This Persephone, Menthe, and Ianthe are MINE! Anyone who uses them without my permission gets attacked by Cerberus.

Every other character/place/whatever else belongs to Disney. Use them at your own risk.

The REAL Cosmic Couple

Chapter IX- Hades Lies and Hecate Comes Into the Picture

"I'd say that went well," reflected Panic.

Hades shrugged. "I'm just lucky we decided to nix the kiss the bride part. She probably would have ripped off my lips."

Pain looked at Hades. "Should you go lock her in her room? 'Cuz she'll probably try to escape again….."

"Good point," he said, and vanished.

Persephone stormed into her 'room' and flopped on the bed, staring in disgust at the black skull shaped ring on her hand. She pulled it off and slammed it on the floor.

The ring popped back on her finger.

Persephone stared at it, then groaned. "A magic ring. Go figure…"

"Oh, Sephy…" called a way too familiar voice outside her door.

A few hundred daffodils shot out of the floor and blocked the door from opening.

"Hey! C'mon, babe, that's cheating…."

"So is tricking me into saying I do," said Persephone, and the daffodils turned to thorny roses.

"Ya know what? Fine. Two can play at this game…."

The flowers were set on fire through the crack under the door, and they all crumpled to ash. Persephone sat straight up.

"HEY!"

"You asked for it," said Hades, and the door opened. He was leaning on the wall in a heartbeat.

"Get away from me," she growled.

"I'm your husband now, babe….I don't have to do anything."

"Just 'cuz you're my—" she gagged, "—husband doesn't mean you can order me around. And it doesn't mean that you can do whatever you want."

"It does so! This is my kingdom!"

"It's mine too!" said Persephone and she stood up in sudden realization. "I'm the Queen of the Underworld now!"

Hades smiled smugly. "So you admit it—you like being married to me."

Her eyes widened. "I do not!"

"Why not? You get to be Queen…..have minions…..get away from yer psychopathic mother…" Silently, he added, You get to have someone love you every single day of every single week of every single month of every single year for all eternity… He made a personal memo to murder Cupid.

"But I'm married to you. So that kinda crushes everything else," snapped Persephone.

Hades flared up, mostly to cover up that strange feeling he was feeling just then—hurt. "Watch it—I can throw you in the River Styx if I wanted to. Trust me. Not fun."

"Why do you even want to marry me?" screamed Persephone, "What are you gaining from this?"

Hades quickly thought of an excuse. "Everyone else is married—I wanted to be, too!"

She stared at him. "That's it?"

He shrugged. "Yeah."

"Then why me?"

"'Cuz you're the only one who didn't know me well enough to steer clear of me all the time…hey, when I find advantages, I use 'em."

"I hate you!" yelled Persephone.

"Oh, wow…that bothers me," he said sarcastically… but inside it did actually bother him.

"I'll hate you for the rest of my immortal life! Even if you let me go, I'll hate you, for doing this to me! My mother is Demeter—I'm great at holding grudges!"

Hades rolled his eyes. "Ooh…as devastated as I am…I think I'll get over it. Nighty-night." He walked off, locking the door behind him, to go sulk on his throne.

Persephone clenched her fists, then got up and began pacing the room nervously. This couldn't get any worse—right?

"WHERE IS MY PERSEPHONE?" howled Demeter. A few nymphs gathered around her fell to the floor nervously.

"O Mighty Demeter," said one, "We wish you the b-best of luck in your search for your daughter—"

"I DON'T WANT LUCK! I WANT MY SEPHY BACK! WHERE IS SHE!"

There was whispering among the crowd.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"Lady Demeter," said one, and she stepped forwards. It was Menthe. "We don't know where she is. But we found this."

Someone stepped up and handed Demeter something pink. Persephone's flower petal headdress. Demeter looked at it and began to cry.

"S-she said t-that she w-would r-run away," Demeter sobbed, "I-I didn't believe h-her… and n-now she's g-gone…"

Ianthe started to cry, too.

Menthe bit her lip. "Lady Demeter….maybe there's someone that can help us…."

"I've already g-gotten all the gods and goddesses to search for her…..and no-one's found anything. W-who else c-can help?" sniffled Demeter, and the headdress fell to the ground.

"Are you sure you've gotten everyone?" said Menthe.

"Everyone except for Hades and N-Nemesis, I think…But that's okay. It's fine. I don't want him helping. And Nemesis is t-too busy."

"No…you're missing someone," corrected a voice, and someone emerged from the shadows.

"Yes," agreed Menthe, sounding a little nervous, "Hecate can help."

"Hecate!" gasped Demeter, "Don't tell me that you know where Persephone is?"

Hecate shrugged. "Not a clue. Yet, that is. I plan to search everywhere, places where only I, as Witch Queen of the Night, can search."

"I don't know….how can I be sure that I can trust you?" said Demeter doubtfully. Hecate looked like a female Hades, and surely at times acted like one. Could she really be trusted?

"You do want to find Persephone, right?" said Hecate.

"Of course I do, but…"

"Then I will search for her."

"But—oh, all right. But bring someone with you. I don't trust you by yourself." Demeter looked around for a volunteer, but Hecate was quick to select her own.

"She will accompany me," said Hecate, and placed a hand on Menthe's shoulder, who shrunk away, wide-eyed.

"Me?" gasped Menthe, "But—I can't! She…I…"

"You were the one who suggested her, Menthe," pointed out Demeter.

"Ok. Ok. Fine. Just…just no dark places," relented Menthe with a shiver.

"Agreed," said Hecate. She whistled and two things flew down from the sky—her minions, talking wolves with huge wings. Nymphs screamed and ran in all directions. Menthe flinched.

"Come…Menthe, was it? Come, Menthe. We should start searching," said Hecate, and she, her wolves, and Menthe, disappeared.

"What a relief," Demeter sighed, "She should find Persephone. And all will be well again…but oh, how I miss her…."