the time in the world here. It can't be helped. Here, take them."
Kagaho watched Hades for a few moments, feeling ashamed slightly. He was completely loyal to Hades, and he felt that falling in love with his son was a betrayal to him. But Hades was very calm. He didn't seem to mind at all, even though the children were only about an hour old at most. Slowly, Cheshire stood and came forward, gently taking Alone from the god's arms. He cradled the baby in his arms gently, as if he was fragile. Which he probably was. Alone smiled at the Specter and Cheshire let out a quiet purr to the baby. Slowly, Kagaho took Shun from Hades' arms when he was offered to him.
Kagaho wasn't really sure what to do. He'd never been in this situation before. He'd never loved anything. Not like this. He was a naturally violent Specter, though he hadn't been before the Holy Wars. And he was a really powerful Specter. He had avoided all the people he had known in life for that reason. He couldn't trust himself around them. The people feared the Specters too. He couldn't blame them, just as he couldn't explain the rage that had taken over the Underworld. But now, he felt like he had to be gentle. He couldn't stand the thought of the child crying. He wanted him to smile and laugh and be happy. He would give anything for that. He had to protect him. He was unsure of this sudden wave of gentleness that he felt. But the baby looked up at him and laughed. It was if he sensed it too. Kagaho felt his resistance melt then. He sighed and laid the child against his cheek, gently listening to the child's heartbeat.
"The blonde one's named Alone," Hades told them. "And the green haired one is named Shun."
Kagaho looked up at the god, nodding slowly. He was patient as he felt the child squirm a little. Hades smiled at the four of them, and then swept onwards, motioning for the two Specters to follow. They did so, carefully holding their fragile packages.
Years passed that way. Shun and Alone were both seven now. Kagaho was sitting in his usual perch, overlooking the Underworld from the top of Hades' castle. He heard as Shun lost his step a little on the roof as he approached and Kagaho instantly turned around and caught the boy, steadying him. He was still beautiful, and his hair was feathered lightly, like an angel's. It hung down and brushed his shoulders. His eyes still had their gentle innocence. Kagaho gently sat the boy down on the edge of the roof, keeping one hand on his shoulder.
"Careful," Kagaho said. "You'll fall."
"You'll catch me," Shun said with a giggle.
"Yes but you still worry me," Kagaho said, both annoyed and amused. Shun kicked his feet a little in the air.
"Dad told me about the Wakening," Shun said. "And he said you had it with me when I was a baby."
"Yes I did," Kagaho replied with a small smile. "You know then that I love you."
"Yeah," Shun replied, smiling. Kagaho smiled a little too. The boy had no concept of love yet. Of course, he would never try anything with Shun. But his innocence amused the Specter. "And Dad told me that we're all stuck down here because of the other gods."
"That's not entirely true," Kagaho said. "We're down here because of something we did too. The Underworld has a special defense system as well. And if threatened it would heighten the powers of the three gods of the Underworld so they could put it down. Many years ago that was activated. It's called the Rage. All three gods were affected, so the threat was high. And we felt the Rage as well. The threat was so great that it lasted many years. And after a while Hades sent us out to fight the Holy Wars. Everyone assumed we were evil, and when the Holy Wars were halted and Zeus unknowingly stopped the Rage we remained here in our sins. Sad and lonely."
"Then it wasn't your fault," Shun said. "They shouldn't be mad at you."
"The self defense of the Underworld was forgotten many years ago," Kagaho replied. "Even we didn't remember it until it was far too late. They didn't know. I doubt they know now. Still, we do the best we can. I don't know if the threat is gone yet. But the Rage was ended either way, so we'll stay here until something happens to force us out."
"And then what happens?" Shun asked.
"I don't know," Kagaho sighed. "People tend to hate us. So I don't know what they'd do. But if something were to finally release the seal on the Underworld then it would have to be a very powerful force indeed."
Then however Kagaho paused and stood. He strained a little forward, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. He was looking across the fields of Elysium, towards Tartarus. Instinct made him bristle violently. There were several dead people below who paused when they saw him. They hadn't seen him do that in a long time. It made them nervous. They paused beneath him and looked up at him. Something had made him extremely nervously.
"Kagaho?" Shun asked, unsure. The Specter didn't respond.
But suddenly he gasped as a strange attack out of no where hit him square in the chest. It hurt. He'd never felt anything like it at all. He gasped, and he was pretty sure he felt blood spurting out of his chest he heard several people scream. But then he heard Shun scream, and he knew he had to help him. His wings spread and he took off into the air, managing to catch Shun before he hit the ground. He winced but held the boy to his chest anyway, which was bleeding badly.
He landed out of sight, setting the boy down gently. The boy was trembling, wide eyed. He looked absolutely terrified, and he looked down at Kagaho's chest, scared. He seemed fine, a little bruised, but otherwise he seemed fine. It still angered him though. Shun gasped.
"Kagaho," he said, tears in his eyes. "You're hurt... What happened? What's going on?"
