Chapter 7: Kiss of Death
Hello there. Contrary to popular belief, and myself for that matter, I'm not dead. Sure college left me emotionally dead, but I passed and that's all I care about. Thank you physics prof for not failing me and for actually supporting me to pass. Professors like that are so rare, may you all be blessed with profs like that.
So it's been a while, I apologize, but I do recall warning y'all it would be a while before I updated again. So without further ado here is the next chapter and guys I want to first thank y'all so much for all the support I've gotten. You guys are so punk rock.
Also please don't hate me for this chapter. It was coming. Like c'mon, it's been building up to this point ever since Persy met Hades. And oh boy I hope y'all are ready because Act II will definitely introduce a new dynamic and a different cast of characters.
On a side note, though, I hope all of you like how this chapter is organized, it took me such a long time to come up with a concise layout, that I practically winged it at first, but then it became good. Please don't be afraid to review and critique me I need to know.
Also I forgot to mention earlier on for my international readers I can speak/read Spanish- and no I will not translate this fic, I'm sorry I'm just too busy.
Oh and for the long wait you guys get two quotes not just one!
Longest chapter yet, BOI!
Disclaimer: Chapter 1
"The deceiver is at the mercy of the one he deceives," - Filomena, "Second Day, Ninth Story," The Decameron.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," - William Congreve, The Mourning Bride
Hercules was many things. A zero turned true hero, a high school graduate, a farm boy, and just recently for five whole minutes, he was a god again. At one point, he was even Greece's number one bachelor until Meg had claimed his golden heart in a snap of a Peloponnesian minute, but gullible he was not.
Alright, I admit, maybe at one point. Okay, so up until finding out Meg worked for Hades; which was what two months ago now?
Okay, so maybe he was still gullible, but that didn't mean he wasn't smart. He did singlehandedly defeat Hades with one literal fist of unrelenting justice. Okay, so that was a show of strength and not smarts…
You know what, I'm just going to stop. He never went to college but is surprisingly one of the richest men in all of Greece and parts of Persia. Go figure.
So when he saw that all too familiar chariot taking off in the Underworld, he knew he had to follow it. It was the only lead he had to Kore's disappearance, and he was running out of ideas. He had only urged Pegasus on faster when he had noticed the torrent of flames shooting off across the sky, but when he could finally see who were manning it, he was at a loss for words.
"Pain? Panic? What are you two doing out here?" Hercules steadied Pegasus beside the dark chariot so a conversation could be made.
"Oh hey, Herc," Panic smiled nervously, his eyes flitting briefly towards his companion.
"It's a beautiful day for flying isn't it?" The obese imp added, nodding his head vigorously before fixing his head on the open horizon.
"Uh-huh…" Hercules muttered, at a loss for words. He knew what he saw, there was no mistaking where that fire had come from, but where was he? If Hades was truly out waltzing around in the land of the living, he wouldn't be this conspicuous- unless it wasn't Hades who was using the chariot.
"Look, guys, I'm looking for a goddess-"
"Aren't we all?" Pain interrupted.
"No that's not-"
"Oh, did you like our wedding gift, Hercules? Panic interceded this time. "I wrapped it myself y'know," his lips parted to their max length to show off his sharp teeth.
"Uh, yeah it was nice," the confused hero answered, suddenly being reminded of what exactly Meg had done with the present after she found it at the wedding reception.
"Yeah, sorry we didn't come, Panic, here forgot to RSVP," Pain shot a dark look to his brother.
"Hey don't blame it on me," said imp jumped up to defend himself. "I didn't even know we had a mailbox!"
"Oh yeah, then how does Charon get all his Sport Scrolls, huh?"
"Now you listen here-" Panic curled his hand into a fist.
Oi, Hercules inwardly groaned as the two started to grapple with each other. Now he was starting to see why Hades always got so fed up with these two. "Guys!" He shouted. "Please have you two seen a goddess- goes by the name of Kore?"
Upon noticing their rather blank stares, Hercules felt his annoyance begin to rise, but after Pegasus whinnied in support, the hero sighed and began again.
"You know… Goddess of spring? Demeter's daughter? She's blonde, I think? " Hercules described. "Heard of her?"
"Kore… Kore…" Panic muttered under his breath.
"Do we owe her money?" Pain questioned.
"C'mon, guys, I know she was down there." Hercules then proceeded to hold up a raggedy large pink flower that looked more like a headband than anything.
Pain and Panic shared the briefest of looks before replacing their increasing fear to that of pure innocence.
"I found her headdress in the tunnel she used to get down there. She's either still down there or up here with you two, and I'm pretty positive she's up topside. So where is she?"
"Uh- uh…" Panic stuttered, his chest heaving as he was going through his own mini heart attack.
"IS THAT ICARUS FALLING THROUGH THE SKY?!" Pain shouted, pointing off to a point somewhere behind Hercules.
"Wait, what?!" The brawny hero tugged Pegasus back, forcing him to turn around, only to see no sign of his best friend. "Hey!" Hercules' neck snapped back to only see the black chariot shooting off farther along the distance.
In response, Pegasus reared back ready to go into maximum overdrive, but froze as Hercules shouted, "Wait, Pegasus, heel!"
With a disgruntled snort, the flying horse settled down and shared a confused look at his rider.
"Pegasus, no, I have an idea," he reassured his steed. "Rule Number 74: A hero doesn't barge in without thinking," Hercules repeated one of his mentor's mantras, hoping something familiar could give him some sort of confidence.
Oh Phil, I really hope you're hanging in there.
"She might not be on board, but I have a feeling they're headed to wherever she is. So you thinking what I'm thinking?"
If you can recollect, dear reader, we had left our two main characters at the mouth of a cave where the land of the living met the land of the dead. Rather coincidentally, they happened to both be gods of the two respective lands.
What luck.
Persephone, the goddess of life, had just summoned the newly christened power in her scythe to change the direction of the flow of the mighty River Styx- only to feel an immense change inside of her as she did so.
Hades could only watch in a sort of morbid fascination as the last remnants of pink that were left in her skin began to fade, leaving nothing but a bone white.* Only those soft pink lips of hers remained the same color, all that was left of her once normal aura.
She felt weak. Persephone's legs began to give out from underneath her, but she quickly steadied herself with the use of the scythe.
"Hey, you okay?!"
Eubulus' shout brought her back to reality, already behind her with his arm around her waist.
"Fine… I'm fine!" She shouted back regaining her breath, and straightened herself, despite the migraine that was starting to develop.
They both had to shout because of the thundering roar of the River Styx as she continued to race out into the land of the living.
Taking a deep breath, Persephone tried to regain her bearings, wriggling out of Hades' awkward hold.
Something felt wrong, though. Not wrong as in the opposite of right, but as in something was off-kilter. Almost as if the very cosmos itself was off-balance, or maybe that was just the migraine talking.
"Gods, my head. Even my teeth hurt," Persephone whined, using her free hand to gently rub her cheek.
