Toxic Love
A/N: Sorry about the vagueness I left the last chapter at. I wanted to get some more establishment of Persephone's character, and trying to figure out Hades in general. He's a royal turd with dialogue considering how much the guy loves to talk, but it's been real fun getting him in awkward situations.
As for my reviews, thank you all! You are all lovely people. And special shout out to EnvytheSkunk for helping me get this chapter moving forward and for allowing me to use her artwork as inspiration for Persy's dress. There will be a link at the end of the chapter.
Now as for this chapter there is a weird topic I never discussed and minor spoiler if you care, but the character Minthe was one I was debating putting in because there is one trope I loathe the most: love triangles. So hopefully this chapter will bring an interesting take on her character and how I think was the only way I could incorporate her. There will be an additional A/N concerning an additional mention of why this particular character will not appear as well.
Disclaimer: Chapter One.
"There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery."
-Dante Alighieri
Some would say that four hours of sleep is an ungodly amount of sleep for anyone. This extends even to gods, hence the ungodly.
Some would even say that that amount of time is merely a nap.
Some would even argue that there is no way the author could write even more "some would evens," but then again she never asked for your permission in the first place.
Some would even say that I am already tired of this and I'm just going to stop altogether.
But to Kore, this was just a normal day.
Yet a normal day it would not be.
Even the all-knowing, omniscient Fates would be caught off-guard by how today's events would take place, for even they were at mercy to the whims of the unpredictability of life.
It started out as it usually did for Kore, just missing out on several factors. One of those being the appearance of the sun, she was not slumbering on a literal bed of flowers, and she had a purpose to get up today.
Well that last part's not necessarily true, considering how she had to wake up her naiad and dryad friends to get started on whatever her mom needed to get done, and she needed to get it done before her mom even started.
Oi, that's the thing about moms, they may teach you the ropes and all that jazz, but there is a point in time when the apprentice surpasses the master, and suddenly you realize your mom's doing everything wrong so you literally have to orient your entire schedule so she doesn't over do the whole planting thing.
Hence the four hour sleep schedule, but she didn't mind really. Sure it took her five hundred years to get used to it, but it happened.
Gods, it really makes you wonder how her mom didn't destroy the earth before she came along.
"Oh well, that's her problem," Persephone mumbled, as she slipped out of the silky smooth sheets of the bed.
After she had gone to sleep the night before, it hadn't taken her long to find a bedroom in the Underworld palace. Mostly because it had thousands of rooms, she just had to choose one, and ended up in the one closest to where Hades' old office was.
She had immediately gone to bed, not even changed out of her torn white chiton, too excited for tomorrow's events, and floated off to sleep.
Now that she was bright eyed and bushy-tailed, and a tad on the nervous-excited side, Persephone looked at her state of dress.
"Welp, I can't give them a reason to find something else to criticize," she mused, but at least she wasn't wearing that awful flower headdress aunt Hecate gave her.
Demeter had insisted she wear it out of politeness, which Persephone agreed upon without complaint, courtesy y'know? But by the time she had realized she was still wearing it after a couple of months(because of how it pushed her hair out of her eyes), she decided to keep it, though, begrudgingly put up with the snorts of derision people gave her when they were in her presence.
Now she needed something new and effective, it would be very bad if her hair got in the way of her scythe… Maybe a hair cut was due, Persephone wondered, her thoughts turning back to Praxidice.
Oh, Eubulus should be finished enchanting it by now with Hecate's magic… Persephone reminded herself, but bile rose in her throat at the very thought of that witch's name.
Hecate.
She was her mother's most trusted friend, even more so than the daughter she doted over. That witch and her damned spells! Manipulating Persephone's own powers to remove, and even block one of the most basic powers of a god!
Hecate and her mother had been friends for centuries, but that was it.
Friends.
It wasn't until a few years back, before there was Titans or power-hungry gods trying to rearrange the cosmos, back to the time before the biggest thing to gossip about was Hercules' abduction.
For it was the time of Persephone's rebellious stage. It happened rather late for her age, but with an overbearing mother it was a surprise that it even took place at all.
At first she had tested the waters, and had taken to see how far her teleportation powers could take her without her power signature being traceable. She had noticed the power signature of immortals early on(Aphrodite the doves and singing, her mom the sudden appearance of corn), and knew that if she wanted to remain as clandestine as possible, she had to test her secret discovery as much as possible, especially with a keen-eyed mother.
