Chapter 3: 17 years later
Persephone paced in her grove, frustration curling the willow's hanging branches unnaturally. But she couldn't help it. Her mother had announced to the entire Olympian council that she and Apollo had decided that it was time for her spring goddess to get engaged. To Apollo. What in the world was her mother thinking? She knew that the union would be a smart one--Earth and Sun was a necessary combination. But her mom had no right to choose her future husband! And poor Aidoneus looked so sad and angry, exactly how she felt but her rage was even greater than the tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes.
It didn't help that shortly after the announcement, he stopped visiting her as much. He claimed it was important and he had plans for them to be together. How could they be together if they were never together anymore? And when he did show up, he looked exhausted and riled up with fury that he would not explain to her. All she knew was his minions were idiots and now it was crunch time for him to find a way to destroy the key to his plans going up in smoke.
Sighing, Persephone lay down on a bed of moss, auburn curls creating a halo behind her. The moisture sunk into the back of her white chiton but she didn't care. No, she was too busy getting lost in the memories of the distant past. For 17 years, Hades visited her, held her hand, talked with her, and made her feel like she was his everything. And she enjoyed his company as far more than a friend but they never crossed too many lines. A kiss on the cheek, a shoulder massage when he was particularly stressed out... It was pure bliss and she wished that it would never end. On their 10th anniversary, Aidoneus had taken her down into the Underworld to see his domain. Not all of it since she couldn't be missing for more than the nighttime hours but this time, she got the scenic tour. Charon, a bony old man wearing a dirty grey chiton and a belt to collect the currency of the dead, ferried them down the dreary Styx. She got to see Cerberus again and the giant vicious three-headed dog and its snake head tail were all very happy to see her. It was almost like the guard dog was a puppy again and Persephone was allowed to give all three heads a steak. Of course, while the guardian of the gates was busy chowing down, the spirits flowing in the river took their shot at climbing into the ferry, obviously attracted by the lively goddess of Spring. Frightened for a moment, she quickly stopped Aidoneus from incinerating the souls and gently touched their hands, her green glow brightening for a moment. The souls' tormented faces faded to peaceful relief before sinking back into the water. The look on his face made her giggle and she gently took his hand. "Not everyone down here deserves pain and torment. Some need peace. And I tried to give them that. Looks like it worked." He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her, causing her tanned cheeks to flush at his warm embrace. It wasn't the first time they hugged but it was the first time in front of someone and Charon had taken a peek at them, jaw dropping (literally) onto the floor of the ferry boat. He scrambled to pick it up and pop it back into place so he could finish taking them to the Asphodel Fields. It was decided that they would not go to his palace since they were on a bit of a time crunch. However, a stroll through through Fields was certainly lovely. They kept their hands linked and enjoyed their closeness. Like in the Styx, souls who were brought to the Underworld were separated into different areas. Tartarus for the damned, The Isles of the Blessed for heroes and those who deserved to be there, and the Asphodel Fields for the in-between. These souls had received the water from the Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, so they wandered in a state of blank awareness, neither suffering nor thriving. But even they smiled when she greeted them with her peaceful aura.
Persephone smiled now, remembering that when she got too tired, Aidoneus had gathered her in his arms and teleported them to her grove, laying her down on her bed of moss. By that time, she was almost asleep and she was certain that she felt his lips upon her forehead before he left her to her slumber. However, her smile faded as her current predicament shone through the happy memories. Surely Hades hadn't grone tired of her. 17 years was a long time but they were a god and a goddess--it was almost a blink compared to how long they would live. But they were rarely together for more than an hour at a time. And he was always... Suddenly it felt as though the willow branches of her grove were closing in on her. She had to escape, go somewhere more open so her thoughts and fears wouldn't suffocate her.