"Hey," Eubulus' oily voice was now speaking directly into her ear. "Why don't you let me give it a try," he subtly grazed Persephone's adamantium grip on the blade.
"No," Persephone quickly removed herself away from Hades and in doing so moved the scythe away from his grasp, only for the god to snatch at nothing but the open air. "We have to get going, it'll pass- whatever it is."
Hades silently glowered but immediately changed his approach. "Hey, I just figured maybe you're not ready to handle the powers of the Underworld, considering your long history with the whole living bit you got going."
"I'll get used to it," Persephone waved him off. "Plus, I'm competing in this thing, Sparky, or have you already forgotten?"
"Okay, okay, at least let me give ya a hand, sweetness," he appeared by her side and took her by the arm before she could fall over in what looked like exhaustion. "You look like a fate worse than death, and I'm not meaning that metaphorically, babe."
"Watch it, it looks like you care," Persephone attempted acting light-hearted, but all it did was make her sound annoyed.
Before a retort could be made, Hades' dark chariot hurriedly landed near them with the two imps at the reins.
"Hey nice of you two bozos to finally show up! Where have you two been?!" Hades shouted, turning into a rather angry shade of red.
"We got food!" Pain announced, holding up a to-go bag from Gyro World.
"We didn't know how hungry you were, Lady Persephone, or whether you were vegetarian so we got one of each!" Panic added.
At the mention of food Persephone started to turn green. "You know... I don't think I'm hungry anymore."
"Well, you heard the lady, let's get moving. Chop, chop, we need to go NOW! The cosmos isn't going to rule itself," Hades kicked Pain and Panic out of the chariot and burned the bags of food in the chariot.
"The what?" If it wasn't for the migraine, the goddess could have sworn he said 'Cosmos'.
"Slip of the tongue. You know what I meant, babe," Eubulus practically dragged her into the chariot and whipped his griffins forward. He was rushing so much he barely even noticed that Pain and Panic weren't on board anymore.
So by the time the chariot was in the air, the two imps were struggling to keep up, and were left in their dust.
Now that he realized his mistake, Hades began to simmer. No information on Jerkules and they were already on their way to collect souls- great the kid could pop up at anytime!
Oh well one step at a time, babe, gotta start one fire before you burn down the whole city.
"Sweetness, now you gotta do the 'swinging and reaping of souls' bit, you sure you can handle it in your sorry state?"
"I've been harvesting crops all my life," Persephone sucked in another breath of the free Greek air, allowing a bit of relief to wash over her head. "What's the difference with souls?"
Bada bing, she's gonna run Thanatos out of a job if this escalates any further.
"That's the spirit," Hades muttered, urging the chariot to go faster. They needed to split as fast as possible before Persephone could see what else was coming out of the Underworld along with the river.
But the signal was already made, now it was all up to Echidna's brood to make their move.
She really is a doll once you butter up the Monstress enough, and adding an incentive to not participate in the competition wasn't so hard when there was already mass confusion with the Greek populace. Mix that with a hungry hoard of monsters and you got an all you can eat Greek buffet. Add in an obnoxious morally right hero to the mix to try and stop them from wreaking havoc just creates the perfect entertainment.
Oh yeah, the odds were still in his favor, and he'd be damned if all his hard work would be torn asunder once again.
Out of all the things she ever expected to lose a battle in, Athena had not expected it to be done via a lecture.
Thank the Fates she never had an actual mother to give her all of these unnecessary lectures about- oh whatever young people are dawdling on about. But almost a thousand years of this? Dear sweet Hera, Athena started to wonder how Kore ever stayed sane throughout all of it?
And she had it up to here with this goddess.
It was so repetitive. At this point she pondered the notion whether she should just walk away and leave since Demeter wouldn't notice, too caught up in her own lecture.
But Hermes was still hanging from the ceiling, and cutting him down and leaving with him would cause too much of a stir with the agriculture goddess, and with Nemesis here, she was practically cornered.
Now it was time for her to stop dawdling on time and do the one thing Kore could never do: Speak for herself.
"Athena, you should be ashamed of yourself. You and my own daughter went behind- excuse me, deliberately went behind my back and set up this whole ponzy scheme just so she could get a job?!" Demeter demanded.
"Well, it's a reputable job, Demeter." Athena argued. "In fact, it could be more honorable than-"
"Don't you dare," Demeter warned.
"Flower-picking," Athena mustered all the venom that one could produce in such a dainty verb.
Hermes let out a horrified gasp, while Nemesis let out a rather bored yawn. She needed a good smiting and fast, this wasn't escalating as quickly as she wanted it to be, and after all the trouble she went through to hunt down someone with a higher status than her- how rude.
"Demeter, your daughter?" Nemesis reminded her boss.
"I'm getting to that, dear," Demeter flashed her a warm, thankful smile, then returned her attention back to the war goddess, but with a new expression that could be best described as cold as a frost giant's breath. "Athena I can't believe this. After all the centuries of allowing you to be so heavily involved in Kore's life that you decided to betray my trust-"
"Please," Athena scoffed, cutting the goddess off. "You and I both know Kore needs this. She's bored of Sicily- bored of your gardening, she needs to move out and you yourself need to grow up. She doesn't need you as much as you need her. This is downright selfish, Demeter, why would you go to all the trouble sheltering all these years-"
"If you were her mother you would understand why I'm so over-protective. Why, she is the way she is, the role she plays in the cosmos… You-" Demeter had to pause to allow herself to calm down as her throat start to constrict on her.
"You, who will never know the love a child can bring- AND OF ALL THE JOBS YOU TELL HER TO PURSUE IT'S THE UNDERWORLD?! YOU COULDN'T HAVE STARTED SOMEWHERE SMALLER?! MORE EASIER OF A TRANSITION FOR HER?!"
"IT'S THE EARTH, DEMETER, SHE'S JUST GOING UNDERNEATH IT! WHAT IS THE BLOODY DIFFERENCE?!"
Both of the goddesses' faces were mere inches form the other, nose to nose, snarling all the while.
"So tell me, 'Thena, if you were so keen on helping her where is she now?" Demeter prodded. "You were so caught up on making sure she'd win, you lost her in the process. A whole day before, if I'm understanding what you told me."
"Please, it's more like she ran off the moment the opportunity arose, she's a clever one, how else did she sneak off the island so many times before you realized it? Why I bet she found a way off the island and is on her way to compete as we speak. And all I'm doing is stalling for time, thought of that, Demeter?" Athena taunted.
If Demeter's glower could get any darker it somehow managed to, but as quickly as it crossed her round face it vanished as a familiar determined look now creased her brow. Her eyes scanning every inch Athena's ever increasing confused face.
"Then I guess we'll see her at the finish line, won't we?"
"Excuse me?" Athena couldn't help but blurt out.