Persephone had started out at several intervals. She needed varied distances to see how much of a signature was left, but not just distances. The goddess needed to see if multiple teleportations in an area could create a signature. Once she had discovered how many she could do in an area without leaving a signature, she combined this knowledge with the distances and had the science down to the accuracy of pi.
Athena would've been proud if she had known how much she had experimented, but if she had done so with her mother's techniques on cultivating plants and creating new species, why not do the same, but solely for her benefit?
From there the night was hers.
But after a few blessed years of doing so, nine to be exact, Persephone had been too reckless one night, and one night was all it took for Hecate to catch on that the young goddess was sneaking off the island of Sicily and followed her.
And effectively got her condemned to the island of Sicily for up until now. Yes, she had snuck out several times between a period of six months- snuck off sloppily and purposefully reckless those fourteen times just to see how far she could push her spite before her mother relented to Hecate's suggestions of 'appropriate reprimands' and 'necessary discipline.'
But by the time, Persephone realized how she was affecting her mother it was too late, and soon after her actions came back to bite her in the petunia. And, naturally, with her actions came the consequence.
Hecate with all her weird spells and witchcraft had effectively removed Persephone's ability to teleport, a piece of her aura, and would receive it back once she had: "Proven herself worthy."
Maybe now that she was down here it was best to see exactly where Hecate conjured.
And, Persephone smiled almost deviously, snapping her fingers as a new clean and 'professional' dress appeared on her person.
A pretty chiton that exposed her faded carnation pink shoulders, and was quite modest in how it had a small collar, keeping her skin covered except for the slight exposure of her collar bones peaking underneath her flower pins on each of the straps. The chiton itself started out as a dark forest green at her straps to a lighter translucent green around her knees, where the dress then continued on as a pleated white material giving the resemblance of daisy petals. The place where the two materials met was lined with petals of faded mauve, the same color used for the diaphanous 'belt' that hugged her around her waist.*
Maybe I can find the vial containing my aura, Persephone pondered, fixing her blonde hair into a simple updo like she had seen many mortals use before to keep out of her face for the time being. But try as she might, two particular curls refused to join the rest, one on either side of her face, and instead curled right around her ears, framing her heart-shaped face.
Fitted with new sandals and everything, Persephone left the guest room and headed straight for Hades' old office, wondering if Eubulus was still up or anything.
When she entered she was surprised to find that Eubulus was there, passed out yeah, but he was there, Praxidice too.
Persephone had no idea how he could be using her scythe as a pillow, but it wasn't her place to judge considering all the random places she had fallen asleep in her life.
"Oh, you silly grump," Persephone lightly snorted, afraid she would wake him, and with a snap of her fingers switched out Praxidice with a pillow made of flowers. "You better not complain when you wake up… Or burn it for that matter."
Deciding that it would be best to let the poor god rest after all he'd been through, Persephone left exploring the vast palace, and hopefully wherever Hecate once lived.
It was common knowledge that Hecate was a recluse. Her mom knew it, she knew it, the gods of Olympus knew it. The goddess herself liked her solitary lifestyle, but there had come a point in life when she had realized her prospects in life wouldn't change if she changed, and had headed to the North. The mortals- the savages of the Pagan tribes, loved her magic bid and had made her an important goddess in several pantheons, going by new names and everything.
It would be considerably rare for her to come back, having a prominent role and all, and with Hades gone it seemed that even though she was gone, she still in the end got what the lord of the dead wanted in the end.
Respect, power, and a kingdom that fit her to her liking.
After all, why go back to the home where you received nothing for your hard work and dedication?
Persephone would've continued her wandering and her own thoughts had she not heard whispering.
It sounded like children's voices!
Running towards the source of the sounds, Persephone ran into a group of three ghost children. All their voices hushed when one of the boys punched their compatriots shoulder and all of their gazes went wide-eyed in shock at the intrusion of the goddess.
"I thought you said this place was empty."
"Well, gee, Yanis," the taller of the three boys gave his friend a rather annoyed eye-roll. "I remember you telling me the exact same thing when you said that pit was empty. But guess what?! Snakes!"
"Dammit, Pilib, just shut it, she can't understand us. Remember Hercules? He couldn't either. We just motioned him towards the palace."
Persephone couldn't help but laugh, as she kneeled down to their level. "What? Of course I can. Pilib, I presume?" She raised a knowing eyebrow.
The ghost boy named Pilib stared wide-eyed at her, before a terrified order slipped from his mouth. "Run."
