Ok people, you know the score. I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) or any of it's characters or places I only own my Persephone and any other characters that I make up along the way so if you wanna use them please ask me.
Please review and be honest with me… my story is taking things from both the series and the film. And remember people, Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so don't complain to me if you don't like my inaccuracies of events I may present you with…
thanks for your time…. DitzyMinx….
The Plight of Persephone
Chapter Four:Why's there a Girl in the Underworld?
It was evening now and Persephone was still sat in the gloomy grove of her mother's isle. The sun was setting and the party on Olympus would kick up a notch as the alcohol flowed more freely. It had been an interesting day for her, this made a nice change as she usually moped about with nothing to do except tend to her mother's flowers.
'Can I ask you something?' Persephone turned to Hades who was slumped against the willow beside her. He had lit a cigar and seemed to be staring wistfully in the direction of Olympus. He'd done that a lot since arriving and finding out that today was the first day of the Harvest season, all the other gods were having fun at the party. Hades' eyes blinked as her words hit him, then he turned to her with a small smile.
'Sure…' He replied after a moment sucking on the end of his cigar before turning away and blowing a large smoke ring. Persephone fingered the side of her purple chiton nervously, the question she wanted to ask was kind of personal.
'Are you sorry?' She asked gently and Hades' eyes bulged in shock before he whipped his head around to her once more.
'S-sorry?' He eventually choked completely lost by her words. Persephone bit her lip tentatively.
'About not being able to go to the party on Olympus.' She said softly and Hades blinked.
'Oh…' He finally responded then shook his head. 'No… even if I hadn't pulled that stunt with the Titans they'd still shun me.' He spoke the last part bitterly and glared in the direction of Olympus.
'Yeh… I never understood that.' Persephone said softly her eyes shining with pity. Hades didn't respond for a moment but continued to puff away at his cigar thoughtfully.
'Doesn't matter now anyway… I've been officially ousted now.' Hades eventually said grimly while flicking the butt of his cigar away and slumping back against the tree exasperated. He folded his arms looking bitter once more. Persephone smiled sadly at him.
'It must be hard… being so alone.' She said softly leaning on his shoulder. Hades' eyes flickered onto her. For a moment he was unreadable and then he smiled slightly touched by her words.
'Well, company is the only thing I really miss.' He sighed as his arm slid around her middle, his touch made Persephone feel all tingly inside. For some time there was silence as the two deities remained this way until Persephone broke it.
'You can stay here a while if you want… mother won't be home for a few weeks as she get's pretty busy this time of year.' She offered but Hades shook his head instantly.
'As much as I'd love to, I can't babe I've gotta job to do.' He smiled sadly then pulled his arm back before getting up. 'Speakin' of which… I should probably go as I left two idiots on there own down there.' Persephone blinked surprised and slightly disappointed.
'Oh' was her tiny response before she too got to her feet. 'But I was really starting to have fun.' Persephone sighed rubbing her arms suddenly realising how cold the night air was, being beside Hades' warmth she hadn't noticed before.
'Yeh… me too.' Hades replied studying her as she shivered. 'Y'know, this might sound a little nuts but… hey, since you don't have a purpose an 'all you could, I dunno… come down with me?' Persephone blinked surprised. Definitely not what she'd been expecting.
'Well…' She drawled thoughtfully mulling it over. 'I'd love to but… I don't wanna be a distraction as I'm sure you're works very important.' Persephone smiled slightly still shivering, privately thinking there was definitely advantages to having flames.
'Trust me babe, right now… I could use the distraction.' Hades said lightly.
The sun had now gone and was replaced by a clear night with glowing stars. In the darkened grove below, tiny white lights where also dotted around the feet of bushes and trees filling the clearing with a soft light. Persephone didn't respond to Hades' words, instead she wandered over to a bush that was lit with some of the tiny white dots. She bent down and plucked one from the ground by the bush then turned around revealing a navy blue flower with five petals and a centre of glowing white light. It was a star-flower: a plant she had created herself to light the darkened grove so she didn't have to feel afraid. Hades watched her twirl the flower with a small smile playing about her lips before speaking again.