"I want to see how this plays out," Demeter simply explained, making her way out the small granary. "Nemesis, cut Hermes down, but don't release him just yet."
"Yaaaa, babe…" Hermes let out a pitiful sound, the ichor in his brains getting too much for him to handle.
"Demeter, where do you think you're going?" Athena stopped the agriculture goddess from exiting.
"I'm going to go support my daughter in something she wants, but," an accusatory chubby finger was now stretched and pointed at her face, "If I find out that this is just a hare-brained idea sowed up by you so you can gain the upper hand on your brother, Ares, then consider this as the last day you will ever see my daughter for a very long time."
Athena was at a loss for words, "… Demeter… No, please you must be mistaken-"
"I may not be the goddess of wisdom, but mothers have an intuition like no other, and I know Kore wouldn't have dreamt up this scheme unless you planted the seeds in her head. Lost she may be at the moment, or not, she'll turn up, to win or lose, for that I'm certain. I know her better than you ever will, and that's why I'm worried Athena. I've kept her so long on that island she couldn't tell you the difference between a real friend and a con man… Now I'm wondering if I made that same mistake with you," Demeter added softly, and disappeared as a flower sprouted from the ground and swallowed her whole.
Athena couldn't help but stomp her foot in frustration as the agricultural goddess disappeared. Turning around, she wasn't surprised to see Nemesis and Hermes gone as well.
"Oh, Kore, please, please, please," Athena pleaded, all while Ibid stroked her neck soothingly like she'd done countless times for him. "Prove your mother wrong. Oh Fates, please, let it be done."
If only.
If only.
But alas, this would be a whole different story if it were so.
It didn't take long for land to be seen. Persephone stood at the ready, holding on to the edge of the chariot, preparing to time her jump and land on a safe distance from the city below. It was down there where she will first direct the waters of the Styx to not only organize the souls terrorizing the country, but to also collect them in the blade of Praxidice. And the city of Knossos, Eubulus had decided, would be the first city to be freed; which would then be followed by Sparta, Corinth, Thessaly, Thebes, etc, etc, and it all ending with Athens, the place where all the gods were gathering.
Even though she wasn't alone at the moment, and with Eubulus' constant reassurances that everything would turn out fine, Persephone was still anxious. Ever since Styx had changed course, the sky had darkened and dark heavy clouds had covered up the once cloudless blue sky.
Something wasn't right, and she couldn't help but feel like she was the cause of it. She understood that dark clouds usually signaled lightning or a storm approaching, but nothing of the sort was happening, it was almost like the atmosphere of the Underworld was now being transferred into the land of the living.
It was fitting, though, with all the dead roaming the earth. If one could compare the Underworld to its former glory to how Greece looked like now, one would not be able to tell the difference, not considering the sky, of course.
"Alright, Persephone, this is what you're gonna do," Eubulus' voice rang out, breaking her out of her thoughts.
"You're gonna jump out- do a barrel roll if you want. When you get down there, do a little bit a swinging, little chopping- whatever it is you, farmers do- you know that part. If the souls try hiding, the river will flood 'em out. Ignore the whines of the mortals some of 'em will be all doom and gloom about the prospect of their relatives leaving, or you know with their homes being flooded, but if that happens well, you can bring 'em along too. They'll come down eventually- why not just speed it up? Ha, know what I mean, babe?"
"I don't know who's more jittery about this? You or my insides." Persephone couldn't help but let out a snort, but instantly regretted it as her head throbbed even more.
"Hey, I haven't had this much free entertainment since the Trojan War. Now knock 'em dead babe, this is your stop," Hades gave her a wink.
A small rush of color flooded Persephone's pale face. "Oh…" Her gaze quickly shifted from the earth to Eubulus' hooded eyes. "Okay, well here we go, then. See ya, Sparky, don't miss me too much," she awkwardly waved before jumping off to the earth below.
She'd never thrown herself off of a moving chariot. It was a first she admitted, but man was she so glad that she could finally check that off her bucket list. Even as a god, flying is something she had always wanted to do- to have Hermes powers of flight, oh she was envious of it, but now, she could always remember the feeling.
"I'M HOME!" Persephone announced all the way down, landing on her feet in a dried open field that faced the sea, with her black dress billowing all about her.
Huh, it really does help being divine when one jumps two thousand feet. But even though she had landed perfectly on the ground, the goddess still threw herself onto the dirt and breathed in the nature.
"Huh, who knew I missed the topside of the dirt," Persephone couldn't help but laugh. Oh, she felt her strength returning and her mind clearing. Could handling Underworld powers really have affected her that badly?
Deciding to test out how well she had recovered, Persephone snapped her fingers and a meadow of poppies blanketed the entire field. Then she plucked the nearest flower and admired the shape of the petals and its soft touch.
"Still got it."
But now was not the time for flower-picking, that was for Kore, and this was Persephone here to stay forevermore.
Persephone grinned with a determined glint in her still magenta eyes as she rose to her feet and lifted her scythe to the sky.
"STYX, BRING THE SOULS TO ME!" The bone white goddess slammed Praxidice into the field of poppies.
Almost immediately, the River swelled into life before her, the moans of the shades were so pronounced it almost drowned out the roaring of the mighty River Styx.
In a form her mother would have been proud of, Persephone swung the scythe in a graceful yet powerful arc, commanding the river to split open and allow the dark blade to steal the souls stowed away in her mighty currents.
High-pitched screams and the low groaning of the shades disappeared instantly, leaving only the river and a panting Persephone.
"Wow that took a lot out of me," Persephone wiped the sweat forming underneath her side bangs. "Oh and this is only an island…. Wait, the flowers." She bent down and made a small bouquet of the various red and yellow poppies using a pink ribbon she created out of thin air to tie them altogether, and breathed in their sweet scent.
"Maybe I can make this work. I'm still technically a Spring goddess, not an Underworld one," Persephone reasoned. "Just one day more, than everything will get better. Please, Fates, don't let me regret this."
From his chariot high above the earth Hades couldn't help but finally allow himself to enjoy the moment. "Ah, welcome back to earth, Persephone, babe. Enjoy it while it stays this way, cuz I sense a change in management around here, but you'll get your wish. I just have to get mine too."
Sensing he wasn't alone anymore, Hades didn't even turn around as Pain and Panic finally caught up.
"Alright status report, boys. Is Wonder Breath on course for Thebes?"
"Yes, boss!" Both the imps chimed in.
"We may have slipped in that we saw a goddess fitting her description, tagging along with a certain messenger god, when we bought take-out," Pain explained.
"Oh yeah, we may have bought him lunch too," Panic added.
"Oi," Hades groaned, trying his best not to get overheated. "Whatever- look as long as he's off our trail, and stays put until we make it to Thebes, we're cooking, boys. We may have lost last round, but the games not over yet," Hades smirked evilly.