"Wait! Please! I'm a friend!" Persephone cried, reaching out to the them in vain, but the trio of boys phased through the wall, leaving the goddess alone in the hallway.
"Well, that's just my luck," she cursed, punching the barren wall with her fist. She just wanted some directions, was that so hard to ask?
Would it have been bad if she tested the scythe on them? Yeah… Oh well she could try it later.
Wait. What did they mean she could understand them? She heard the shades fine when she saved Eubulus…
But not when I first entered the underworld, she reminded herself. So what had changed since then and now?
"Kore! There you are!" Panic's voice brought her back to reality as he and Pain waddled towards her.
"Oh! Hey boys, what're you two up at this hour?"
"We could ask the same thing about you," Pain countered.
Persephone sighed, she had to ask someone and it might as well be these two. "Alright, I'm looking for Hecate's lair."
The two imps shared a quick nervous glance. Panic took a deep breath and started with quite a serious tone that was unlike him. "Kore… The devil you know-"
"Look before you say anything else, I have a legitimate reason for going," Persephone stated flatly, giving each imp direct eye contact. "There is something that belongs to me in there, and I need to get it back. Kapiche?"
Honestly, it would take a heart of stone to tell her they would not, especially with those eyes. So it was no surprise that Pain and Panic relented, and got Charon to take her to a direct route to Hecate's place.
Even if it meant having to go through the Cocytus.
Why?
One thing was certain.
If Hades woke up and found Persephone snooping through Hecate's abode, he would very likely get angry and burn the two imps to smithereens and make their existence even more unbearable for the simple reason that A) she would find one of Hades' appreciation busts that were given so plentifully to the old hag and blow his cover and B) the river Cocytus was the only way to get to Hecate's without teleporting, and there just so happened to be a wrathful nymph who inhabited said river who coincidentally happened to be one of Hades' exes.
Nope not good at all.
But hey, the devil you know is not as bad as the devil you don't know.
"Just through those doors?" Persephone pointed at the double doors of pure adamantium.
"Well, no, it's an elevator," Pain explained, pushing the down button panel on the elevator pad, while both the imps took a long step back.
A small ding, followed by the opening of the two doors made Persephone turn her attention to the rather limited enclosure within.
"Go on ahead, it won't bite," Panic shook his head vigorously.
Persephone smiled softly. "Well if you say so," and stepped inside.
"On the panel to your left press the V-I-I-I button, that should be her potion room, and the lowest floor," Panic explained. "Apparently the center of the Underworld was a good place for magic."
Persephone absentmindedly did so before she suddenly realized what they were implying. "Wait, you guys sound like you aren't coming with me."
"That's because we aren't," Pain smiled sheepishly right before the door closed and Persephone felt herself being lowered.
"I feel like that was a little cold," Panic exclaimed.
"Yeah, but Minthe can be much worse. If she's not back in one hour we we go in after her, okay?"
"But what if she's already down there?" Panic panicked.
"You mean if she's already there…"
If one could perfectly describe their next reactions, I shall compare it to something that sticks to me to this very day.
It is the faces of two people who realized they had not done the one thing your mom ordered you to do in a period of over two hours while she was out doing errands. Something menial, more and likely, but something that required it to be done as soon as possible.
And the face- yes, you know that very face you make at the moment you hear your mother's car keys turning in the lock, and both you and your sibling share the same horrified expression.
You got it?
Cool beans, we're moving on.
Because let me tell you their faces got significantly more terrified when they pressed the down elevator button to follow Persephone and found that the panel did not light up red to signal it received your command.
"Plan Beta."
Persephone had to give it to Hecate. If there was one thing she could appreciate about her it was her commitment to her work. Though her workplace shelves, and cabinets were entirely filled, it was all surprisingly neat and tidy.
It took her awhile to find this storage place, having to go past a long hallway of giant skeletons- the corpses of the Titans, who had perished in the Titanomachy, more and likely, only to find a rather large laboratory-like room in the back.
It was almost laughable of course, when she reached the end of the hallway, and looked at the weird light that emanated from the ceiling, creating an odd sort of circular chamber that made things float. Usually the most valuable potion would be right here- or like probably her vial, like isn't this how these things work?
She had tested the floating chamber with her hair and then without thinking she had jumped right in, and floated downwards- a secret level!
So level I-X? Huh, what's up with that number today?
But what she found there certainly proved that Hecate had been using the hallway as a decoy for the treasure trove.
For there neatly tucked away were thousands of neatly organized potions. Separated by types of toxicity and what part of the body it affected. Each one had a small little label on the shelf itself detailing the name and day it was created.
