Convincing Hades had been surprisingly easy. After he finished raging against the fates and cursing the council, he had been quite calming. He had even apologized to Thalia in his role of her transformation (though not without cursing Future Zeus and Hephaestus to deepest pits of Tartarus for killing his lover and the death of his daughter).
He agreed to be their patron and it was like webbed lines shot from under him. Katie, the twins, and Thalia all shuddered at the feeling of their uncles' power. Wrong. Wrong. Death. Not the sea. Not the sky. Not nature. Bones. Cold. Dark.
It was over as soon as it started.
Hades had taken one look at their ghost trio and gave them an even more solid form. Nico pretty much gave them the power to be able to lift things and move around. Silena was able to knit and crochet whatever she wanted. But what Hades gave them was as close as a physical body as possible. A small pomegranate tree was added to the grove for the ghosts only.
The main issue came when Ariadne of course asked about Apollo. Hades had given her a strange look until he had been so helpfully informed that the two of them were lovers in the future.
"Ahhh, well from what I believe, I think he was courting one of Hephaestus' daughters. She had created an arrow that when swung a certain way can transform into a sword."
The god had been more than a little concern when the small girl casually flicked her wrist and the aforementioned weapon appeared in her hand. "I'll show him a sword."
Hades had rose a brow before squinting at her, "You do realize that you are physically only thirteen years of age. You may have the mentality of a seventeen-year-old, but you're not. I do not know what your tales tell you, but you are simply not old enough for Apollyon."
Which Ariadne had a hard time believing since she knew about Apollo and Hermes' both sleeping with Chione when she was fourteen.
Travis thought she was going to gut Hades right then and there before this look of hopelessness seemed to seep into her expression. Logically she knew that she was currently too young for a relationship especially one with the most beloved god, but she still had hope.
"Let's—Let's just focus on the plan," she muttered as she sat back in her seat. She had been distracted for the rest of the meeting, but she continued to pitch ideas. Hades had placed a small hellhound pin near the castle. They would be trained up to defend the land.
He also gave them the warning that while they had good defenses to counter an attack. War would still come to their doors as other kingdoms try to express their dominance. He left after that small warning to go back to chasing Kore.
Ariadne hadn't been for anything else instead just went back to her room. She let her buns down and let her hair flow around her face. She looked at herself in the mirror. Choking back a sob, she finally let everything settle in her bones.
Her family. Her life. Her everything was gone. She was a child again. She was a child again. In a time where, females' rights were nonexistent. In a time where the myths believed that the gods were obsessive, predatory, and controlling.
She knew them. She knew they were different than what the myths painted them as, but she was still so scared. She didn't even have her father or Hermes to turn to. There was her brother, but he had his girlfriend. Even if they were still so new in their own relationship, he had his best friend. Clarisse had Chris. The Stolls had each other. Nico and Will were much too young. They would and wouldn't understand. Rachel and Thalia had each other as the eternal virgins. Katie was much more focused on the nature of the world than relationships. Even Silena and Beckendorf had each other.
She had no one.
Except—
No. She wasn't going to bother Luke. He made his choice and she made hers.
And it led her to many of her relationships.
Her first kiss? Connor.
Her first time (with a male)? Hermes.
Her first time (with a female)? Clarisse.
Her first real love? Apollo.
Tonight, she will cry her last tear. Tomorrow, she will take on the world.
Though when the next day came, there was a sense of something wrong in the air. Ariadne's gaze flickered over the room before she emerged from the cubicle. From what little she could see; it was still early morning. The sun wasn't even shining.
Yet, it was cold.
It was freezing.
She pulled the little robe that Silena made around her tighter before venturing out of the cave. Her jaw dropped as she looked out at the world. Katie and Will were going to have a fit. Everything was dying.
But that couldn't be right? It was too soon. There were still weeks to go before Kore ventured towards the Underworld (but didn't Nico say he saw Eros' arrow down there? Did they speed up the time?)
But it also shouldn't be possible. The grove was protected. Demeter was strong yes. She had worshippers all across Greece. She was one of the first six.
But she was not stronger than Hades and Hestia combined. The eldest two of both genders. Hestia herself was the strongest of them all.
A small kitten like sneeze escaped her before a blast of warm air soothed her. Ariadne blinked to see the hearth roaring with power. The life came back to the grove and subsequently the kingdom.