"We may not get the Cosmos today, but taking the earth is a good step, don't ya think? And who knows," the god shrugged. "Maybe with that scythe we can march an indestructible army to Olympus. Cuz hey? What can defeat a ghost? I've been amassing souls since the dawn of time, and wow, I'd say now is a good test run to see if this'll work. "
"But, how are you gonna gather them?" Pain reminded him. "They're pretty mindless, boss. It's hard organizing ten, but all of them?.
"Hey you guys keep forgetting- I won't have to, she's already doing it for me," he pointed to the earth at Persephone's lone figure in the middle of the poppy fields.
"If she decides to stay or not, either way, my price is that scythe."
"I hope she stays," Panic admitted.
Hades remained silent.
Huh, me too.
How many city states had been cleared? Like at least eight, that she knew for sure. How many leagues had they flown? More than twelve- that's for sure, Persephone wasn't that good at measuring distance- there was not one cartographer bone in her body, she wasn't Hermes for Zeus' sake!
Now, how many souls were residing in her scythe- oh now that question. Oh, too many to count in a single week, dear reader, and she wasn't even done.
Nope.
And they were heading to the most populous city in all of Greece. You may have heard of it, the Big Olive- the city that never sleeps- the new home of Hercules, himself. This city, my dear, dear reader, is called Thebes.
And a strange affair was brewing upon the streets.
A lone figure, wearing a long dark chiton, roamed the streets swinging a blade left and right, never tiring and never ceasing and in her wake, a river of souls followed her every move.
Yet there was another thing that continued to follow her- no it was not the mortals, they stayed as far away as they could from this seemingly vengeful goddess, it was a dark chariot and its rider, who I am certain you all know. But for once he was not following her- no he was nowhere to be seen, and it was this detail that left Persephone perturbed.
"Eubulus," she cried out. "Sparky, where'd you go?" She had not been in the city more than two minutes and he had disappeared from sight- how odd. He hadn't done this in any other city, but now- gone.
She would have dwelled more on where he had run off to when she looked up to see a built young man, riding a white pegasus come racing towards her. It didn't take long for her to recognize the man, but Persephone eyed him wearily as he jumped off his horse and began approaching her.
He said nothing at first, she could see the thousand questions lingering on his face, the questions burning inside him- and Persephone couldn't help but hypothesize a few of them- she was quite the sight.
She certainly didn't look like usual- no aura, no pink skin, she would appear mortal if she wasn't so pale, and her clothes. Ha, if mother saw what she was wearing, that alone would make her have an aneurism, or a season change if you know what I mean.
"Excuse me ma'am, but I'm looking for a goddess named Kore. I was told she was being accompanied by Hermes and headed straight to Thebes, but I've searched the entire city and no luck. My name is-"
"Hercules," she finished. "Trust me, hun, everyone knows who you are- even me and that's saying something," she grinned at her own inside joke. "And I am she."
"Wait really?" He stared in wide eyed wonderment- a goddess of death maybe but spring- what on Gaia's green earth? "You- you, but you don't look like your description," Hercules scratched his head in thought.
"Let's just say I decided to dress myself today," Persephone explained, unabashed by Hercules' boldness. "Now shoot, what do you gotta say? I'm kind of in the middle of something at the moment- you know collecting the dead?"
"Okay, I'll be quick. Look, Lady Kore," he bowed. "I have traveled all across Greece looking for you."
"Wait... You have?!" She stared incredulously at him.
"Well, yeah! I mean, Athena sent me to collect you this morning on Sicily, but you weren't there."
Athena!
Persephone mentally screamed at herself. Oh gods, how could she have forgotten about their previous arrangement- oh she must be so worried! "Oh gods, I'm such an idiot- I forgot about that!"
"Forgot? But weren't you- sorry aren't you," he eyed the scythe curiously, "Competing today? I thought Athena was going to-"
"To help me yeah," Persephone awkwardly grinned. "Sorry, it's just I found someone else to help me when I," she bit her lower lip anxiously. "Y'know decided to go exploring…"
"Yeah, I followed your trail, but Kore, you don't just explore the Underworld, that's- that's just crazy! I've been down there before and trust me it's not safe for a- well a," he struggled finding the right word
Now Persephone felt cross. "For someone as defenseless as me? Trust me I was well equipped," she now held Praxidice with both her hands, silently daring him to argue with her.
"Uh," Hercules flushed, he started to awkwardly rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, I don't doubt it. But how did you- well why didn't you go back? I mean you already went in one way, why not go back? I know it's not my place, but isn't Athena one of the best gods you could get help from?"
"I found someone else," Persephone simply stated, walking past the hero without so much as a second glance. "Now look, I hate to stay and chat, but the city isn't completely exorcised yet, so if you please-"
"Wait!" Hercules called out, halting her in the process.
"Who? Who did you find? Pain and Panic- not even Hermes can think of using the River Styx like this- you had better help. So who?"
Persephone groaned and turned around to face him. "Look, you've probably never heard of him. Poor god was stuck down a river of fire and I rescued him okay- goes by Eubulus. Now can I keep competing?"
Hercules blanched. "Oh no…"
"Oh no, what?" Persephone inquired in a defensive tone.
"You called him Eubulus?"
"That's the name he gave me- god of good counsel," she quickly added.
"Kore, how- oh gods, you didn't" his hands were in his hair, staring blankly at her in such astonishment and terror that Persephone had no idea whether he was going to cry or scream, or both there is always that option. "I think you've been duped."
"Excuse me?!" Persephone cried, and in an instant, Hercules found himself pinned against a wall with the scythe's blade hairs away from his neck.
All he could do was gasp as he connected to solid marble, and loud cracks appeared where his back had hit.
Pegasus sprinted straight at the goddess, but without even flinching, Persephone made a quick hand motion with her free hand and vines sprouted from the solid concrete and tied the equine down, decorating him with the bright colors of the dawn.
Turning her attention back to Hercules, Persephone glowered down at the mortal. "Eubulus has been nothing but helpful to me. We made a deal, and you just don't back out of them. We shook on it and everything."
Hercules squirmed in her powerful grip. "Oh yeah? And where is your Eubulus?"
Persephone hesitated. "Uh… He was here not even a minute ago," she searched the open sky for him once more, but still no sign.
"Soooo… Where'd he go?"
"Look, buster, I don't know by who's authority you're allowed to sass me," she pulled him back only to slam him again into the marble wall, sinking him in several more inches. "But I can tell you, you have no right. Now explain," she exclaimed through gritted teeth.
Hercules, dazed from being slammed, could barely focus on any of the four faces of the goddess. "Hades," he coughed out. "I threw him in a river- and you took him out."
"You're- you're lying. He's in Tartarus- no gods…" Persephone whispered harshly, and let him go. Almost stumbling backwards as she did so. Even Pegasus was no longer chained to his flowery prison as the flowers started to dissolve like ash.
Now with nothing to hold him on his feet, Hercules fell in a heap on the ground. "Kore, you have to listen to me-"
"Listen to what?!" She snapped, giving him a heated glare. "To you? Five seconds ago and you didn't even know I was Kore, much less a goddess."
