The office was fairly huge; it was the length of the entire width of the level. With a polished wood-panelled floor that was covered with expensive Persian rugs and dark green walls that had paintings and framings of certificates nailed to it, it gave off a regal aura.

In the centre of the room was a mahogany table which was accompanied by a high-backed office chair. In front of it was a matching leather sofa set while behind it was a window which too was the length of the room, allowing a view of part of Brooklyn.

On the right of the room was one whole wall full of shelves of books, while on the other side was a small round meeting table, where Zeus, Hera and Poseidon sat.

"Persephone has run away from Demeter," Hestia informed immediately as she and Hades took their seats next to each other.

The eyes of the other gods and goddess widened at the news. "She has?" Hera said in shock. "What happened?"

Before Hestia could open her mouth, it was Hades who answered, his voice coming out as a low and deadly seethe, "Our dearly beloved sister tried to wipe away her memories using Lethe's waters again, and threatened to take her away from Heatherton."

Poseidon groaned. "Not again!" he complained. "Is she purposely trying to make life difficult for us? If we don't have even at least one earth goddess for when the fated day comes, Earth would cease to exist in the new universe!"

Hades replied curtly, "I do not care about that, Poseidon. I only want my wife to return with me."

"And what of Persephone and Demeter now?" Zeus inquired, his piercing grey eyes intent on Hades.

Hades gritted his teeth before answering, "Persephone is safe in Hestia's home, under the care of Artemis, Apollo, Hermes and Dionysus. But I can give you no answer for Demeter."

"Who knows what she would do now?" Hera murmured to herself, her honey eyes looking genuinely worried and frustrated. "Last time, she created the frost months known as 'winter'. And now, I do not know."

Zeus sighed in frustration to himself. These talks of Demeter made his head pound. There never seemed to be any situation regarding his sister that never led to trouble.

"Alright, alright. Let's put all that aside for now. We'll discuss it later," he said exasperatedly, wanting to stop discussing about Demeter so that he doesn't get a pounding headache later on. "Right now, let's get down to business."

Everybody else relaxed then. Leaning back against his chair, Poseidon asked, "So why have you called us here, Zeus? I had to cut away precious time from my aquarium for this."

Zeus rolled his eyes as he stood up from his chair. "Your aquarium can wait, Poseidon," he said as he made his way to his mahogany office table.

"What I am about to say will be very important. Apollo has seen the future, and he explains that we are to assemble at the ruins of my temple in the Greek city of Olympia. Once the gods and goddesses have reunited at the very same spot, there shall be barrier of power which will protect us while a wave of death strikes the Earth and the humans, even a god or goddess that does not stand within the barrier. And after the proper incantations which will proclaim all of us as gods once again, only then can we return to Olympus."

Sliding open a drawer of his table, Zeus continued on. "I will inform Aphrodite and Hephaestus shortly of this. Athena will be on her midterm vacation in two days, and I will inform her later on. I will also see to it that Ares be deployed back to the United States before moving off to Greece."

Zeus then produced a manila envelope out of the drawer. After unwinding the string around the two cardboard buttons, he opened the flap and took out a stack of hard plastic cards.

"Poseidon will travel with me and Hera using my private jet. And for Hades and Hestia, I will arrange for some private jets to be situated at the Portland International Airport." And then, handing Hades the stack of cards, he explained, "These are passes for you to use my jets at will. Without it, then you will not be able to do so."

Hades counted the cards in his hands. There were eight.

"Two are for Demeter and Persephone. Demeter in case she has reconsidered. Persephone for when you have already informed her of what is to happen."

"She already knows," Hades answered bleakly.

Zeus, Hera and Poseidon looked surprised at Hades' answer. "And how did she take the news?" Hera inquired.

Hades heaved a sigh and answered, "She wasn't too happy, that's for sure. She broke down crying immediately. But she had managed to calm down and face the fact."