"Shh," Kagaho said, wincing a little. "I've had far worse injuries. I'll be fine. You're okay right?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Shun said, trying not to cry.
"Good then," Kagaho said. "That's all I need to know. Come on, we need to get you somewhere safe."
"What's going on Kagaho?" Shun asked.
"We're under attack," Kagaho replied. "Listen to me. I have to get you to safety alright? I'll take you to your father. You'll be fine. Alright. Just trust me. Come on, follow me."
Kagaho took the boy's hand gently in his own, then stood and pulled him after him, running into the castle. He paused a moment at the window. It was all chaos outside. Specters were falling left and right to the same attack that had hit him. People he'd never seen before were attacking. They were in some sort of strange armor. He'd never seen that before either. Minos was busy trying to evacuate the dead. They could cease to be if they were attacked and "died". Kagaho didn't give Shun a chance to look. He was already scared enough as it was. He tugged Shun after him down the hallways that he knew well, up to where the throne room was. Within a few moments he had run inside.
Pandora and Hades were inside. Both looked extremely nervous. Pandora was bristling and hand her lance in her hand. Hades had his sword and had summoned his Surplice, readying to attack. They both paused however as they saw Kagaho come in, running with Shun's hand clasped firmly in his own. Pandora ran over and scooped Shun up into a hug. Hades ran over and checked the wound on Kagaho's chest.
"Oh my darling," Pandora said. "It's alright."
"The blood's mine," Kagaho said so they would know, wincing a little. Shun was covered in blood. "Do you know what's going on?"
"I only heard that you were the first Specter attacked," Hades replied. "I've seen these people. And I think I know who they are. They're the army of the Titans."
"The Titans," Kagaho gasped. "What? Why now?"
"This is what triggered the Rage," Hades growled. He sounded rushed as he healed the wound a little."I was blind until now. But there's not time now. I have to stop the Titans. It shouldn't take much to seal them for a few years. Just until the armies are ready. Then Pandora and I will flee. Kagaho, you must take Shun to the living world."
"What?" Kagaho gasped. "But...!"
"Kagaho please," Pandora said. The Specter paused. "I've already sent Cheshire away with Alone. You must protect Shun. I can't lose my children to these monsters. Please. Perhaps they will find a way to help us, but not now. They're just children."
"I can't just abandon you," Kagaho protested.
"You must," Hades growled. "You're the only one I can trust with it. Please. You have to leave."
"The Underworld will fall today," Pandora said sadly. "Hypnos and Thantos have already fallen. Several Specters have as well. But we will survive. One day the armies will be ready to fight. On that day, we'll rise again. But for now we must disappear. Please Kagaho. You have to leave."
"The seal has failed," Hades said. "You can leave now. Take Shun away from here. I don't care where. Just protect him. And wait for us. We'll return."
Kagaho looked at his god and Pandora sadly. He didn't want to go. He wanted to fight on. But then he looked at the small boy who was clinging to his mother fearfully. He knew he had to go. He had to protect Shun. He nodded at last and reached for him now.
"No," Shun cried, somehow knowing that he wouldn't see his mother again. Not like this. "Mom please don't make me go!"
"I'm sorry my darling," Pandora replied. She forced Shun to let go as Kagaho held him on his hip. She held onto his hands for a moment. Kagaho took to the air on his wings and prepared to fly away. His hands slipped out of hers. There were tears in her eyes.
"Mom," Shun gasped. "Dad!"
"Be strong my darling," she replied. "We'll see each other again."
Kagaho took to the air and disappeared then, knowing that the parting would only distress the boy more if he could speak to his mother more. He flapped his wings hard, turning and fleeing out one of the exits in the Underworld, one of the few that he and the Judges of Hell knew alone. He knew he had to escape to the human world. It was the only way.
He could hear Shun sobbing into his side, and he patted his hair sadly, unable to do anything more. Then he went faster, determined to escape. He had to escape the boy. They entered into the living world. It was night out now, and the moon was full. Kagaho was glad for the darkness. It made him more powerful, so he could make it out.
Shun continued to tremble, but he was silent now. Even as young as he was, he understood that he had be quiet. He had always been a good boy and done everything he had been told by his parents. So he was being strong, like Pandora had asked him to.
Kagaho gasped suddenly as he felt Hades' cosmos flare. It a was more powerful attack than any he had ever felt before, even during the Rage. He nearly fell from the sky, to pull up in time and redouble his speed. It flared again. This time he could feel other cosmoses as well respond. Some of the gods had realized that something was wrong. A distress beacon had been sent out from the Underworld. One that they hadn't responded to. Now they could tell that something was wrong. He wondered how many of them would venture into the Underworld and see the carnage there.
"Do you think we're evil now?" Kagaho softly asked the wind. Then he glanced down at the small boy at his side and hardened his resolve. He had to protect him. He was his one and only love.
What did you think? A lot of things happened in this chapter, but this story seems like it will be a lot of fun to make. I'll post more chapters soon.