"Kore please, I understand you!" Hercules pleaded, rising to his feet with the help of his steed. "My wife- Meg she-"
"I don't believe you," Persephone rudely cut him off. Then she began to walk away taking long strides, using the scythe like a walking staff, concentrating on the cobblestones before her counting them one by one. Concentrating on everything but reality, even as Hercules began to pursue her and try to console her.
"She worked for Hades, and I didn't know she was pretending to like me to get to my weakness, but we- well you know?"
Persephone couldn't help but roll her eyes, allowing her anger to rile her up, just so she wouldn't allow the tears to fall. "You two schmos fell in love. I know it's why you gave up your damned godhood. Now didn't I tell you to leave me alone!" Desperation rang with every word, but on she continued on the basic instinct that if she kept moving nothing was wrong, that nothing had changed.
"I can't do that, Kore. Not until you believe me. Now what kind of deal did you strike with Hades? Is it the competition? Because you have to stop now, we don't know what he's going to get out of this, and-"
"I swear," Persephone stopped in her tracks cutting off Hercules mid-sentence. "If I have to hear one more word about your little morality and your lies, I'm going to turn you into a flower," as she spoke, vines started to grow around Hercules' legs and up his body. "Oh and with petals of your eye color- that would be so pretty," she began to drift off.
"Kore, your… floweriness, please for someone so positive she's right, you're really showing me otherwise." Hercules' face scrunched up in an almost innocent manner- it was almost familiar too. "Someone… already warned you. Didn't they?" Hercules softly pressed.
Her mind screamed only one solitary name: Minthe. While her tongue could barely form a coherent sentence, "I- I…"
Persephone could say nothing more as a load roar echoed in the silent city, followed by the collected screams of the mortal inhabitants.
Kore even with her heightened senses didn't notice Hercules breaking free from his flowery prison and jumping on Pegasus' back, it was his shouts that brought her out of her state of shock.
"Kore, run. Find somewhere safe. And please for the love of all the gods, drop out of this thing now. I'll look for you once this is all taken care of- and stay away from Hades!"
Persephone didn't need any more convincing and booked it. She ran. She didn't stop, never looked back, not even once to see what was happening or where the crowds of people were running to, but before the crowds started to run through her, the bone white goddess summoned a dark veil to cover her head, giving her the appearance of some tall widow using a scythe as a walking staff. She didn't want any attention especially now that she felt her heart breaking.
What on earth was going on?!
Finding a nearby column to hide behind, Persephone tried to slow her rapidly beating heart and to catch her breath. Once she was fully recovered, she finally dared to take in what was going on.
Removing back some of the veil to see properly, Persephone found she was positioned at the edge of some building overlooking the main square of the city. From up here she saw a sight that made her heart drop even farther down than where it was now.
Monsters- too many to count, some she recognized, and others she didn't were terrorizing the town, destroying buildings, lighting things on fire, snatching some unsuspecting people and throwing them into their gaping jaws. But there was no mistaking where they had come from.
More monsters were piling in from the very river she was using to get rid of the souls of the dead.
With a hand covering her mouth, Persephone made an inaudible gasp as she could do nothing but watch as chaos continued to rain down on the town, the only bright light in all of this was Hercules descending upon them.
He was right.
"What have I done?" Persephone whispered so softly, she didn't realize she had vocalized it. "Gods… What have I done?" She felt her back hitting the column as her legs gave out beneath her.
Her scythe fell with a loud reverberating clang, followed by the sounds of dejected moaning, but all of this was drowned out as Persephone kept muttering to herself. "No, no, no, no, no…"
She wanted to see for herself. She needed to see- needed to face Eubulus- Hades, whoever he really was, to see the face of the god that lied to her face and offered her friendship and protection.
And maybe just maybe, Persephone prayed silently, she had that underlying hope that the monsters' arrival was just an overlooked after effect of using the River Styx and that this was just a big misunderstanding. Yes, that was it, Persephone told herself. After all, this has never been done before, she wiped the tears off of her face with her veil.
Eubulus, please, please, be my Eubulus.
Now there was only one thing left to do- to let sleeping dogs lie.
Persephone lifted her hand up and from her palm a flower bloomed into life, but this one was different. It wasn't an actual plant, but it was the same light she had used to jumpstart Hades back to life.
There was nothing left to be said as she gave the light one simple command.
"Find him."
Megaera had lived through so much.
In fact she should be dead, but she wasn't thanks to her demigod hubby, Hercules. He had valiantly fought for her life and had somehow defeated Hades in his own domain- a feat, few gods could even dream of achieving.
But he had done it all under the name of love. And her living and breathing was enough proof to show the world that people do crazy things when they're in love.
Just being able to wake up beside him every day, to be safe, and free was just something she was thankful to the gods for every day. She may have had a life filled with misery and unlucky circumstance, but if it all led to her Wonder Boy, she would do it again in a heartbeat. If he had been so careless to throw his godhood away for her, his dream, his reason for being, she wouldn't hesitate.
Love was about sacrifices and compromise, and by the gods, the both of them knew that better than anyone.
She just hadn't expected another one to show up so soon.
"Hey, sorry for dropping by unannounced, but I was in the neighborhood and traffic wasn't going anywhere so you know what I told myself? 'Hey doesn't Nutmeg live round here? I'll just drop by for a chat, maybe a cup of coffee- you know.' Or should I call you Mrs. Jerkules, now?"
If she had expected Hades to be leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom she shared with Hercules, she would've started running a long time ago.
Two months ago, in fact.
But she was frozen in place. She had never- not even in her worst nightmare would have imagined him to return. Not like this.
"Well look at that she's speechless. Y'know I would be too seeing one helluva god like me show up in my bedroom of all places," he smirked suggestively at her, fixing the collar of his toga.
It was his damn smugness that brought her back to reality. "Get out!" Meg shouted, getting up from her bed, and stood her ground in front of the god that had previously owned her immortal soul. "Get out you, bastard, you can't have him!"
"Now, now, babe, whoever said I was here for Wonder Breath, huh?" He appeared uncomfortably close her, causing her to flinch back as he started to back her up into a corner. "If I was, hey, I'd be out there with all those monsters. Just think I'm missing out on all that free entertainment just to see you."
"Then get out," Meg, shouted again. "You have no business with me, Hades- you don't own me anymore," she exclaimed through gritted teeth.
"Well, see that's where you're wrong, Meg, my sweet," Hades chuckled darkly. "How else did ya think ya got out scot-free from the whole dying business? One of you will have to come back, and I am perfectly okay with you deciding. You were, hey, a little dead when Herc decided for you."
Meg's heart sank.
There it was. Him or herself- he wouldn't stand for it, he would come back and save her- just to give her a chance. It was the irony of love. How one would do anything for the other, even giving up one's own life, but never able to live with the other.