'So… whadda ya say? I mean it's not like anybody's gonna miss you cause hey, ya don't do nothin', right? You up for a change a scene or does mommy still hold all the cards?' Persephone tore her eyes away from the navy sparkling flower and pouted in an 'I'm so not impressed with you' manner.
'Excusie moi Mr Hades, I can do what I want… I am technically an adult even if my mother still thinks I'm not.' Her pout turned into a smirk. 'And I will come… just to annoy you.' Hades' lips twisted into a snake-like smirk as he narrowed his eyes.
'In that case milady, the Underworld awaits.' Hades said in a smarmy tone before pulling her roughly closer to him and they vanished in a curl of smoke.
Pain and Panic were bored out of their minds. They were sat on the docks of the Styx punching the others arm waiting for Charon to arrive with souls. So far they had had a grand total of twelve souls that day which was pretty dismal. The 'summer slump' was still in effect but they knew business would pick up soon, Demeter would put the world into a deep freeze when she went on her usual four month vacation. Then their boss' whinging that Demeter didn't do enough work to deserve a vacation would kick in as usual.
'So… ouch! -where do you think the boss went?' Pain asked as Panic punched his arm with a bored look on his face.
'Who- ouch! -cares as long as he doesn't come back in a bad mood.' Panic responded as he was hit back by a fed up Pain.
'This is stupid!' Pain said frustrated as Panic who'd lost interest in hitting Pain slumped back onto the black jetty with a sigh. 'What are we ment to do now?' At this point voices could be heard from further up the docks.
'Whoa… I never realised just how big this place was!' A girly female voice exclaimed followed by a throaty laugh and the low familiar tones of their boss.
'Hey it's gotta be… where else are we gonna house the souls for eternity huh?' Pain and Panic both spun around surprised and confused.
'There's a girl in the Underworld?!' Panic sounded flabbergasted. 'But, but… how?'
'Maybe… he… kidnapped her.' Pain said in a slow bemused voice shrugging at his partner's incredulous look. Panic suddenly smiled relieved then nodded.
'Yeh, yeh… that must be it… I mean who would want to be here.' He smiled toothily at his pink partner who beamed widely at him.
'Exactly… maybe the boss is gonna use her in some scheme to get back at Zeus!' Pain said keenly with a sly smirk.
'Come on… let's go sneak a peek at the boss' new prisoner.' Panic said impishly and the two got up and shot off in the direction of the two voices.
Hades followed aimlessly behind Persephone, watching her reactions as she gazed around the black cavernous Underworld with interest and amazement. He had no idea why she liked it so much but for some reason it made him smile.
'Y'know… this place isn't so bad. After the tales I've heard from Hermes I half expected this place to be all fire and brimstone with nothing but screams for company.' She said smirking.
'You're thinkin' of Tartarus babe, that's downstairs.' Hades said amused and Persephone looked back and blinked momentarily amazed.
'Oh.' She blinked again then asked slightly nervous. 'But I don't have to go there right?' Hades grinned wickedly at her tense face.
'It's like a goddess once said to me; 'only if ya tick me off.'' Persephone smiled as he replayed her earlier words back to her. Making a noise of amusement she turned back around and continued to wander up the path then ascend the stairs to the throne room. Hades followed automatically, not wishing to leave her on her own. He only got a few paces before he could hear a familiar set of voices coming from behind a nearby spiny torch stand with a large blue flame.
'Ouch! Don't push me into the stand stupid!' Hades glared at the stand irritated.
'Shhh… the boss'll hear.' A second familiar voice that was slightly more panicky uttered. Hades marched up the stairs then wrenched the stand aside. Pain and Panic fell out from behind it with a yelp of surprise. Hades glared turning a nasty shade of red and the imps grinned guiltily back at him.
'What, do you think you're doing?!' He hissed irritated not wanting to draw Persephone's attention. Pain and Panic sat up still nervous.