Sure, the potions had become dusty and filled with spiderwebs because of lack of care, but everything was still put in place to show that the former caretaker took great pride in her organization.
It almost surprised Persephone that Hecate didn't take any of this stuff on her travels since every place to fill knick knacks and potions were taken up, or that there was no one guarding this place.
Oh well if there is one… All she had to do is find the vial filled with a pink liquid, and get out- it'll be done in a snap, she told herself.
I'm gonna be here awhile...
Having checked all the shelves quite diligently, Persephone refocused her attention to the cabinets, and had to get on her knees to see inside the deep space. It didn't take long to have her engrossed in her search. Practically the only sounds being made were her hands dusting off the little name plaques and her sighs of disappointment.
But almost suddenly the monotony ended as a derisive snort filled the air.
The sound of Persephone bumping her head was heard soon after followed by a timid, "Ow."
Pulling her head out of the cabinet, Persephone rubbed the top of her head where it had connected with the stone cabinet. It didn't take her long to see that sitting barely a foot away from her was a pair of bare legs, and platformed sandals.
"AH!" Persephone flinched back, and reached for where she had rested her scythe, only to find it not there.
"Looking for this, sweetheart?" The thin woman smugly lifted up Praxidice with one hand, and took a long drag from her cigarette with the other.
Persephone abruptly stood up and instinctively pulled off the door of the cabinet door and held it up threateningly, scoping out the female seated in front of her.
With legs crossed, and a smug smile pulling at her thin grey lips, the woman that sat in front of her was a woman, but a divine one, a naiad, and a sickly one at that.
Naiads she had known were never that thin, or that shade of blue. Even her lank muted hair was the color of dried sage and cut rather short, like a bob. Having been friends with several naiads, herself, Persephone could always tell which ones were situated in a river with a large mining town upstream. Polluted water was not something that was healthy for any nature spirit, and this one was no different.
With sagging skin and heavy dark circles, most likely from lack of sleep, around her pale green eyes, the naiad was in desperate need of sunlight and nourishment, that smoking habit she had certainly wasn't helping. But a naiad in the Underworld- it's amazing she was still alive!
Having some sympathy for the poor condition of the naiad, Persephone tried in her most polite voice, "Hiya, that's mine, and I would greatly appreciate it if you put that down."
"You sure? I don't think a powder puff like you owns something like this," she squashed her stogie against the stone slab she was situated on, and ran one sickly blue finger over the blade, almost mockingly.
Persephone couldn't help but flare her nostrils in annoyance. All sympathy for her was gone and she was ready to smack some sense into her, but she thought better of it. "I will politely ask you one more time before I beat the living Tartarus out of you, but, uh, can I have that back, please?" She finished sweetly.
The naiad released a dry smoker's laugh. "You're a real hoot, suga', but the answer's still no."
"Alright since you're not being reasonable," Persephone lifted the slab up and was ready to slap the naiad's smug grin had she not pulled out a glowing magenta vial.
"Now, now, I wouldn't act irrationally, suga', or should I say Kore," the naiad spat her name out, but all it did was cause a coughing fit to rock her body. Still even the way her body contorted, she never once let go of the vial containing a piece of Kore's aura.
After the fit had passed, the naiad gave her a cold look, "Heard you're lookin' for a kingdom to rule, but I hate to break it to ya, suga', this one's already taken, so get lost."
"How- where did you find that?!" Persephone's eyes never left the vial as the naiad waved it back and forth, taunting her.
Taking a quick step forward, the goddess made a grab for it, only to have her jump back as the naiad pointed Praxidice at her, the curved blade just inches from slicing her stomach.
"Whoa, okay, not going to do that again." Persephone nervously laughed. "Alright naiad, name your price."
"Minthe."
"Alright, fine, Minthe, name your price," the words slipped out before she even thought this through.
The naiad made a 'hmm' noise before she shot a coy smile at Persephone. "Y'know I think I prefer: 'her ladyship'."
If Persephone hadn't had such great self-control she would have launched a barrage of curses that would make any sailor blush. No, trash talk wouldn't get Minthe to relent, it would be simple tact that would.
Oh if only her common sense was quicker than her sass.
"Sorry, to disappoint your ladyship but I think your forgetting a queen is nothing to a goddess. Especially to one who can save your damned soul. Goddess of life," Persephone curtsied, her fiery magenta eyes never leaving Minthe's. "At your service."