He was the price for her freedom then. Hercules made a deal for her. Her life for his, it resulted in him becoming a god, becoming a true hero, but instead of a price being paid, the deal was incomplete with no collector available, but now that he was back?
"You already know my answer," Meg snapped, a single tear trailing down her cheek.
Right when Hades was about to cup her cheek, Meg slapped his hand away,
"But, when he comes for me, I hope by all the gods that you get imprisoned in something even worse than your own domain. I want you to know the pain that you cause for your own selfish desires- your ambitions— to know the pain of having a soul. You will feel my pain, Hades- the fear that will never- ever leave."
Hades remained unfazed. "Aw look at that, you still think you have a chance of beating me-"
"Not me," Meg smiled almost cruelly. "But she does," she nodded off in the direction of the door.
Hades had barely enough time to turn around and see blonde curls spilling from underneath a black veil, running from the door frame.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" The god screamed in rage.
Knowing what was coming, Meg jumped out of the way, hiding behind the bed as Hades exploded, his fire spreading everywhere across the room covering it in tongues of blue and red.
Amid his explosion the god was already on the move, going after the goddess that had spied in on his and Meg's little conversation.
"PERSEPHONE! COME BACK!" He had screamed repeatedly as he appeared outside of the bedroom, not even bothering to reclaim Meg's soul to chase after the goddess, but she was too fast.
She was completely gone and now that he thought about it- so was his chariot.
Great, now Persephone figured it out, ugh, this was just peachy. Having no other choice, but to go after her, Hades disappeared to the only place he figured she would go to try to reverse her mistake: The Underworld.
Now that her former boss was gone, Meg wasted no time on little details as to who that goddess was, or where Hades disappeared to as she raced to Phil's room to evacuate him before the fire destroyed the entire villa.
But she had barely stepped out of her own room when the goat man ran in front of her, only to see him being followed by- was that?
Oh gods!
"Phil!" Meg shouted, causing the satyr to turn around and have the large group of warriors to all bump into him. "Who are these people?!"
Said people were a bunch of rowdy warriors who looked just as surprised as she was that she could see them. Some of them even waved, but now that she got a good look at their faces they looked oddly familiar.
"Toots, I'd like you to meet the lousiest heroes this side of the Styx. Literally."
There were loud disagreements from the men, but they all shut up when Phil turned around and gave them the stink eye. "Hey, get moving, the monsters are down in the city not here! HELLO?! Odysseus, keep an eye on 'em! Achilles watch that heel! And Theseus don't start monologuing!"
The collective group of heroes all bowed their heads at Phil's instructions and began to high-tail it out of the villa.
"Oh gods, Phil don't tell me," Meg began.
"Yup," Phil rolled his eyes, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the warriors. "Those bunch of chumps that've been haunting me all damn MONTH are alive and kicking."
"What… But how?"
"Kore, she's Demeter's kid, came by my room and told me she needed help and convinced these bozos to help save the city, and then proceeded to bring them to life."
"She what?!"
"Yeah you heard me, brought 'em to life, just like that," he demonstrated by snapping his fingers. "I don't know where she is now, but I'm guessing she's on our side."
"She stole Hades' chariot, so I'm guessing she's on the move like we should be doing," Meg proceeded to grab Phil's hand and drag him away from the burning building.
"Wait, he's back?! I thought Herc got rid of him?" Phil managed to pull himself out of Meg's tight grip.
"He's out, and back to his taking over the cosmos bit. That goddess- Kore you said? I've never heard of her is she new?"
"She's been around for centuries, she's the sheltered type, good friend of Syrinx."
"Huh, but how'd she know about this?" Meg inquired.
"Hey, I'm not about to question the business of gods- she shows up, looked pretty ticked off, scared my former students into submission, I'm not about to stop a vengeful goddess of life."
"When gods go to war..."
"The earth begins to shake," Phil finished.
Whatever had possessed her to steal Hades' chariot was beyond her, but she needed a ride, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to be spiteful about it. But really it was because she needed a ride, and someone had conveniently parked a flying chariot out in the middle of the yard.
She panicked, okay?
Persephone had practically ran, following where her powers deemed Eubulus was, since a part of that same power was residing in him after reviving him. That was when she had stumbled across the largest mortal dwelling place she had ever seen.
Bypassing the gate and everything wasn't particularly difficult, but what awaited her was an ordeal in itself.
She would have followed where the light had led her, but she had heard an old goat yelling at- well she didn't know, but once she took a peek inside his room, she connected two and two together.
What possessed her to bring his past students to life was beyond her, but for once she decided to listen to her gut and help out Hercules for all the trouble he was going through for her.
Persephone had abruptly left after that and it wasn't hard to pinpoint Eubulus' voice, and what she heard.
A woman, looking no older than her was backed into a corner by the large frame of the flame-haired god, but despite the situation managed to proclaim something without an ounce of fear.
It was a curse.
But also a promise.
And the name the mortal woman called him: Hades.
It was the final break in the chain that tore her beating heart out of her chest, serving it on a silver platter.
When the pretty brunette woman had pointed at her, Persephone was like a deer at the end of Orion's line of sight.
Watching her Eubulus- watching Hades turn around and saw his face contort from his signature smirk into a shocked, panicked face was enough to motivate her into action.
Hence her stealing his chariot.
She ran the fastest she had ever ran, grabbed at the reins, and whipped the griffons into action. All the while ignoring the desperate, angered calls of her name from Hades.
Where was she going- she had no idea, but she needed to get out of there. She needed to be as far away as possible from that god.
But it was her fear, her panic that motivated her into action. This was all her fault. All of it- the monsters, the chaos, Hades.
Just that name alone was enough to finally allow the tears to rain down.
He tricked her, set her up to take the powers of Poseidon- to bring the monsters trapped below deep into the Underworld to become unleashed into the land of the living, to create what?
What was he planning? Was there more to this? Oh gods she needed help.
Wait. Help- Hercules, he knew. He defeated Hades, and caused the very problem of the souls becoming unleashed, but he did what no god could do.
So there was only one thing to do.
"C'mon, that way," Persephone yanked the reins of the griffons to the direction of the center of the city. "Oh how in Tartarus do you drive this thing? HYAH!"
If there was one coherent plan that was forming it was this: She needed to get Styx to return to the Underworld and the remaining souls on earth as well.
As for Hades?
That was a problem for later. He was still a god, and he would be much more powerful in his domain, but he had his weaknesses too, Hercules had proven that much.
Speaking of the brawny hero…
"Hercules!" Persephone shouted as she approached the hero atop his white steed.
The poor hero was practically surrounded by monsters of every degree and variety.
"Kore?! Are you okay?" Hercules shouted in surprise, he took in her sorry state from her puffy face and red eyes, and how she had decided to cover her head- if he didn't know any better he would've mistaken her for the spirit of a widow.
"I'm fine," Persephone practically hissed, her throat felt as if it was on fire by the way her throat constricted on her.