Poseidon reached out to give his older brother a pat on the back. "I'm sure she'll be alright, brother. And I am sure that she will be glad to return to her true homes. As do the rest of us."

From behind Hades' chair, Zeus snorted, "Well, except one."

All of a sudden, the intercom on Zeus' desk sounded.

"Mr Evans? There's a call for you. The caller said that it was regarding private matters," Lucy's voice buzzed.

Zeus sighed and threaded to the intercom. Pushing a button, he spoke into it, "Might I ask, who is the caller?"

Lucy replied, "The caller's name is Demi Korey."

At the mention of that name, everyone's eyes widened, including Zeus'.

"Zeus, you have to answer it," Hera urged him. "Ask her what she was calling for."

Zeus nodded and spoke to the intercom, "Transfer the call to my line."

"Right away, sir," came the secretary's reply.

Zeus brought a finger to his lips as a motion for everyone to stay quiet. Then, he pressed a button on his phone, and he said, "Hello?"

A frantic and shrill voice spoke through the speaker, heard throughout the entire office.

"Zeus! I have had enough of this!"

Everybody heaved a silent sigh at how angry Demeter's voice was. They really did not want to put up with her now. Especially not with all the problems that she could bring to them.

"Hello, Demeter," Zeus answered nonchalantly. "What is it this time?"

"My daughter! My Persephone! She has run away from home! I've scoured the entire Heatherton, and she is nowhere to be found!"

Hades tensed up and clenched his hands into fists. He really wanted to give his annoying sister a piece of his mind right now. How tempted he was to march right up to the phone and start shouting at Demeter about the cruelty that she had committed towards her daughter, and that Persephone had every right to know the truth. But he willed himself to stay put and not let his anger overtake him.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Zeus questioned, his grey eyes flashing with the slightest anger.

"Do not play dumb with me, Zeus! I know you know Hades has her! And I know that he is there with you now! Do not think I don't know about the meeting in New York! Despite the fact that we are separated, I am still a part of the Big Six and can detect whenever the rest of you are together!"

Hades shot up from his chair, now unable to bear the flame of anger that burned like wildfire inside him. But before he could take one stomp towards the phone, Zeus raised a hand to motion to him to stay back, and Hestia quietly urged him to sit down again. Hades took rapid deep breaths, but stayed where he was.

Zeus then snorted loudly, "Well, it seems that finally your powers are returning, after being dim for so long due to living amongst mortals and pretending to be one. But let me guess; you still have no desire to return to Mount Olympus when the fated day comes?"

On the other line, Demeter screamed, "NO! I DO NOT WISH TO RETURN IF IT MEANS HAVING TO SHARE MY PERSEPHONE WITH THAT WRETCHED GOD THAT WE CALL OUR BROTHER! I REFUSE TO RETURN IF IT MEANS PERSEPHONE MUST CONTINUE TO FULFILL THE POMEGRANATE AGREEMENT! I'D RATHER DIE WITH MY DAUGHTER THAN HAVING HER SPEND TIME WITH THAT BEAST WHO KIDNAPPED HER IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

Finally, Hades snapped. He marched to the phone, pushed Zeus out of the way, and shouted ferociously, "YOU WATCH YOUR POISONOUS TONGUE, DEMETER! PERSEPHONE MAY BE YOUR DAUGHTER, BUT SHE IS ALSO MY WIFE! IT HAS ALREADY BEEN MANY MILLENNIUMS! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET IT GO AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I AM HER HUSBAND?"

Demeter fought back violently, "YOU STOLE HER FROM ME! SHE WOULD HAVE REMAINED A MAIDEN HAD YOU NOT STOLEN HER! SHE WOULD HAVE REMAINED MINE AND MINE ALONE!" Then, Demeter seethed dangerously, "Do not take me lightly, Hades. I will find her and keep her away from you, even if it means she would have to die with me!"

And then, she hung up.

