I'm back! Thanks to LIVE LOVE PEACE and niftynikki for reviewing! You create butterflies in my stomach so much that I can't sleep at night(which is quite bad 'cuz I have exams tomorrow)! Love love love love you!

And so, for you, I updated! Hopefully the fourth chapter can be put up as I'm not quite certain that I can be online for these few months(did I mention that my reavvy important exam is on October, T^T). I'll do my best! On to the story!


'Tell me who are you and maybe I won't kill you, human.' Hades demanded. He had his sword tip just inches before the woman's neck, and for some reason she doesn't look scared... Why is that?! Hades thought.

'Ah...you know I'm human?' The woman asked, her sweet smile gone from her face and replaced but a grimace. With the distance between them, Hades can hear what she muttered afterwards. 'I told her this wouldn't work...'

'Tell who? And you still haven't answered my question, human.' Hades was getting irritated. Firstly, she was not afraid of him, which is weird, considering that even gods are sometime afraid of him; she-a human-is not. Secondly, he was being ignored. As in, not really ignored, but was not answered his question sort of ignored. Then, going back to the main problem, he was being lied to by don't know who, and maybe the others in his family -curse them-are involved too.

He noticed that the woman's eyebrow twitched, and somehow he knew that that was her sign of getting angry. And sure enough, she was angry.

'It would be better if you called my name.' She raised one eyebrow at him, looking as cocky as a person who has a sword at her neck can be. 'It sounds so irritating to be reminded that I'm a puny human to you.'

Hades tried very hard to not gape at the woman, and luckily he succeeded. 'You did not give me your name, human, and I cannot call you Persephone when you are obviously not her.' He glared at the woman, not putting down his sword. In the back of his mind, he wondered where did Iapis went. Surely he knew that this woman was a human!

The woman looked surprised. 'Oh! Right, I haven't tell you my real name. But, before that,' She pointed at his sword. 'Would you mind? I swear to god...I mean I swear that I will not hurt you or the cute daemon before you and the others that are here. You can surely see that I do not have the power, or enough power to even attack.' She said. 'I can explain everything to you, okay?' She looked at him with gentle, please-listen-to-me eyes.

Hades frowned. Surely he did not really trust this woman... His hand automatically put down the sword. 'Talk.'

The woman grinned. 'Thanks. Can we just find someplace where I can sit? The story might get long and I do not want to suffer from cramps.' She cocked her head at Hades, which he thought looked cute...wait a minute, cute?!

Hades mentally shook his head as he led the woman to some seats by the wall. Cute? I haven't encountered that word since forever! Perhaps this woman is actually a witch?! Because I haven't even known her for more than a few minutes and already I take a liking of her?! He pulled a chair for the woman (because it's manners!) then only he sat.

'So, human, start with your story, as you call it.' He looked at her, his fingers tapping on the table like he always did when he is waiting for something.

The woman unexpectedly rolled her eyes. 'First off, I got a name. Stop calling me human cuz I'm not, as in, not completely.'

'And this name of yours is definitely not Persephone, as you had introduced yourself earlier.' Hades said with the same sarcastic tone.

She rolled her eyes again. 'Yes, not Persephone.'

Hades didn't know what is happening to him. He sounded out of character...hell, he felt out of character. And it's all because of this woman (whom he still didn't know the name of) right in front of him. Usually he'll just either cut this woman's throat or force her to say what he wanted to hear out loud. Instead, with this particular woman, he found himself talking, actually talking to her. Not commanding, not ordering, hell, not even raising his voice with her! As if she had casted magic on him...

'Well,' The woman continued. 'I am Lin Qiu.' When she noticed the look Hades was giving her, she sighed an I-knew-it sigh. 'Okay, okay. It's Chinese, okay? It meant 'Autumn' in Chinese. My family was Chinese from the mortal world, as you all call it.'

'Lin... Qiu...Autumn...' His mind clicked. That was the reason he felt Autumn's presence when this woman came. Even her name brought about the power of Autumn, the third season before Winter.

'Erm...on second thought, just call me Autumn. It's funny and weird when you say my name.' The woman, now Autumn, chuckled and said.

Hades raised an eyebrow. 'If you say so, Autumn.' Finally, her name! 'So, why have you come here? And how did you come here?'

Autumn fidgeted. 'Um...' She looked at Hades again and 'Um...' again.

Hades just stared at her. When he knew that she won't be able to tell her anything, he sighed. 'Look, Autumn. Can you tell me everything tomorrow since you can't tell me now? Or I think I'll be spending my night here listening to you. Is that acceptable?' Somehow, he knew he was just too kind with her. He planned to withdraw his words but the hopeful look on Autumn's eyes made him think otherwise.

'Oh! Thank you! I promise to have a good story...I mean I promise to tell you everything tomorrow! You're a life-saver! How can I ever thank you!' Autumn jumped up and (incredibly) hugged Hades. And Hades was so stunned he froze. Before he could react, however, Autumn had already moved away from him. Her grin was still there on her face as she asked the whereabouts of her room.

Hades barely remembered giving her directions before she ran off, yelling a 'goodnight Hades!' to him. He was still in the throne room when Iapis(finally) walked in. 'My lord?'

'Iapis?' Hades noticed the daemon. 'Ah...can you make sure that Autumn...I mean the woman is alright? Make sure she finds her room.' He hesitated with the name as he didn't know if Iapis found out about Persephone not being Persephone. He just waved it away though and continued.

'Yes, lord.' Although curious, Iapis did as he was told. But before that, he glanced at Hades and saw...an expression that was not on the god's face for a long time-worry. He gave the god an amused look.

Hades noticed and scowled, hiding his worry. 'What is that look, Iapis?' Although he asked, Hades knew perfectly well the message behind the look. 'For your information, I am not worried! Just go!'

'As you wish, my lord.' Iapis chuckled to himself and left the god alone, grumbling to himself about what the hell is the matter with himself. As he walked, detecting the goddess' presence, he wondered if this goddess, or a half goddess, can finally melt the god's wall of ice and finally set him free of all of his worries.

Somehow, he had a feeling that she would change the whole Underworld, along with the god's heart. He looked forward to that.


YAY! Done! Like I said, not sure if I can update soon, but maybe not in this month or two...the girl's got to study! Wish me luck! And thanks to those who are reading!

xxfelicialovescatsxx

must love cats!(like the show Must Loves Cats!) ^\/^