After a few moments of complete silence, Minthe slow clapped. "You got spunk, suga', that's what I like to hear. Now how's about'a you tell me why you got it in that funny little noodle of yours that you got the guts to run my kingdom?"
"Wellllll, l don't think you've been keeping up on current events because, you're kingdom looks a little deader than usual, your ladyship." Persephone had the audacity to grin as the words dripped off her tongue like honey, and she became much more pleased to see Minthe's bemused face.
But as suddenly as her face had contorted in confusion, the naiad gasped, and clutched the vial close to her chest, "You've met him haven't you?"
Now it was Persephone's turn to be taken aback. "Him? Who are you referring to? Pain? Panic? Eubulus? Charo-"
"I think we both know who we're talking about," Minthe snapped, abruptly standing up, and held Praxidice's spear point at Persephone's throat. "Drop the slab, suga'."
Persephone dropped the cabinet door, creating a resounding crack that echoed in the once silent chamber. Her eyes scanned between Minthe, the scythe held in her hand, and the vial held in the other.
"Where is he?! Escaped out of that damned river didn't he?!" Minthe swung at her only for her to jump out of the way.
"Hey, watch where you're swinging that thing, someone might lose an eye," Persephone quipped.
Minthe growled in frustration and madly started swinging at her. "He did this to me!"
All Persephone could do was dodge her and stay alive, briefly paying attention to Minthe's screams as she never relented her swings.
"Made me addicted to smoke!" Minthe now held the scythe in both hands, storing the vial somewhere in her bra. Now with both her hands she was an unstoppable force.
With all her might, Minthe swung the blade down at the cabinet Persephone was standing atop mere seconds before.
Now everything inside crashed together and various plumes arose from the mixing potions. One of which happened to create a dense cobalt blue fog.
Persephone thanked all three of the fates that her aura still remained faded, and would not stand out in the fog as it encompassed the entire room.
"I was so sick… He didn't care- he didn't care…"
Persephone yelped as she felt a sharp wind pass by her face. This was it she was close, she could feel that spark of life inside of her.
The goddess smiled she could sense the naiad. Now there was only one thing left to do then, Persephone reasoned, and darted forward, catching Minthe by surprise.
Seeing an opening with her stance, Persephone leapt forward and grabbed the staff of her scythe with both hands, and simultaneously sent a swift kick at Minthe's stomach, sending the naiad across the room.
Still being unable to see, Persephone felt her way to the other side of the room, the one opposite where Minthe laid in a crumpled heap. Feeling the wall under her outstretched hand, Persephone swung Praxidice in a smooth, and powerful swing horizontally, clearing the fog away.
"You are a tricky one aren't you, suga'? So much strength-" Minthe tried to laugh only for her to choke as clear liquid bubbled up in her throat.
Persephone ran to Minthe, setting Praxidice down a good distance away in case the nymph decided to try one more desperate attempt at her.
As she was about to kneel beside her, Minthe growled at her, and pulled out the vial, still untouched in her hand. "Watch it, powder puff, or no one gets it," the naiad pulled out the cork of the vial, and tipped it ever so slightly, showing the goddess that she was serious.
"Minthe, I can heal you!" Persephone pleaded, with so much sincerity that the nymph would have relented had her heart not been so laden with unspoken grief. "Please, we don't have to-"
"You listen here missy, you've met Hades, that cold-hearted bastard…" Minthe couldn't help but laugh pitifully before it turned into a sob. "How was I to know?"
"Know what?" Persephone approached Minthe ever so slowly.
"His love was toxic…"
"Oh, he was abusive…" Persephone bowed her head in understanding. "I'm sorry, Minthe I can't imagine-"
"Not that kind of toxic!" Minthe spat. "It's this damn kingdom! Him! His fire! I was suffocating- dying because of this place." The nymph grabbed locks of her hair and tugged at them. "But that crooked bastard knew what was happening to me. I was mortal in a realm of the dead. He knew, never said anything."
Persephone silently stared at Minthe, she didn't know what to do. Should she say words of comfort? Was it okay to soothe her? Heal her now without her consent? Maybe it was best to listen, she decided as Minthe continued.
"And now you, powder puff- falling for his tricks too?"
"Minthe, Hades is chained in Tartarus. There's now way-"
"Oh no he's not." Minthe released a sickening string of laughs, each becoming more strained before a coughing fit rocked her body once more. "I saw Hercules chuck him in the Phlegethon. Saw how his own domain turned against him. Oh the irony of it all. A god's domain makes you even more powerful than in any other domain, but oh, it's their greatest weakness too." **
"Hecate knew that- that's why she came up with this brilliant scheme." Minthe nodded her head vigorously as she crawled to Persephone and grabbed the hem of her dress.