"AAARRGGHHH!" Hades screamed in rage as he grabbed the telephone, lifted it and threw it at the wall in front of him with so much force and power that the machine broke into many pieces and had even left a few scratches and cracks on the wall.

"She will never let this go, will she? Why! Why can't she just accept the fact and move on!" he raged, running his hands through his already-messy hair angrily and pacing the room with big and angry strides.

Everyone remained quiet as they watched their dark older brother venting out his anger and frustration. All of them knew that it would be considered suicide if one was to approach Hades while he was fuming. So, they patiently waited.

Finally, Hades plopped himself down on the chair of Zeus' desk and tried hard to regain his composure. Zeus took a deep breath and slowly placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. Hades made no move at the contact, concentrating solely on calming himself down.

"Do not worry, Hades. If Demeter still relents, then we will try our best to keep Persephone safe and away from her. And when we finally return to Mount Olympus, you can have her all to yourself, with no Demeter to stand in your way."

But that was the problem for Hades. Despite the burning rage that he felt towards Demeter, he did not really want her to die. She was still his sister no matter what; a part of his family. All he wanted was for Demeter to come to terms that Persephone was married and was content with it, and for her to allow their marriage to be at peace.

That was all he wanted, so why was it so difficult for her to comply?

So he remained quiet, just wishing for everything to go as he hoped it will.

It was nearly eleven at night now, and Hades still hasn't returned.

Neither he nor Hestia called throughout the entire day. So of course, I was quite worried. But something inside me told me that he was fine, and that he would return soon. I held on tightly to that hope.

Meanwhile, I've spent my entire day enjoying it with my half-brothers and half-sister. Apollo had returned from his 'day out' with a box of handmade gourmet chocolates for me, telling me that it was a gift for my return. While I thanked him for the sweet gesture, Artemis flashed him a look of slight disapproval as she assumed it as an act of flirtation.

I think what Artemis had assumed Apollo was doing during the day was right. Because when I gave him a sisterly hug, I could easily detect the scent of some girl's perfume on his clothes.

After eating a delicious dinner of meat and potatoes, all five of us sat down at the living room and just simply talked as we ate the box of chocolates Apollo gave me, which I admit were really delicious.

Hermes kept on telling me stories of all the tricks he had accomplished, some being pulled on Apollo and Dionysus. I wondered why he had never attempted a trick on Artemis, until Dionysus whispered to me, "Artemis is his best gal friend, so he doesn't try anything on her. Besides, he knows better than to mess with her."

Meanwhile, Hermes was complaining about something.

"I seriously hate how these mortals don't even have the slightest clue of who we are! We were the greatest beings in the entire universe! Now, we are simply forgotten characters! Once, I honestly told this chick that my name was 'Hermes', and she exclaimed, 'Oh! You mean like the fashion house?' What in Tartarus!"

I giggled slightly, while Apollo sighed in disappointment and shook his head in dismay. "I too feel your pain, my brother. I also can't believe the mortal girls definitions of a 'hot guy' nowadays and their horrible taste in music. Seriously! If they would just stop listening to that crappy 'pop' stuff and listen to what melodies I can create on my lyre, they would be worshipping me once again as the God of Music!"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, 'Kris'. You'll get that chance. Soon."

Suddenly, the atmosphere began to change. It was a strange atmosphere, with seriousness amidst it.

"What do you think will happen?" Dionysus asked in between gulps of his Monster Energy drink.

Apollo shrugged. "We'll return to Mount Olympus while everything else regenerates. That's the simple answer."

Tapping a finger to his chin, Hermes said, "To be honest, I can't wait to go back. I can't wait to put on my winged-sandals and be the herald of Mount Olympus once again. Even though I used to think that it was a crappy job, I actually miss it very much now."

"Yes," Artemis replied in a murmur. "And I can't wait to get my silver bow and arrows back. And only then can I roam around the forests which are my domain freely and without a care in the world."