'Nuh-nothing your offensiveness… we were… um… just-' Pain started nervously breaking off and Panic jumped in to try and save face.
'Cleaning! Y'know so the place is clean-' He spoke in a simpering anxious voice. Both imps then winced in agony as Hades slammed the stand back in place, squishing both imps before taking a cleansing breath, turning blue and stormed up the stairs muttering darkly.
'Cleaning… yeh right, a likely story.' He fumed until a female voice sounded directly in front of him forcing him to halt in his tracks.
'Something wrong?' He blinked confused for a moment then clocked Persephone's look of concern and smiled shaking his head.
'Wrong? Don't be silly… why would anything be wrong?' He said in a jaunty tone and brushed passed her and she raised an eyebrow suspiciously before responding.
'If you say so.' Persephone shrugged and followed him. Hades smirked at her before turning back leading her into the throne room, he slumped on his throne watching her look around the sharp and intricate details of the room.
'I never realised you were so artistically driven before.' Persephone said eventually as her green eyes swivelled around the room and spotted his chessboard. Hades blinked surprised by the compliment, it wasn't often he got one.
'Thanks.' He replied simply then shifted slightly keeping his eyes on her as she turned her attention to the chessboard studying the pieces and lifted a couple up examining them closely.
'What happened here?' She asked turning to him with the two figures she held in her hands which were both badly charred. Hades recognised one as a Titan and the other as a Gorgon.
'Let's just say… I got a little dejected after the Titan thing and that took the brunt of it.' Hades said vaguely, complete with a swirling hand movement to emphasize his point. Persephone set the pieces back down on the board and turned back to him.
'Well that does make sense.' She smiled before perching on the chessboard and laid her palm flat. A cluster of small swirling white orbs manifested into a brush then she grasped the handle and began brushing her knee length blonde hair lovingly with her eyes closed.
Hades was fascinated by Persephone as she brushed her hair, watching the way her head bobbed ever so slightly and the corners of her mouth turned slightly up into a faint girly smile. He found the sight incredibly alluring. After a short while she opened her eyes and stopped brushing then the brush dissolved into tiny white orbs that disappeared.
'Well… this place sure ain't Olympus-' Hades started but Persephone cut him off snorting.
'Oh please! Olympus is sooo overrated… I don't even know why anybody would wanna live there.' She scoffed while rolling her eyes animatedly. Hades blinked surprised by her reaction as for a goddess this was a bizarre statement to make. He knew why he hated Olympus but what possible reason did she have?
'Uh… ok, what makes you say that?' He asked her and Persephone sighed exasperated.
'They're all so fake. They act all nicey-nice to the 'in crowd'-' She air quoted. '-then when I come along their all 'hey-you-be-quiet-'cause-the adults-are-talking!' Persephone folded her arms and pouted crossly. Hades opened his mouth to sympathise but she spoke again.
'It's my mother's fault really… she goes about making out I'm this mindless delicate flower that should be seen and not heard. Hermes is the only one who ever takes me seriously but just once… just once, it would be nice to not be prejudged as some stupid little kid.' She sighed at this point and stopped ranting, clearly feeling better after getting that off her chest. Hades smirked amused by her outburst.
'Well, well… how longs that been stashed away?' He said laughing softly and Persephone blushed again.
'I'm sorry-' she said turning her head shyly away.
'Don't be.' Hades smirked again finding her coy side endearing. 'I hear ya and I'll second it. I know exactly how you feel.' He sighed at this point and heaved himself off his throne. 'C'mon Seph… I'll see if I gotta room spare for ya.' Persephone got up and stretched, suddenly noticing how sleepy she was and followed him down the hallway.
Little Notes:
I'm sooo glad I keep a full version of Plight of Persephone on a separate file (it's almost 100 pages long… seriously, it reads like a book!!), otherwise I'd have to type out all the chaps again...
I'm trying to correct the many spelling and grammar errors that occur in my story, please tell me if you see something I missed, it would be much appreciated…
Lots of Love Ditzy xXx