Title: through the ages
Fandom: mythology
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 310
Point of view: third
Prompt: Any, any/any, time in a bottle
For all that the gods fade away when their worshipers do, across all pantheons certain gods remain.
"Do you yet regret entering my realm to be my bride?" Hades asks as another century turns.
"Of course not," Persephone answers. Hades chuckles, as ever disbelieving, but that matters not. She kisses his cheek, nods for the newest of Cerberus' pups to accompany her, and goes for her daily walk.
She chooses a different route each time, so that she travels through a different pantheon's death realm.
War remains eternal, and death, and the seasons; as religions fade and their followers, the war gods and the death gods and the seasonal gods remain, too. Changing, of course, but some things never do.
Persephone's walk ends where it always does.
"Is it time yet?" Pandora asks, lowering her sunglasses to smirk at Persephone. The jar is beside her, glowing.
"No," Persephone sighs, settling into the pool chair next to her and stretching. The puppy rushes to the pool, toppling over into the water. Pandora laughs, turning to look at Persephone.
"When they created me," she asks, "do you think any of them knew?"
"Of course they didn't," Persephone says.
Ares and Athena, and Mother, they are all that remains from the old days. They have changed so much they barely remember; Mother doesn't even recognize Persephone anymore. It hurt the first few centuries, but Persephone has changed, too.
The jar glows. Persephone ignores it.
"Hope remains, my darling," Pandora murmurs, sounding only a little cruel. It has been such a long time since she was that curious, bright woman. The jar has been with her since she was woven together and unleashed on the world.
"Yes," Persephone agrees, watching the puppy play in the pool. Hope remains, and time—and when it must be done, Pandora will open the jar once more.