Stepping into the Underworld was like stepping into a river of ice cold water. Not necessarily because the temperature was low, but because the very experience was enough to chill you to the bone. Hebe was looking out over the river Styx, bleak and morbid. A sense of hopelessness and despair washed over her, causing her to shiver involuntarily. Pain and Panic were right by her side, but didn't seem to notice her discomfort, or perhaps they didn't care. They were waiting for the ferryman to arrive with the boat that would take them across the river.
Squinting her eyes, Hebe could see a boat coming around the bend and her discomfort increased the closer it got. The ferryman, she noticed with horror, was a living skeleton! Like most skeletons, he was incredibly skinny, and when he pulled up by the dock, Hebe noted that where his eyes should have been, there were only two black holes, and he smelled like death.
The ferryman turned those black holes towards Hebe and, with a grim voice, he said, "Only the dead may pass." So this was it, Hebe thought. Had she come all this way for nothing? Luckily, Pain and Panic were there to aid her.
"Forgive us, Charon," Panic said, "but we kindly ask you to make an exception. This young lady has come all this way for an audience with His Lordship. It's a matter of life and death." Despite what his name might have suggested, Panic spoke with great calm, much like a patient businessman. Charon grumbled to himself as he contemplated whether he should let them pass or not.
"Oh, all right, then," he eventually said and motioned for them to hop into the boat. "But just this once."
The imps thanked him for his generosity and made sure Hebe got into the boat safely before joining her. Hebe felt the boat wobble beneath her as she stepped into it and quickly had a seat lest she'd fall overboard. Then Charon pushed the boat away from the dock and steered them out onto the great river.
Looking down into the water, Hebe could see the souls of men and women who had passed on from the world above gliding by the side of the boat. Their faces were gaunt and pale and when they saw her – a living human! – they began to cling onto the edge of the boat. Hoping to be saved, they reached up to her while they moaned their complaints: "Please help us! Please, kind miss! Please take us with you!"
A cold, wet hand wrapped itself around her wrist and Hebe instantly withdrew it in horror. "Stop it!" she told them, but the souls would not leave her be. More of them came, begging for help and attempting to grab onto her. "Leave me alone!" she shrieked, shying away from their awful touch. When the souls still wouldn't stop, Pain and Panic went to shoo them away.
"Leave the poor girl alone! She can't help you! That's it, get out of here! Go! Shoo!"
When the souls finally realized they weren't going to be saved, they gave up their attempts to reach Hebe and fell back into the river. Hebe was relieved to see them go, but felt sorry at the same time because she couldn't help them. They hadn't really meant her any harm. They were just miserable. Hebe could not help but pity them.
A little further down the river, another obstacle awaited. Hebe had heard of the fearsome three-headed dog which guarded the gates of the Underworld, but never had she imagined it would be so big! As the boat neared the beast, its three heads began to growl. It sounded like a thunderstorm was brewing. The souls of which she'd been so afraid were perfectly harmless compared to this. Petrified, Hebe stared at the beast's razor sharp teeth and blood red eyes. If it wanted to, she did not doubt it could swallow her whole.
If the monster's growl was like thunder, then its bark was like lightning. Hebe jumped at the sound, causing the boat to rock slightly. For a second, Charon lost his balance, but as soon as he'd regained it, he made sure to give Hebe a look of disapproval. Or at least that's what she thought it was. "No sudden movements, if you please," he said.
"Sorry," Hebe apologized rather sheepishly, but Cerberus was still barking. Once again, it was up to the little imps to manage the situation.
"Here you go, you silly dog," Panic said and tossed Cerberus a raw steak, which he deftly caught between the teeth of his middle head.
"We're very sorry about that," Pain apologized to Hebe. "He doesn't take kindly to strangers."
"So I noticed," Hebe said and prayed to the gods that there wouldn't be any more unpleasant surprises on the way. Thankfully, there wasn't.
They turned left around the next bend and there it was: a giant rock in the shape of a skull rose up from the river and Hebe knew this had to be the home of the God of the Underworld. It was rather daunting, yet impressive at the same time – an abode fit for a deity.
The boat glided to a stop beneath a grand staircase and the three passengers got off. As if on cue, three other figures appeared at the top of the stairs right in that moment. They wore dark, hooded robes covering their eyes. As they came closer however, Hebe realized they had no eyes; only one which the three of them shared. These were the Fates!
Hebe knew it was rude, but simply couldn't help but stare at the three old crones who looked as good as dead. The crone with the hunched back was currently in possession of the eye that could see past, present and future events and when they passed each other on the stairs, the smaller one took the eye for her own to get a good look at Hebe. "Daughter of the mighty Hercules," she spoke with the raspy voice of an old hag. "We've been expecting you."