Summoning her powers, a bright pink rose bud swallowed her up to transport her to a garden in the mainland, far from her mother's island paradise. But she was not alone. Two people entered the garden on the far side and she quickly climbed a tree to spy on them. The buff young ginger-haired man was escorting a young woman with reddish-brown hair pulled back into a long curly ponytail. She was no Aphrodite but even an innocent could see how in love the two were. And, wanting to do her part to help them along, she waved her fingers, her magic allowing all the flowers around them to bloom.
'Romantic setting complete... goddess of love, do your thing.'
Persephone laid on the tree branch, deciding to take a small nap. She didn't have anything to do since it was nearing the middle of the human calendar--harvest's beginning. And while she did hope for the best for the two young lovers, she no longer wanted to watch them. It only served to remind her how Aidoneus was no longer around as much. So she would ignore them and let nature take its course.
"I OWN YOU!!"The sudden flare of heat and the loud shout startled the spring goddess awake, effectively knocking her off the tree branch and onto the cold hard ground. She was lucky she didn't bite her tongue but her rear was definitely sore. Standing up and rubbing her tush, she peaked behind a statue only to have her heart fall to pieces. Aidoneus...with his arms around that woman from earlier... but where was the ginger?? She couldn't hear Hades' words to the girl but she did hear the small saytr man commenting on how a kid's heart was gonna be broken. Tears filled her eyes as she turned away from the scene. 'He's not the only one with a broken heart...' And she left the garden, walking somewhere, anywhere. As long as she didn't have to see him with that younger woman. A mortal...!
Rage suddenly filled her soul. What was wrong with her?! What made it seem okay to ignore her for 6 months, give her bare minimum attention when he did show up, and then take HER into his arms?! THAT WAS HER PLACE, DAMN IT!! SHE BELONGED WITH HIM, NOT SOME HUMAN (pretty as she was) WHO HAD FLIRTED WITH ANOTHER MAN EARLIER!
Persephone froze, thorned vines and roses as black as her anger surrounded her. Was this how Hera felt? Zeus' constant infidelities, her lashing out at the human females because she couldn't hurt her powerful husband? Was rage better than the sorrow that was surely festering inside her ichor-filled body? And, knowing this, was she just supposed to allow her hear to be crushed, the pieces fit together again only to be smashed into even smaller bits?
NO!
She ran a hand through her hair, pulling out a belladonna berry. She knew that they weren't married but Aidoneus and she had spent 17 years together. She wasn't going to throw away all that time over one little human. But she'd be damned if she would allow a second.
"Lady Hecate, goddess of magic! I beseech thee! Please help me..." Her strong words soon faded to a watery whimper and her tears finally fell.
A purple flash drew her gaze as the goddess she needed appeared within sparkles and shimmer. Her white-blond hair was pulled back into a braid with stones of obsidian and garnet woven in. Her dark red smile quickly disappeared when she saw the spring goddess crying. Quickly rushing to her side, she took her face in her pale hands, asking, "My dear Persephone, what happened? Who made you cry?? Ohh, just wait until Hades hears about--"
"No!" Persephone took hold of Hecate's wrists and did her best to shake her head. "Don't... he... there was a woman... a mortal... in his arms..." More tears fell as her heart shattered just by talking about it. "I need help. Please..."
"Child... what can I do to help?" Her tone indicated that she was not happy with the little bit of information she had. The auburn-haired deity looked into the older goddess' eyes, emerald against amethyst. And in those green depths was a spark of determination.
"I need you to guide me to the Underworld. If he thinks he can human-hop, he's got another thing coming. I refuse to let him treat me like that. I'm not Hera..." Her lips tightened. "But I feel like I need to show him why I'm irreplaceable, to prove myself. So I need to see what kind of state the Underworld is in. I haven't been there in months and Aidoneus... if he's been distracted with whatever he's been doing, I bet it's leaked into his work..."
Hecate chuckled softly and moved closer to hug the young woman briefly. "I understand but I should take you on a slight detour on our way downstairs." She turned to open a portal while Persephone asked where they had to go.
"Why... to see the Fates, of course~"