"You're not making any sense, hun," Persephone knelt to the ground and put her hand against Minthe's fore head. "Here let me-"
Minthe grabbed Persephone's wrist, her green eyes boring into hers. "How very peculiar it is that you, after all these years come back to reclaim the very thing that started it all. Hecate's final revenge- her sendoff- her good-bye. My vengeance…" Minthe's face contorted in rage. "Only for the one who started it all to end it as well."
The crazed nymph lashed out at Persephone, catching the goddess by surprise as her hands wrapped around the nearest thing- which happened to be the goddess' dress, as she had anticipated Minthe's attack.
A loud tearing of fabric and once again Persephone felt her another one of her dresses ruined.
"Oh that is it!" With a power she had no idea she had, Minthe was sent smashing into the same wall as earlier.
The naiad squirmed, trying to sit up, but Persephone's outstretched hand kept her in place. "Goddess of life indeed," the nymph spat. "Alright I give up you win, Kore, goddess of life and innocence. The paradoxical goddess," she finished, a look of peace descending upon her.
"What do you mean?"
Minthe snorted, "Oh you'll see… You'll see…"
Persephone took a deep breath, completely flummoxed by the days events, and it was only VI in the morning. Damnit she really liked this dress too… Ugh damn her heart and it's need to be kind. "Alright, let's see what the damage is."
"No." Minthe's small voice exclaimed, stopping the goddess.
"What? Don't you want to be healed?" Seriously she was trying her darnedest to be kind. Would it kill her to let her heal her. Oh this kind thing never does help does it.
"Oh yeah, suga'… But not in this form… Oh no this will never do… I don't want to be like this anymore. I will be Minthe no longer… Can you do that for me?"
Persephone nodded her head once. "It will give me great pleasure. Now this won't take long."
Placing a warm hand against Minthe's bitterly cold one, a soothing river of light ran down the nymph's body. Each of her veins were highlighted with a vibrant green, all the way down to her toes.
"Oh, one more thing," Minthe snorted.
"And what's that?" Persephone gave her an odd look.
"That vial I kept trying to hide… It's a fake. It's already been used. You can ask your brother Hercules about that. Oh, and sweetie, I hope this taught you a good lesson. After all-" Minthe winked for the last time. Her last words hung in the air ominously. "The devil you know is not as bad as the devil you don't know."
And in her place now firmly rooted to the ground was a patch of a new species.
Persephone sighed as she plucked one little shoot and twirled it around her fingers. "Minthe, when people see you and your descendants, they will only remember your crisp, pleasant scent of mint. I can at least do that for you after all the trouble you've caused me."
The irony in this statement is that Minthe would have caused her a lot less problems had she actually listened to her.
Oh well, to be innocent is to be ignorant, after all.
*Shoutout to my friend EnvytheSkunk for giving me permission to use her dress design she has for her version of Persephone. She's amazing in her art I don't even know how people can not only come up with such wonderful designs but then draw it, that is amazing in every right! Link for the dress used:
/ /envytheskunk .deviantart art/Persephone-Outfit-List-713439373
^Alright this was a difficult decision for me, I admit, but Hecate will NOT make an appearance in this fic, several mentions- yes, but that's it. Yes, I know she was prominent in the myths surrounding Hades and Persephone, yes I know, it was her who helped Demeter find her daughter, but I just can't. I have enough planned for this concerning the two main characters. But I hope this chapter satisfies how profound an effect Hecate had on Persephone's life which we will see fully explained in a couple chapters. Like it's really her own doing that the events of Hercules took off! I think I gave her enough credit.
Also you can rest assured the 'piece of Kore's powers/aura' thing will come up again later on in future chapters. Just keep it in mind.
** Also as said by Hades in Hercules and the Big Sleep, using a god's powers against him is one of the greatest weaknesses a god has. Like Morpheus had his dream blanket used against him, Hades was trapped in an underworld river of, hey fire. It's kind of like the Avatar state in ATLA, where it is where the avatar at his most powerful yet also at his most vulnerable. So it's safe to say that this topic will come up once again.
I apologize for the lack of Hades in this chapter, but he'll be back next chapter. Finally, I've been waiting for this competition since I started planning this!
As always please fave, follow, and review!