Hebe could feel the blood draining from her face as she widened her eyes at the little crone. These all-knowing women of myth were giving her the creeps. Her impish escorts didn't seem to be very big fans of the Fates either, for they quickly urged them to leave. They obeyed without question and Hebe watched as they boarded Charon's boat. "Give Hercules our best!" the little crone called to her and Hebe cringed while the sisters cackled at her expense.
"Don't pay any attention to them," Panic said with a dismissive wave of his hand and asked Hebe to follow him and his companion.
At the top of the stairs was a great black door and Hebe was asked to wait outside while Pain and Panic announced her arrival to Hades. If she ever had a chance to turn back, this was it. She could run. Get the hell out of there. But she'd come so far. If she left, it would have been all for nothing. Either way, she would have had to make up her mind quickly, because the imps returned in less than a minute, announcing that "His Lordship would see her now". They opened the door for her and, swallowing all of her fears and doubts, Hebe stepped across the threshold.
If it weren't for the flaming blue torches, the room would have been consumed by darkness. The interior was all made up of things in shades of grey, black and blue; things that reminded her of death. Practically everywhere she looked, there was a skull staring back at her. It was rather irrelevant, but Hebe couldn't help but think that the place could use some color. Everything was so gloomy. Whoever had decorated the place, she wasn't a fan.
At first she almost mistook him for another torch, but then it occurred to her that the blue flame belonged to a living being, or, more accurately; a god. Like all gods, Hades was exceptionally tall, but that was the only likeness she could discern. Everything else about him was far from any other god she had seen and she had seen plenty! He blended right into his surroundings with his cold bluish grey skin and black robes. The only thing that really stood out were his eyes which glowed a bright yellow. Somehow she got the feeling they could stare right through her very soul. Lowering her gaze, Hebe also couldn't fail to recognize the black smoke swirling around his feet, assuming he had any, for he seemed to be gliding rather than walking as he came towards her.
"Ah! Here she is!" he said, spreading his arms towards her as if presenting her to an audience. "Oh, don't stand on ceremony," he went on when he noticed her hesitating. "Come on in! Mi casa es su casa." He gave a bow and extended his hand to her. "The name's Hades, Lord of the Dead, but you already knew that of course. It's very nice to meet you, uh… Hebe, was it?"
"Yes," she said slowly and tentatively shook his hand. It was cold to the touch.
"I gotta hand it to ya," Hades said, sounding rather impressed. "Not everyone's brave enough to venture into the Underworld. Then again, you are the daughter of arguably the bravest man in all of Greece. So, what can I do for you?" She didn't question how he knew she was the daughter of Hercules, because, in all fairness, who didn't? Hebe summoned her courage and hoped for the best.
"Um… Well, I was wondering if there's any way to change the past. You see, a man died in a fire today and I… I wish I could go back in time. So I can save him."
"You mean like your father couldn't?" So he knew about that, too.
"Yes," Hebe confirmed with a sigh. "I thought… I thought he'd never give up like that." Hades gave a shrug of sympathy.
"Well, you know, all fathers can't be perfect. Trust me, I know better than anyone. Why don't you cut him some slack?"
Hebe pursed her lips in thought. Perhaps she had been harsh on her father? "I suppose it's easier to blame him," she thought aloud, realizing she had been wrong to do so. "But you're right. The one I should be blaming is myself. I didn't try hard enough." At this, Hades shot his hands up, as if in defense.
"Woah, I never said that, but okay," he shrugged, accepting her reasoning all the same. "You blame yourself for the death of that man?"
"I do," Hebe said. "So can you take me back in time or not?"
"Sorry, kid, but uh… time travel is beyond any of my capabilities. But you don't need to go back in time to save a life. I'll tell you what," he said and casually draped his arm around Hebe's shoulders. "I'm willing to offer you a deal. A real sweet deal, right? What do you say about making a trade?"
She should have guessed he wouldn't give her what she wanted without gaining something in return. "What kind of trade?" she asked and tried to conceal her fear, having no idea what he might want from her. Hades shrugged and gave his proposition.
"What if you give your soul to me and, in return, I give that man his life back? Now, how does that sound?"
"You can really do that?" Hebe asked, impressed, and Hades scoffed lightly.
"Please, I'm the Lord of the Dead. Of course I can! The question is if you can?" He took a step back from her and, with a snap of his fingers, procured a piece of parchment and a quill which he offered to Hebe. "All you gotta do is sign."
Hebe looked at the contract before her and, instinctively, her hand reached for the quill, but stopped mere inches away. Did she really know what she was getting herself into? Would it be worth it? She felt like she owed it to that man. He didn't deserve to die. But could she really give up her soul to bring him back to life? That was when she recalled what her father had said to her earlier that evening. Sometimes heroes are faced with difficult choices. The question was if she could live with the consequences of those choices. And if she didn't sign that scroll, Hebe knew that she would be living with guilt for the rest of her life.