Apollo added in to the conversation. "Once I got my golden lyre back in my hands, I'll compose the most beautiful of music once more, and the new mortals will be astounded by it."

Dionysus then exclaimed excitedly, "And I can't wait to get all that ambrosia and nectar again!"

At his enthusiasm, all of us broke out of our solemn mood and started chuckling.

Suddenly, the door opened, and in walked Hestia and Hades.

"Aunt Hestia! You're back!" Artemis exclaimed as she got off her chair and made her way to our aunt. As she hugged her, Artemis asked, "How was everything?"

Gently patting Artemis' back, Hestia replied, "Everything was alright, my dear. No worries."

I then got off my seat and walked over to Hades. I too wrapped my own arms around him and gave him a quick kiss to his lips. As he hugged me back, he whispered, "Let's go home."

I pulled away from him to study him with shock eyes. My shock only increased when I saw how tired and frustrated he looked, as though he had come across something that had completely worn him out.

Then, turning to Hestia, he said, "Thank you very much for letting us stay, Hestia. But Persephone and I must be leaving now."

I had expected Hestia to protest and try to get him to reconsider. So it was a surprise when she nodded her head. "Of course," she said. "I understand."

She then hugged me goodbye, and I returned the gesture. I did the same with the rest, telling them that I hoped to see them soon. All this while Hades stood aside and watched.

When the goodbyes had finally been exchanged, Hades grasped my hand gently and led me out of the house.

Hades pulled up the car he had borrowed from Hestia in front of his house. Because he did not bring the remote which controlled the gates near the entryway, he resorted to use his powers to get it to open.

I followed him into the dark house, studying him as I did. He seemed very angry over something, but he was trying hard to not let it control him while I was around. However, I could see the black fire burning in his eyes.

When the both of us were finally in the house, I asked quickly, "What happened, Hades?"

He turned around to face me, and I unintentionally took a step back when I saw the fury etched clearly on his façade.

"Your mother is full of vile intentions," he seethed through gritted teeth. "All I wanted was for her to accept our marriage, but she would rather have you killed alongside with her than have you remain with me."

My eyes widened in fear. "What do you mean?"

Taking a step closer, he exclaimed angrily, "She doesn't want you to return to us! She doesn't want you to return to being a goddess! Because she knows that if you do, you must stay with me as well! She doesn't want to 'share' you with me! So her only logical answer is for you to die with her on the fated day!"

I gasped in shock at what I was hearing. I couldn't believe that my mother would want to do such a thing. Have me killed just so she wouldn't have to have me with Hades? How could she be so cruel?

"Hades…" I murmured as I came closer to him, embracing him with all my love for him. He returned the embrace, and we stood silently.

"I don't want to lose you…" he murmured into my hair. "I don't want to lose you ever again… If I do, my immortality is completely meaningless without you…"

I shushed him gently, not wanting these emotions to take over him. I ran my fingers through his messy hair and kissed his cheek in an attempt to calm him down.

"I'm not going anywhere, Hades… I swear that I'll always be by your side…." I whispered to him.

He pulled away to look at me, and I saw the anger in his eyes were now replaced with longing and desire. Then, in a split second, he leaned his face forward and pressed his lips against mine.

The kiss was desperate, shown in the way he urgently moulded his lips against mine. But it was also full of passion and pure love. It overcame me with the sense of desire for him as I gripped his hair tightly and pressed my lips just as hard against his.

Suddenly, Hades pulled away, and I mewled in protest as my lips suddenly felt cold. Resting his forehead against mine, he whispered, "Persephone… I need you…"

Without hesitation, I replied, "Take me…"

He responded with yet another desperate and passionate kiss.

I had never experienced such bliss until tonight, where inside his majestic bedroom, we strengthened the lost bonds between us.

Author's Note:

Officially the longest chapter I have written so far, and one that I am very proud of :)

Muse of Fanfiction