Ok peeps, same deal different story… I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) but I do own Persephone and any other original characters and places that pop-up… This story takes things from both the film and the series while it also contains some carrying themes from it's forerunner; Plight of Persephone… Little hint: if you haven't read it (or the short story G.W.I) then you might get confused later on..
And a little reminder… Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so I have to do some minor tweaking of my own to make this work… so far, it's working and I'm delighted to bring you the sequel to P.o.P…
Finally, please vote on the poll in my profile or you'll make the imps cry…
Daddy's Little Hellraiser
Chapter Seven:Heaven is a Place Under Earth
As the days passed slowly tensions between the imps and Sirens were no better, but the boys were getting good at giving the girls the slip, one of the advantages to spending your whole life in the Underworld was you knew all the best hidey-holes were.. Fortunately Pain and Panic didn't have to worry about hiding from the girls too much as Miss Persephone and the Sirens had been getting up early to go and catalogue the souls in the Elysian Fields.
This was a lengthy process as Zeus, in all his infinite wisdom, had absolutely no records of the souls who were inhabiting this realm. Meaning that instead of having a long lazy lie-in with plenty of baby-making action, which was what she'd rather be doing, Persephone found herself up to her pretty green eyeballs in paperwork trying to sort out the mess Zeus had left her with… The young goddess groaned irritably while flexing her now aching wrist, she suddenly had new empathy towards how her husband felt doing the endless paperwork for the rest of the Underworld.
Thinking of Hades made the young goddess sigh heavily as she looked around the bright and sunny realm. It really was beautiful in here… with it's bright plants and trees, cool and inviting pools of water and the relaxing treatments that the Elysium Spa had to offer.. she just wished her husband could experience it too. Especially as the warm artificial sun was making her feel amorous.
Persephone was seated in the shade of a small gazebo-type coliseum out the way of the sunlight to protect her pale skin which was already a slight shade of lilac, she glanced over and smiled at the Sirens who were taking a well-earned break and splashing each other with water from the pool nearby..
'Hey..' The Queen of the Underworld protested as she suddenly got splashed by her three giggling minions. She pulled her best 'I am not amused' mock-pout which only caused more giggles. Persephone then smirked before uttering, '-you three are so dead..' Then the young queen ditched her paperwork and joined in the splash fight..
The four girls quite happily splashed each other until they were all good and drenched then Persephone called a halt to it. Now the four of them were basking in the long grass under the blazing heat of the Elysian Fields so they could dry off quickly then resume work..
'So…' Came Persephone's airy voice as she tried to brush some of the damp grass off her chiton. '-where shall we start girls..' She smiled as three sets of bright purple eyes scanned the surrounding area for souls they hadn't catalogued yet.
'What about him Miss Persephone..' Raidne sounded pointing a tiny minty finger in the direction of a couple of tall trees. The Queen of the Underworld straightened and turned her brilliant green eyes over to where the Siren was pointing. At the sight of this soul Persephone felt numb, tears threatening the edges of her eyes as a huge surge of long repressed grief and sorrow threatened to break free of the confines in which they had been locked away for nearly seventy years.
She wasn't aware of how long she stared at the soul, who was merely relaxing under the trees blissfully ignorant to her, but eventually the goddess became aware of a distant voice..
'Miss Persephone..' The very pale tinted-lilac goddess blinked, rousing herself from her staring but unable to rid herself of the heavy feeling in her chest… why hadn't anybody told her that he was here?
'Are you ok?' Tele's voice sounded as the three nymph-girls gazed concerned at their mistress who was looking mournful and terrified at the same time.
'I'm sorry..' Persephone shook her head and pushed the clipboard in her hand towards Molpe who took it. '-I just…' Persephone faltered feeling several large tears roll down her cheeks. '-I just…' Again she paused wiping the tears as the Sirens stared both confused as to why this one soul had managed to reduce their mistress to tears.. 'I just can't deal with this right now..' Persephone finally choked emotionally before vanishing in a swirl of orbs..