"Oh, okay," Hercules froze. He knew how to comfort his wife when she got upset, but he didn't want to assume for this mournful goddess.
"…um- oh gods where'd you get that?!" Hercules and Pegasus both stared incredulously at the chariot Persephone was currently driving.
"Look there's no time to explain, c'mon!"
"But the city-"
"Backup is on it's way," she cut him off hurriedly, her gaze darting around, trying to spot a familiar head of blue flame. "C'mon I need your help!"
"For what?!" Pegasus quickly dived as a harpy headed straight for them, only for it to crash into a neighboring building instead.
"Well, what the hell you think, hero boy?!" Persephone snapped, throwing her scythe at the same harpy as she tried once again to attack Hercules only for it now to be missing an entire wing.
"…"
No words were spoken between Pegasus and Hercules, instead a silent accord was made as if they could both understand each other telepathically.
"Yes, ma'am," he saluted her.
"Cool," Persephone muttered as the scythe returned to her open palm. She didn't know she could do that but now that she did, she suddenly wondered why she hadn't done that before. "Then follow me."
She snapped the reins and made the griffons press forward.
To the Underworld. Back to where it all began.
The trip, naturally, would have been unremarkable had she not been sobbing the entire way. That does help.
Hercules tried his best to console her. Tried to tell her she wasn't the only one to be tricked by his devilishly evil charm, but she did.
Oh gods she did because it was the very lesson she had growing up.
Don't talk to strangers, be wary of strangers, don't believe the oily words that drip out of their mouths like quicksilver.
Her chest heaved, her vision became blurry, her head was filled with the voices of her mother, Athena, Hercules, and yes- even Eubulus- Hades now.
Gods, that name burned inside her head. The very name made her sobs become more louder, the tears never ceasing, and each one that fell off her face became a flower. As if something beautiful could come out of all this evil.
Gods- he seemed so nice- so charming. The way he had touched her, and how she had embraced him on numerous occasions, but worst of all she had brought him back. Healed him. Gave him her special kiss of life. He could have remained there thousands of years, learning his lesson for the crimes against the cosmos, disrupting the very balance of it all.
But she fell right into his trap, and all it took was his charming presence and witty words to make her melt like the wax on Icarus' wings.
Worst of all, she had proved them all right- every single person she had ever looked up to. She really was a dumb, stupid, naive, little fool, tricking herself into thinking that she could be something more than an ignorant maiden- practically a nymph with no purpose but to entertain the gods.
Her heaving chest began to slow and her loud sobbing was reduced to only a few stray tears as she continued to try and steer the chariot, but that was when it hit her. Hades would win if she continued to act exactly as he expected her to: as a frightened girl.
But she wasn't that. Hell, no.
At least never again, she swore to herself. If she was destined to be a bringer of chaos- then so be it, but it would be on her terms. Not on the terms of someone else. Especially by someone who betrayed her so easily.
And by the Fates, she would have this day.
But if she saw him again, would she react the way she is now with that bold determination? A little voice nagged at her.
Maybe, but he wasn't here now. He wasn't chasing her down like she had expected, but that didn't mean he wasn't waiting on her.
"Hercules, land here!" The goddess exclaimed, and parked the carriage with as much grace as a newbie driver could.
Once the two were situated on land, atop the very same cliff she and Hades had been, not even three hours previous. Persephone and Hercules both dismounted and stood by each other, shoulder to shoulder.
Hercules cautiously gave Persephone a warm squeeze on her shoulder, in an act of sympathy. "Hey, it'll be okay. I've watched Poseidon do this once before back in high school, it'll be a synch."
"It's not my ability to do this that's scaring me. It was my ability that started this that is scaring me."
"Kore-"
"Please, don't call me that," the goddess softly exclaimed. "That's not my name anymore," she began to hug herself. "It hasn't been since this venture started."
"What do I call you then?"
"Persephone, sweetness," Hades appeared out of nowhere. "I have been looking all over for you. I mean I'm gone for five seconds and you're already hooking up with mortals- and the demigod variety- bleach, what would mother dearest think."
Hercules sprang into action and used himself as a human shield for Persephone. "Hades."
"Well would ya look at that, basic introductions are out of the way, just like that," Hades snapped his fingers and immediately Pain and Panic appeared and tackled the winged horse that had stood close by the hero and the cowering goddess.
Now, it was Persephone holding onto Hercules as the hero started to back up slowly, drawing his sword.
"Heh, it's probably how I should've introduced myself to you, huh, Persephone?" Hades somewhat shrugged, flashing her an awkward smile.
But the goddess refused to make eye contact with him, her fingers digging more into Hercules' shoulder.
Hercules got the message and sized up to Hades. "I defeated you before, don't think I can't do it again."
"Don't give yourself too much credit, Jerkules, you got lucky because of a small technicality," Hades started to flare but quickly simmered down. "But I think you'll find that this time you couldn't fight me even if you wanted to," the god wolfishly smiled.
"What?" Hercules stared confused.
"Oh, that's right," Hades exclaimed in a mockingly upbeat voice. "You forgot about that little deal we made before you oh so ceremoniously dumped me into the Phlegethon, didn't you?"
When Hercules didn't speak, Hades simply laughed.
"Well, allow me to remind you of our little aforementioned deal you made for your little nutmeg," he snapped his fingers.
Hercules froze underneath Persephone's tight grip, and just as suddenly as he had been standing up, he was falling over in a crumpled heap. All the strength, all the warmth his body gave, his final breath, his color- just gone.
Persephone screamed his name silently as a familiar looking shade slid out of the motionless body. "No, no, no, gods…"
It was happening allover again. Her heartbeat accelerated and her breathing became shallower by the second.
Pegasus he writhed and squirmed, and managed to escape from the clutches of Pain and Panic, but not because he had found some hidden strength inside of him- rather it was because the imps were just as shocked at the outcome.
Out of all the schemes, the nefarious subplots of the Hercules TV show, an entire animated feature length film- all for it to end like this.
"Now, Persephone, I believe we had some business to discuss…" Hades appeared beside her, his arm casually wrapped around her shoulders as if he didn't just murder his arch-nemesis. The god that held her now had lost all the previous warmth and charisma he had when they first met, instead replaced with a cold-hearted business man.
She was trapped. All because she didn't run, the one instinct that never left her, and here with the god that started all her troubles tenfold.
But the games weren't over yet. He liked games, she saw that now.
Think, Persephone, think, he's got to have a weakness. Wasn't that how he beat Hercules the first time?
If she wanted to win, she had to be as dirty as him. Persephone had to fight fire with fire.
That's when it hit her.
"You… you're absolutely right," she exclaimed slowly, forcing herself to speak, despite how much she was shaking.
If Hades was surprised by her reaction he didn't show it as he casually let her go. "Oh good, for a second there I thought you were gonna run off like some wood nymph, but you're smarter than that aren't you, sweetness?"
