Chapter 2 - Curiosity

"No… No… Irrelevant! God, why isn't there any decent records! Who organised this shtick?! Eris?" Hades pained by all the paperwork and scrolls lying around in the great library, where everything about the world and the universe was kept. It's vastness stretched for miles and miles, where row upon row of knowledge inhabited. As you can imagine, things got easily lost or confusing in such a place.

"My lord, are you looking for something in particular?" One of the old skeletal librarians asked, creaking their bones as they lifted a stack of books towards one of the taller shelves. "Yes in fact! I'm looking for anything on spring, and what springtime duties a certain goddess performs? Just out of curiosity of course! I mean hey! I'm a busy guy I got stuff to do, places to be you get the jig." The skeleton raised an eyebrow at him with disbelief as it lifted his palm up to the bookcase and suddenly a faint blue glow appeared from his hand, forcing the books and papers to shift in many different directions off their own accord when finally! One emerged out of the cluster and levitated into Hades palms. "This is probably the best one. But it hasn't been used for years, hence the dust and cobwebs…"

"No kiddin…" Hades blew on it and quickly scanned the pages in detail until an extract of information caught his attention. Kore: maiden. The word cemented into Hades an image of innocence and fertility, who had the power to give life to the world as part of its rebirth. Hades found it amusing and ironic that he was in complete opposition to her. The power to take life and bring all things to an end.

"So this is where you are lurking Hades? We admit this is surprising!" A crony, ragged voice called out. Hades turned to see three senile, yet monsterous women clothed in black hooded cloaks and possessing one bloodshot, yellow-tinged eye. The Fates.

"Ah ladies! I'm so glad we could have this meeting! There's something I need."

"We know! Why else would you call us?"

"Yeah ok whatever! My point is, I need advice or rather who exactly this… Persephone goddess is and does she hold any kind of significance? I mean c'mon tell me here and now I'm all ears literally!"

"Ooooh no! We are NOT doing that again!"

"But is it not important sister? I mean to him?" One whispered.

"No! He's got to find out for himself!"

"Oy vey! Look you girls are wonderful! Brilliant even… but hehe I neeed to know!"

"And why exactly!"

"BECAUSE I'VE NOT FELT LIKE MYSELF!" Hades shouted causing his composed flames to become inflated with hot, red, burning spurts to equally match the colour of his skin.

"It's fine… I'm ok, I'm chill hehehe." He said, smoothing back his rage into its calm blue again. "I apologise. But I've never experienced this before… ever since I saw her, I mean, it's made me feel… good dare I say. Soft or fluttering inside! Uhhh! I tell ya I ain't use to it."

They all sighed and came to a conclusive agreement, "Hades we can only give you an enigma… but it is one you must decipher yourself."

Meanwhile in the Valley…

Pain and Panic disguised themselves as a rabbit and chipmunk so as not to arouse suspicion by one of the nymphs or Demeter's guardians. The scoped their surroundings until seeing a young woman, dressed in pink among a field of white daisies gently swaying, whose petals roamed and enveloped her as the wind carried them off.

"That's Persephone?" Pain stated with alarm in his tone.

"According to Hades description it certainly looks like it."

"But she's so… so… so sweet-looking! Why would the boss take an interest in her?"

"Beats me! But she is really pretty! And kind too!"

"Uh what's you're point?"

"Maybe it's part of a new scheme he's making. She looks naive enough to be manipulated."

"True. Let's go talk and find out!" They both hopped and skipped like the the carefree, cute, little animals they were towards Persephone.

"Pssst!" Persephone gasped in surprise, and looked around to see where the voice was coming from.

"Down here!" She separated the flowers below, revealing two furry and adorbale looking creatures. Immediately, Persephone took to their charm like a bee to honey.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't see you guys there! I don't think I've ever met talking animals before? Well, at least ones without the power of speech."

"We're sorry we startled you! I'm Pai- ow!" Panic quickly hit him in the arm to get the message across of concealing their true identities.

"I'm Aseop and THIS is Chipper!" Panic corrected. "We wanted to come and meet the famous and most beautiful Persephone in person!"

"Oh that's so nice! I wouldn't say that I'm famous or beautiful or anything like that! Especially when compared to the other Gods and Goddesses on Olympus."

"Nonsense! You're just as valued if not more so!"

"You're too kind… Feels like everybody is."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… because of who I am everyone treats me the same way. They feel like I'm too young, dumb, and naive to make a real difference or to take offence. You see, I went to a party recently, and as I expected a lot of the immortals were singing their praises to me and don't get me started on some of the Gods! Boy! Are they the biggest flirts or what! As if they could wrap me round their little finger, just like my mother! I felt almost suffocated by it all at times. Although… I have to admit there was one god that seemed to stand out."

"Oh really? Who?"

"Hades. Lord of the Underworld." She picked up a flower and gazed at it with admiration, "He seemed different than the others. A certain quality I just can't pin down. I'm… intrigued to say the least. If there was some way I could possibly meet him." Both Pain and Panic conjured the same idea into their conniving little minds. If Hades wanted information, then why not bring the source itself onto his doorstep.

"Hades! We know him!"

"You do?"

"Yeah! A lot of people misunderstand him and only see his flaws… it's very sad."

"My mother warned me about him. As well as the others… I believe there must be some good inside everyone for them to be redeemable. And I hate to see others be treated so unfairly too!"

"If you wish to we could potentially let you see him?"

"Really! I-I mean I would like to get to know him better, but… it's impossible."

"Not so! There is a way without leading him out to the open and you becoming exposed."

"How?"

"Follow us! We'll show you."

Back at the Underworld…

"An engima! What are you talking about? English ladies please!"

"We cannot give it to you straight! But… you'll come to learn what it means soon enough." Hades contemplated for a moment and nodded in agreement. The Fates lifted the glowing eye until a flash of white light beamed from its pupil.

"A fruitful encounter…

It will bare riches beyond what you could have imagined.

BUT! Also, seeds of poison and destruction!

Only an act of true sacrifice will restore the world!"

The eye dissolved into the air as did the Fates themselves in a calamity of smoke, leaving a rather confused and bewildered Hades. "Fruit! FRUIT?! What the hell are they talking about?! It doesn't make any sense! I should never have trusted those old hags to tell me anything!" He said storming out of the library and into the throne room once again, piercing his demonic stare into the whirlpool. It was an extraordinary one, which gave him the means to see with a thousand eyes the actions and current events of the world. Known as rivers, pools, lakes to us humans, but to the Gods they were Mortal Mirrors. The pool began to shift and ripple. Hades touched its waters until the obscure and broken pieces formed together, showing none other than Persephone herself staring back at him with an air of curiosity.

And perhaps… a gleam of happiness in her eyes.