The three Sirens all gazed at each other in shock.
'Should we go after her?' Molpe asked unsurely, looking at the spot where their queen had left abruptly.
'No..' Raidne sounded shaking her icy-blonde head. '-we should go to Master Hades..'
'In a minute.' Tele agreed then took the clipboard off of her sister and began heading over to the soul under the tree. '-but first we better catalogue this soul so that Master Hades knows which one upset Miss Persephone..'
The soul in question had been relaxing with his eyes closed, completely unaware of the effect his very presence had on the new ruler of this blissful domain. He had been very surprised when he'd died to find himself in the Elysian Fields, he didn't feel that he had lived the kind of life that merit access to the Refuge of Heroes. The soul sighed heavily as memories of the day of his death came back to him.. perhaps this was Zeus' way of making it up to him…
'Excuse me..' A soft female voice sounded causing the soul to open his eyes and reveal two brilliant green eyes that rolled towards the three minty-skinned girls.
'Sorry to intrude on your afterlife sir but may we take a few details off you as a record of your presence in this realm?' The middle nymph sounded as the other two blinked at him with girly smiles.
'Of course…' The soul sounded in a low mellow tone, smiling back at them.
'Name please..' The nymph with the clipboard sounded pleasantly.
'Iason…' The soul replied simply.
Hades sighed heavily as he slumped against the archway to the docks of the Styx, not a single soul today, not one. This was the one thing he hated about the 'summer slump'.. the fact that the days seemed to drag. He couldn't even go and pester Persephone as she was in the Elysian Fields sorting out the mess Bolt Boy had left her. He sighed heavily, his wife was determined to figure out what Zeus had done to prevent Hades from entering the realm so that she could reverse it and let him inside to experience it for himself..
The fiery god was curious to see what it was like, after all it was the one area of the dead he had never had the chance to appreciate and from what Persephone had told him it sounded like a great place to get away from the stresses of Underworld-life.. No wonder Zeus wouldn't let him have it. Lousy, stinkin,' son of Cronos… The fiery god fumed, flaring a bright shade of orange..
'Master Hades… Master Hades… Master Hades..' Three girly voices squealed in unison, causing the fiery god to instantly stop venting and swivel his flaming head in the direction of the noise. His wife's minions were flying towards him and landing neatly on the docks. Hades returned blue blinking confused by their distressed expressions.
'Heh, what's the matter ladies..' He raised his brows. '-trouble in paradise?' The fiery god smirked amused at his own wisecrack.
'It's Miss Persephone my Lord..' Tele started in a worried voice.
'She's really upset sir..' Raidne added anxiously causing the smile to vanish from Hades' lips.
'She saw this soul in the Elysian Fields and completely freaked out before orbing out on us..' Molpe finished looking distraught.
'Alright, alright, alright..' Hades sounded as all three gave a wail of despair. '-settle down girls..' The fiery god refrained from rolling his eyes with difficulty… Sheesh, what's with the waterworks.. '-where is Seph now?'
There was a brief moment as the three Sirens composed themselves before answering.
'We don't know Master Hades..' Raidne sounded softly.
'She just sorta orbed out on us..' Molpe added gently.
'But here's some info on the soul that upset her..' Tele said holing out a roll of parchment towards him. Hades took it and unfurled the scroll and only needed to read the name at the top before understanding why his wife must have completely freaked at the sight of this soul. Then without a word he vanished in a curl of smoke to go and locate his better half, leaving the three girls to look at each other bemused, still not following what the big deal with this soul was…
As Hades wandered down the hallway, words that Hermes had once told him floated back into his mind.. Iason, he was Demeter's hubby until he died..