His nickname for her- it almost felt like a slap in the face, but she'd learn not to show her own emotions, he taught her that.
"After working with you, I would hope so," Persephone batted her eyelashes sweetly at him. "I really can't thank you enough for all that you've done for me. So name your price."
"Welllll, babe, I'd say for all my hard work, I'd get that little scythe of yours," his finger twirled through one of the golden curls that framed her face.
What does he want with that? The goddess wondered, feeling the snake armband on her left arm, become incredibly warm.
"It's yours then," Persephone began to lean into his open arms. "But," her fingers playfully prodded his chest, she had seen Aphrodite do this once with Ares and the effect it had on the short god. She needed to pull every trick if she wanted this to work. "I think I might owe you something else, though," the goddess blushed fiercely, the one thing she didn't need to pretend, as her eyes looking everywhere, but his own.
"Oh, yeah," Hades lifted one surprised eyebrow, a small smirk began to form at the corner of his lips as his hair began to flare a brighter shade of blue. "And would you remind me what that was again?" he teased.
Persephone bit her lip anxiously. "How- how-" she began to shiver, as a chill went up her spine where his hand rested so carelessly at the small of her back. "-About you show me- I've... well never had one…" she meekly smiled at him.
"Say no more, babe," he cupped her chin in his hand and guided her lips to his own. "I'll show you a whole new underworld."
Persephone's eyes went wide as a sort of shock went through her, as she nearly lost herself in the kiss as he gently pressed his lips to hers. Her first kiss it was indeed, and it was one she would never forget, but she wouldn't allow herself to enjoy this- no not after all she'd been through because of him- all that she'd continue to go through because of him.
He dared trick her, well she'd happily do the same to him. Call it a Touché if you must, but for now…
Checkmate, Oedipus.**
The metal snake on her arm, slithered into her waiting palm and reformed back into a scythe, and pushed the god off of her.
"Hey-"
In his moment of hesitation, Persephone summoned the River Styx and slammed the massive body of water at the god, knocking Hades completely off his feet.
"Pegasus!" She whistled. "I need a lift!"
Needing no other motivation, the winged steed began to gallop off of the edge, and took off as Persephone securely mounted him.
With scythe in hand, Persephone urged the river onward, the mouth of the Underworld a welcoming sight as the Styx returned to her original position.
"Praxidice, release the souls trapped in your blade," Persephone ordered, and just like how the river obeyed her, the shades began streaming out and into the waters of the Underworld- where they belonged.
Once every soul her scythe collected was returned to its final resting place, Persephone began searching for Hades' down in the river.
It wasn't hard to find him bobbing up and down in the river, his shouts of rage, echoing across the land of the dead as he tried to escape, but the souls held him down like they had done once before.
"Pegasus, let me down here." The horse snorted at her questioningly, but complied.
Dismounting from the winged steed, Persephone approached the river side.
The shades who were holding down Hades, prevented him from escaping, nodded their heads at the sight of the lone goddess approaching them.
He was a pitiful sight, flameless, defeated, he wasn't even fighting the shades anymore, he just beheld the goddess that had so cleverly tricked him. Bewitched him more like it.
He had taught her too well.
"We could've been great friends, Hades, but you ruined it, and I want you to live with that for the rest of your miserable existence. Especially now that I'm doing this." With a graceful arc, Hades was thrown from the river and onto the black, ground that is the Underworld in front of Persephone's feet.
As he struggled to remain conscious, the god took deep rapid breaths, watching the goddess from lidded eyes.
"I'm not like you, and to show you, I give you the mercy you don't deserve," Persephone declared.
Then with a sudden moment, Persephone swung Praxidice one last time and slammed the scythe against the ground, successfully shattering the dark blade.
Now no one would ever have the power of the Underworld rivers.
"Good-bye, Hades," Persephone allowed the silent tears to stream down her face. "I hope you're happy."
She mounted Pegasus once more, and took off, but in one moment of weakness, Persephone turned around, her gaze locking with Hades' golden orbs filled with- she didn't know how to describe it.
Regret? Anguish? No it was something else, something she could not understand at this moment, but somewhere deep down in that black lifeless heart of his, it began to beat once more.^
Returning on the surface, Persephone made Pegasus stop at Hercules' lifeless body, and wasn't surprised to see his spirit still hanging around the same area.
The goddess proceeded to pick up Hercules' spirit like it was her own child and gently returned it to his body.
"Rise, Hercules, and know that you have my thanks."
Hercules gasped, breathing in a deep breath of fresh air, as the color and warmth returned to him.
Pegasus let out a giddy neigh and began to fervently lick Hercules' face.
"Pegasus," Hercules couldn't help but laugh, pushing the excited equine's face away from his own. "It's okay, I'm back."
Noticing the silent goddess, watching the interaction between the steed and his rider, Hercules quickly rose to his feet. "Kore, oh thank you- thank you so much," he bowed lowly.
"That's not my name, anymore, Hercules," she muttered, her gaze too caught up in the lands beyond the Underworld. She could hear the anguish in the land, the rumblings of the mortals, but why were they so sad- she'd freed them?
"Then what can I call you?" Hercules inquired, lifting up his eyes to meet hers.
"My name is Persephone, and you owe me nothing... but I ask you only one small favor." The goddess spoke as if she had gained a thousand years of wisdom. But it wasn't wisdom, dear reader, it was loss, and it was amazing how one event could make one so wise.
"Name it," Hercules exclaimed without question.
Persephone burst into tears once again and embraced Hercules, and didn't let go for several seconds until one simple request spilled into his ears.
"Take me home…. Please… I just want to go home."
Updated: May 21, 2018
*No she won't stay this color, nor will she return to pink. I didn't want to steal Agent of Teal's design of her, but for now she is for the sake of symbolism. After all, white in many cultures represents purity and innocence but also that of decay and death if you go farther East, and I thought her change in aura would only reflect her own fall from grace, but also double in how her naivety led her to this path. I mean Persy is going through this huge character development and the transitions of all the colors she goes through reflects how she comes to terms with herself and who she ends up becoming. So yeah colors are important in this one- keep a sharp eye, dear reader!
Okay so bear with me. Demeter is always depicted as a one dimensional nagging mother, I've seen that in almost every fanfic concerning this subject, and it kind of bothers me. Like Persy loves her, Demeter isn't a character like Mother Gothel from Tangled, yeah she's over-bearing and worried, but what mom isn't? Demeter is still susceptible to having flaws, though, and that flaw can span from how far she'd go for her child.
** I don't like to use bad language in this, but for those of you oriented in Greek myths, I hope you all know what I'm referring to in this moment.
^ If any of you watched Once Upon a Time, Hades is cursed with having no heart, and that only true love's kiss could allow him to have his heart back, so yeah, that inspired that.
Now if you all will excuse me Imma go nap.
As always fav, follow, and review, dear reader!
Angel of H-d out!