"It seems as your plans to open up to the public have been pushed back, child," Ariadne turned to see her Aunt tending to the flames. She made her way over carefully. A mug of tea or something was placed in her hands as the chill seeped away from her bones. "Tell me, what is on your mind?"
Ariadne furrowed her brow. She didn't really like talking about her problems. Everyone else usually had bigger problems than her. Even now her problems weren't that major.
"Your problems are not lesser than anyone else if you struggle with them."
Ariadne frowned before turning back towards the fire. "As much I do not believe that, there are grander problems. Uncle has made his move days before it was time. We have already started to change the future and now it is a race against the clock. My problems are lesser than the fate of the world, dear Aunt."
"Hades' choice was his own, my dear."
Ariadne snarled. This was another reason their family was so torn apart in the future. "He spent his life alone in the darkness. It is the kingdom that he rules. And our own family tossed him out as the world labeled him cruel. Everyone knows the story, Zeus took the sky, Father the sea. They handed him the underworld and once again, darkness welcomed him. Yet Persephone saw how he was shunned. She knew the stories but never ran away. Hestia, there are many times when he will ask why the underworld is where she stays. She is the only light he will have in a world that takes everything that he loves. You all should let him be happy for a couple of months before Demeter takes her back to upperworld. "
She stood up to go back to her cubicle, "You all especially Demeter will condemn Uncle for his actions. The story will be so twisted and butchered until the only thing people would remember is that Hades took her away. They will say he tricked her into eating the seeds. But no one will remember or mention that is Eros who shot him an arrow. My beloved will gain your sympathy, yet my Uncle shall gain your scorn. So, tell me Aunt Hestia, how are my problems grander than those before me. I've made peace with my issues. Its time for the rest of you to deal with yours."
Ariadne went back to her room just to get on the bed. A small jar caught her attention that had not been there before. As she moved closer, she noticed something inside, a small pomegranate seed and red ruby sat side by side.
She smiled softly before laying back in her bed. She was in no mood for anything else.
The weeks passed quickly as Demeter's rage covered the earth. It had seemed like Hestia had taken Ariadne's words to heart. She reached out more to Hades. The kind goddess that she was. She was so different than the goddess that Ariadne first met. This Hestia was more stern and stubborn.
She kept her kind words, yet when she wanted them to listen, then they listened. She ventured to the Netherlands with her brother and she learned to love his land. With the flames of Greek fire burning, the place was beautiful as the light bounced off the jewels of the kingdom.
Even now, she could see the effects of Kore. Her powers over springtime warped as she was in the land of the dead. Where she could once make bridges of flowers and petals, now she could only weave branches and thorns. But that didn't stop the young goddess.
She decorated everything she saw whether it be with rubies and gems. Fields of asphodel flowers covered the land. Nico didn't visit anymore. Apparently, he gets sick around too much floral.
Walking into the throne room, she lays eyes on her brother and niece. His throne of bones woven together now have little flowers and pomegranates flowing through it. Her black throne was in the shape of a flower petal gilded in gold with flashes of dead souls being pierced by thorns depending on how the flame flashes.
She looked different in the light of the Netherlands. Her skin was slightly pale yet still had a rosy tint. A crown of bones weaved with flowers rest atop of her head. The two said nothing to her just smiled as the next group of dead enter the chambers. Hestia took her place at their hearth as she watched over the souls pouring in from Demeter's rage. It wouldn't be long before Kore was found, but for now, Hestia would enjoy the little time they had allowed.
Ariadne and Percy had been swimming in the river when they first caught sight of the naiad. She had blinked at them in shock before the twins hurriedly swam away. It had only been a few weeks since Demeter stopped her Grainzilla phase after all.
They shut themselves off into the grove. The twelve of them peeked out as more naiads and nymphs and satyrs ventured into their lands. The dead welcomed them all and Silena played an excellent hostess. They could tell that the nature spirits were nervous due to all the death magic in the air, but Silena easily distracted them from it all.
Ariadne smiled slowly, "Naiads and nymphs are huge gossipers. It won't be long before word gets out about the country." She looked at the others, "Are you ready to shut down Greece?"
Percy smiled back, "As if I'll have it any other way."
Notes:
Me writing: I study Greek culture for fun. I've studied Greek myths for years. I know the timelines. I know the lore.
Also me: Timelines? What's that? Sounds like a social construct that's in my freaking way.
The small poem that Ariadne speaks about Hades is from ZMJfAWQkc/
all credits belong to the author. it just really spoke to me.
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