Persephone's father was dead… Funny, the fiery god hadn't even thought that this would ever be an issue but where else was the dead spirit of her father going to go? Athens? Although the fact that her father had been living as a spirit in the Elysian Fields explained why Hades had no record of him in the Underworld… Zeus must have sent his soul straight to the refuge of heroes as a way of apologising to Demeter for her loss. That still didn't shed light on why Persephone was so upset by his presence in the realm, if anything Hades would have expected her to be happy in being reunited with her father after sixty-nine years.. But then again he'd never heard Persephone say anything about her father, when he tried to speak to her about him the young goddess just clammed up and refused to talk until he changed the subject..
Hades sighed heavily as he approached the door to their large bedroom… The fiery god reached out for the silver doorknob then paused as the sound of crying came from the other side of it. With a heavy sigh Hades then gripped the handle and turned the knob, swinging it open and entering the room. There was a swivel of movement and a flash of colour as the black covers wrapped themselves around the familiar mass of his wife huddled in bed.
'Sephykins..' Hades sounded tenderly as he perched himself beside her then lent over the covered form of his other half.
'Hades.. I'm not in the mood..' Persephone's huffy voice sounded muffled due to the sheets covering her face. Her words actually caused a smirk to curl across the fiery god's full blue lips and he laughed softly.
'Yeh..' His large golden eyes rolled expressively. '-like that's really what I want..' He smiled at her before gently prizing the black bed-sheet out of her slim fingers and peeled it slowly downwards to reveal his lilac-tinted wife. Her green eyes were downcast and there was a sad, mournful expression on her face.
'Sephy..' Hades sighed causing her bright eyes to roll in his direction. '-the girls told me what happened..'
'Did you know he was in there?' Persephone asked softly, her voice was slightly choked.
'No..' Hades answered truthfully and a slight smile curved her lips.
There was a short pause of silence in which Hades took Persephone's dainty hand in his, smiling at the pale lilac tan that was tinting her usually pearly skin. Persephone's fingers tightened in his grip..
'Y'know you were gonna have to face him someday..' Hades sounded gently, raising his black pupils to meet hers.
'I can't..' Persephone sounded in a terrified whisper, suddenly looking like the lost little girl that had watched her father die all those decades ago.. Instinctively Hades pulled her into a protective embrace, holding her close as the goddess shook in his arms.
'Baabe…' The fiery god drawled. '-ya have to face this.. I mean c'mon, what kinda Queen of the Dead runs from death, huh?' He nudged her with a hint of a playful smirk twisting his lips. Persephone raised her head, her wide frightened green eyes fixed onto his calm golden ones.
'I can't face him alone..' She sounded gently causing the fiery god to sigh as his hands roamed up and down her back in slow comforting strokes.
'Sephy my sweet..' He sighed, it was time to put his title of 'Good Councillor' to good use. '-ya know I'd come with ya if I could..' Persephone wiped away the tear that was threatening to form and gave him a watery smile.
'Well..' She sounded gently. 'I might have worked out what's keeping you from entering..' The lilac-tinted goddess smiled at her husband..
'Ya have..?' Hades said blinking surprised.
'I think so..' She nodded thoughtfully. '-I mean, it's just a theory but it should work..' The goddess paused before her lips curled into a sweet little smile and her fingers ran along her husband's chest.. '-besides, I need you with me if I'm going to do this..' The young goddess sighed heavily, not sure if she was really ready to face her dead father.. But there were questions she needed answered and as long as her husband was holding her hand she knew she'd have the strength to find the answers..
The two gods shared one compassionate kiss before Hades' arms slipped further around Persephone's waist and the two of them vanished in a swirl of black smoke.
The fiery Lord of the Underworld gazed unsurely at the brightly lit realm of the Elysian Fields. The place looked so light, so calm and so inviting… unlike the rest of the Underworld.. It truly was torture for the fiery god just to look into this place. Especially since Zeus had kept him locked out of this realm for so long…
Hades felt his wife's hand squeeze his hand tightly, he looked around to see the 'frightened little girl' look back in her eyes.