"All right," she finally said and took the quill. The tip scraped against the parchment as she signed it with her name and once it was done, the ink began to glow. Her fate had now been sealed. Hades smirked and with another snap of his fingers, the contract vanished in a cloud of smoke.
"Perfect," he said. "Now, watch this…" He gestured to a counter on the wall telling how many souls had passed into the Underworld and the number was promptly reduced by one. "Bada-bing! One soul returned!"
It was almost hard to believe, but once the fact that she had just saved someone's life started to sink in, Hebe felt proud of herself. Proud and happy. Now that man could hopefully enjoy his life on Earth a little while longer. She smiled and thanked Hades from the bottom of her heart. "Don't mention it, kid," he told her. "It was all my pleasure. Now, if that's all, perhaps you'd like a ride home?"
"If it's not too much trouble," Hebe said. "I'd like to get back before my parents notice I'm gone."
"No worries. It'll be like you never left. Just close your eyes and count to three." Hebe wasn't sure why she had to close her eyes, but nonetheless, she did as he instructed.
At the count of three, she heard another snap, and when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the Underworld; she was home. She was back in her room! Hades had been right; it was like she'd never left. In fact, she almost started to wonder if she'd dreamt it all. Either way, it was lucky that she returned when she did, for in the next moment, there was a soft knock on her bedroom door.
"Hebe?" she heard her father say from the other side. "Can I come in?" Realizing she probably looked stupid standing up in the middle of her room, Hebe moved to lie down on her bed where she'd been before deciding to sneak out.
"Yeah, you can come in," she said and tried to act as if she'd just spent the last minutes crying and sulking. The door opened and Hercules stepped inside.
"Hey," he said and she hated to hear the sadness which he was obviously trying to conceal in his voice. "Is it all right if I sit with you?" he asked and she gave her permission with a silent nod. He sat down on the bed by her feet and she could feel him looking at her, but she didn't move a muscle. Not before she heard what he had to say.
"Listen…" he began, "I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. Your mother and I were just so worried."
"I understand," Hebe whispered, and she did understand. They had every right to be worried.
"She told me about how you feel and that you want to prove yourself to the world," Hercules confessed. "Believe me, I've been there. People might think that I had an easy ride, but that's far from the truth. When I was your age, no one believed I could be anything. I was a loser."
At this, Hebe finally rose into a sitting position, facing her father for the first time since their argument. "Really?" she quirked a brow. He had never told her this before.
"Really," Hercules said with a wry smile. "Did I ever tell you about the time I destroyed an entire agora?" Now both of Hebe's brows were raised.
"You did what now?" Hercules shrugged like it was nothing.
"It was an accident. Let's just say the crowds weren't cheering for me back then." Hebe could hardly believe what she was hearing. She had always thought her father to be a renowned hero whom everybody loved. Perhaps she had been naïve to think that that had always been the case. It was just hard to imagine how the most famous person in all of Greece could even know what it was like to be a nobody. She wanted to ask why he had never told her this before, but before she could, Hercules had a confession to make.
"Hebe, I may be a demigod, but when it comes down to it…" he shrugged again, "I'm just an ordinary man. Despite what the world may believe, I'm not perfect. I wish I could be, but… we all have our flaws and… sometimes we lose even though we do our best. We just have to accept that our best is good enough." All of a sudden, Hebe was reminded why she admired her father so much. Despite all the hardships he faced as a hero, he never failed to stay positive. Then, he said something which took her completely by surprise: "You were really brave today, sweetheart. I want you to know that. Can you forgive me?"
After the scolding she'd received earlier, it seemed unthinkable, but he actually did it; he acknowledged her bravery. He praised her for it. Hebe felt so happy that she almost started crying again. "Of course I forgive you," she said and threw her arms around her father, who returned the embrace.
"I love you, cherry blossom," he said and if she weren't mistaken, he was speaking through tears of his own.
"I love you, too, dad." In that moment, Hebe felt closer to her father than ever before. The bond the two of them shared was strong; it could withstand the most relentless of storms and survive the harshest of winters. Nothing – least of all a petty quarrel – was ever going to come between them.
A/N: Some sweet father/dughter fluff for you to finish off the chapter with :3 Like I mentioned in my previous author's note, this chapter is one of my favorites, probably because I really love writing Hades. He's really fun to work with, because he has an entirely different way of speaking and acting compared to the other characters (and compared to most Disney villains). In the next chapter, Hebe gets a taste of what it's like to be popular ;)