'Are ya sure your ready to do this now..' He asked her gently her eyes swivelled to his with a sense of determination in amongst the green.
'I have to do this..' She sounded then added softly. '-and your right, how can I do my job properly if I don't?'
'Ok then, just checkin' babe..' Hades suddenly sounded airily rubbing his hands together. 'Soo… how's this theory of yours work then, huh? What ya gotta do to get me inside?' He added in one excitable breathe swivelling around to face his missus. Persephone smirked at her husband's enthusiasm, something about this almost boyish side to him had always been attractive to her..
'Nothing..' She replied simply and really loving the fact that this one word had managed to both deflate and confuse her husband.
'Nothin'..' He finally responded, scratching his flaming skull completely baffled. '-whatta ya mean your gonna do nothin' Sephy?' Persephone placed one hand demurely over her cherry lips and giggled amused.
'I don't have to do anything sweetie..' She sounded sweetly. '-you can waltz on in there anytime you like, I think you always could..' This seemed to make Hades even more confused and he merely looked blankly at her, still not following..
'Ok, clearly I'm still missin' somethin' here babe so why don'tcha just tell what I've to do… make things a whole lot easier m'kay..'
'Alright..' Persephone sighed. '-this realm is supposed to be for the restful refuge of pure and good souls right?' She asked her husband simply.
'Doy..' Hades sounded sarcastically and Persephone ignored it.
'Well, it's my theory that while you were trying to takeover the cosmos this barrier-' She fingered the thin golden light surrounding the realm. '-protected this place from you. See it's like a security guard, I don't think you can enter unless your intentions are pure..'
'What, so I have to act like a friggin' hero just to get in this joint..' Hades sounded horrified by the very idea… What was this? A punishment from Tartarus?
'No, no, no silly..' Persephone giggled amused by her husband's facial expression. '-you just keep ideas of realm domination out of your head..' She actually reached up and rapped the side of her husband's head. Hades blinked before smirking at his wife.
'Baby, I have no intentions of usurpin' this place from ya..' He sounded sincerely.
'Well that's good to know sweetie..' She beamed back at him then sidestepped in front of him so she was now in front of him, her back to the golden barrier that pulsed separating the bright lands of Elysium from the rest of the dreary Underworld.
Hades gazed at his wife, her eyes were nothing but green pools of love and she held out her slim lilac-tinted hands towards him with a serene smile, he vaguely noted that her lilac tan did not extend to her aura which was still star-white and shining brightly.
'Take my hands..' Her calm voice spoke and Hades hesitated, unsure if just taking her hands was really going to help him enter this place.. '-it's ok sweetie, you're with me..' Sighing heavily in a 'what've I gotta lose' manner Hades then reached out and took hold of his wife's tiny fingers.. Instantly he felt this strange sense of calmness wash over him. When he glanced down he noticed that his wife's aura had extended onto his skin too…
'Don't..' Persephone's voice sounded softly and his golden eyes swivelled back to her, he felt an instant rush of tenderness towards his wife as she smiled again.. '-stay focused on me.. it'll help.' Hades wasn't sure what exactly she meant but obeyed, focusing on her face. He became vaguely aware of her leading him forwards towards the barrier, taking small baby steps at a time.. But Hades kept his eyes to his wife, the light of his immortal life…
A strange new feeling washed over Hades as he felt the barrier's energy cross over his skin… it felt like something was scrutinising him, as thought it were trying to decide whether or not he was indeed worthy of entering.. There was a brief sense of resistance coming from the barrier which seemed to hold him firmly in place, refusing to let him mover further until it had completed it's check. Then amazingly he felt the resistance drop and Persephone was edging him forward again… into the Elysian Fields..
The first thing Hades felt as the sensation of the golden barrier left him was the incredible heat of the realm, it was like a sweltering summer's afternoon with a soft cooling breeze. Slowly, because of the brightness of the artificial sunlight Hades opened his eyes and squinted at his smiling wife..
'Welcome to the Elysian Fields Hades..' She said softly, smiling wider at him. Hades had to blink several times as his eyes adjusted to the change in brightness. It was almost like being on the surface, with it's heavenly blue sky and lush thick green grass.. but as you looked closer it was obvious that the whole place, like Tartarus and the Asphodel Fields, was merely an illusion on the human emotion of what the realm represented. In this case: Bliss… the grass was too soft to be real, the water in the pools were too blue and clean, the sun was too warm, the trees and plants were all too perfect and cheerful… the list went on and on.
Persephone smiled as she kept her fingers entwined in her husband's hand as they walked further into the realm, all the time she was watching as the fiery god gaze around like a curious child.. touching or observing everything he came in contact with… Every so often she squeezed his large greyish-blue hand, reminding him that she was there if he needed her. She felt him squeeze back briefly as a smile curled his lips but he remained distracted by the bright sights of Elysium. His rounded golden eyes learning as his sharp brain memorised the sights.
However nothing prepared Hades for the souls residing in this realm, they were corporal… It wasn't like the fiery god had never seen a flesh and blood spirit before. In fact, the whole of Tartarus was crawling with them, their wails and cries of misery filled the burning hell-hole from dawn until dusk and so they always would… But in this realm they weren't miserable, they were completely content with their surroundings and it not only confused the god but also made him nervous.. It wasn't a sight he was used to seeing. Something else he wasn't used to was the respect that all the souls gave him, many bowed low or uttered words on what an honour it was to be blessed by his presence after so many centuries of waiting… Hades had never received this kind of respect before but for once in his entire illustrious career as Lord of the Underworld he felt a strange sense of pride about his position.. The souls here viewed him as their leader, not Zeus… Showed just how much Bolt Boy truly cared about his little 'Refuge of Heroes'..
The young Queen of the Underworld felt her heart swell as her husband's sense of self-esteem increased due to the kind words of the souls in her realm… finally, he was receiving the kind of respect that she always knew he deserved. When her husband finally turned to her, still holding her dainty fingers in his hand, his eyes were brighter than usual as he appeared to be rather overwhelmed by the respect he was getting from the souls around him.. As he stepped up to her the souls automatically backed off and returned to their previous activities, knowing that this was none of their business.
'Y'know..' Hades breathed, finally letting go of her hand and slipping both arms around her waist. 'I've never had this kinda respect before.' He uttered thoughtfully, still trying to take the strangeness of this in.
'How does it feel?' Persephone asked with curious green eyes as her hands stroked his chest. The fiery god merely gazed at her for a long moment before a smirk twisted across his full blue lips.
'It feels pretty dam good Sephykins..' He said in a low voice causing his wife to flush with pleasure at these words. '-now why don't we go find daddy, huh?'
Immediately Persephone's smile was replaced with a look of trepidation, unease clouding into her brilliant green eyes. Hades merely raised a brow..
'Ya didn't think I'd forgotten 'bout that.. didja babe?'
Little Notes:
Heya Peeps… first off apologies as this chap has been extremely difficult to write. Touching moments that include death are not my area of expertise as I have not lost anybody close to me, so it does take a little while to write as I don't entirely understand it (be kind, I do my best)… Secondly, this is an idea I was toying with writing at the end of P.o.P but dismissed it because it seemed too fluffy for an end to a fic for me… besides I can do it some real justice in this story, again it has nothing much to do with the main plot of the story but it's relevant in the character development of Persephone for her to be reunited with her dead father…
Ok, my vision of the Elysian Fields may not be as you see it, hence why my general descriptions are vague so that you can envision it the way you see it… It's generally meant to be perfect, it's beauty far surpassing the surface world above…but as I state in this story, it's all an illusion based on the human emotion of 'Bliss', just as Tartarus is based on 'Misery' and Asphodel Fields is based on 'Confusion'…
Until next time…
..Lot's of Love..
..Ditzy x
