Of the Birds and the Bee-leagured.

Hello there!

First I want to thank everyone who's been reviewing, you are all amazing!

But I would like to address something I've never included in an A/N before. I am a really bad editor, y'all know this since you've read up to this point. If there are any grammar mistakes I have made, I only ask that you PM me so I can try my best to fix them. I want to grow as a writer and with that comes growing as an editor.

Also on that note, you can leave criticisms in the reviews. That's what they're there for! I really want to know how I can improve myself as a writer, all I ask is that you do so in a kindly manner. So far y'all have been fantastic in doing that! Even the ones that seem critical, they really aren't. Trust me, I've seen pretty good examples from my friends and it has caused many of them to leave this site.

On a side note this chapter is more of a fun one as I try to get back into the swing of writing certain characters. I wasn't planning on it it to be one whole chapter, but I decided to make one big chapter as thanks for all you wonderful people.

But everything else is on course for the end of this act so hopefully I can make it to Act III before summer ends.

P.S. Please tell me you noticed the pun in the chapter title. I am really proud of that.

Disclaimer: Chapter 1

"Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another."

- Homer, The Iliad

There were times when Persephone climbed the highest tree in her woods and stared off at the horizon. She'd watch the sun set, the moon rise, and at this time of the year she would wait for the birds from the North.

She always wondered why the birds visited her at the end of September- and returned to their homes at the end of March, but she went with it. There was a whole different Pantheon of gods up there. Athena had mentioned them once, but never brought them up again on account of her continual pestering about the lands in the North and practically begging her to take her to see them for herself.

Hermes would give her fantastical stories about how Zeus and Hera would visit the ruling couple of the Norse Pantheon, but when she began to ask him to describe the lands in detail from the crops grown to the type of soils up North, he could not be of much help as Demeter and Athena had stepped in then and kept her mind elsewhere making her study just Greece and no farther.

It would never do that a Greek goddess was interested in anything but the affairs of her domain.

Yet there happened to exist a certain group of creatures that helped her to continue her secret investigations of the lands where Hecate had disappeared to: The birds.

But of the ones she had befriended, the ravens were her favorite.

There were ravens known to Greece, but this stock was not as dark and their beaks were far too arched to be the ones she is usually surrounded by. They were a whole different subspecies and the fact that they migrated every year was far different than the ones she was used to.

The large dark birds that smelled of rotting flesh would always stop by her island to visit her, though their names changed with each passing year, the descendants never forgot her and for her continual friendship for the past eight hundred years they always brought her little gifts. Gifts of twigs and leaves that didn't look like anything that belonged in Greece.

Then while she was up here in the highest tree, she'd graft in the twigs to see if they would grow down in her Mediterranean climate, so she could get at least an idea of what they might look like. ^

She never dared try to make a full tree. She could have done so, she was skilled in that regard, but she never wanted anyone to know her obsession of the world outside her island.

Outside of Greece.

It was that time of year again when her ravens would be coming to visit her, and it was why she was up in her hiding place waiting for them to arrive.

So there she waited, with her back against the trunk staring off at the North.

Should she be focusing on filling her orders?

Probably.

Was mother going to arrive any minute now from the great Olympian Meeting?

Yes.

But she was going to wait for her birds.

Since returning to her island far from the mainland of Greece, Persephone spent a lot of time alone with her thoughts. No one visited her like before everything went awry.

Athena couldn't, she was too preoccupied with war.

Daphne had a really strict curfew, and her father was not the kind to negotiate when he found out certain gods were visiting the island.

She only had her overbearing mother and her gossipy nymphs for company, well, at least the ones who could talk. Yet with her mother's office up on Olympus she had to leave for 'godly duties' and when Nemesis was bored, which was often, she'd come to take care of her- or really just to make sure she didn't run off again. That seemed to be her only purpose these days.

Hermes, was a different story altogether, but his visits barely lasted five minutes. Every time without fail, he offered to stay, but she knew she couldn't get too attached in case she let her guard slip, and because he only reminded her of his real reason for visiting.

He'd bring the letters and she'd make the orders.

Simple as that.

Persephone longed to do something other than her charity work, but her mother had taken all of her soil samples as part of her grounding. That and all of her notes.

She needed them too as they were becoming ever more important since the patch of earth she'd been using to grow her flowers had taken a little more energy to make them grow. Her theory of soil losing its fertility through continued use was happening right before her eyes, and she couldn't record anything!

That's why the mortal's crops were decreasing through each passing year and their continual reliance on Demeter was becoming more and more important. She had once suggested to her mother that they should let the land rest and replenish so they wouldn't work as hard, or a crop rotation thing the Northern Barbarians used.

I mean growing the new seedlings as soon as the harvest was over? It was insane! No one should force them to grow so quickly- there should be time to cultivate, but what did she know?

Persephone watched the sun sink further into the horizon from the corner of her eye, breathing a sigh as Nyx came racing out with her cloak of night.

She'd take anyone to come bother her now- even Hades, but maybe it was best if he stayed away.

Persephone bit the inside of her cheek as her mind pondered the one subject she didn't want to think about.

He was an enigma wasn't he?

Always exuding that charm and general snark that made anyone around him either annoyed or nervous. For her, she didn't know which category she fit. Somewhere in the middle she supposed, but something added into that mix.

She couldn't exactly say what that added ingredient was, but somehow it contributed to her constantly shifting approach to his appearances.

After everything he still presented a lot of conflicted feelings for her. Whether she hated him or found him a nuisance he was still far better than anyone who ever visited her these days. Someone who actually had brains- wit, personality, whatever. He was someone to talk to, and that's all she needed.

She just didn't want to be treated like a child, but with her slip-up that was all anyone saw. Hades may be the exception, but he was the one who proved their theory which was a part of her mixed feelings towards him.

Gods, that day he had first appeared on her island when she had slapped him she thought she'd feel better, but really she just felt more rotten. He even accepted it and that's what made her feel worse about it.

No one takes a physical outburst like that and say they deserved it- especially from someone who rarely felt they were the problem.

And just today, he was back to his antics trying to charm his way back into her life- Hera knows, why. He wanted her to trust him so bad, but she still couldn't fathom any particular reason why.

She had nothing in her position in the cosmos, no magical scythe to bring down Olympus- nothing! She was just a glorified nymph at this point.

But he had said something about being partners in crime again. Did he want a partnership with her?

Maybe he did want to be friends in his strange way, Persephone mentally concluded. She'd almost be tempted to take it if her situation got any worse, but even she knew that the words that rolled off his silver tongue were not honey, but quicksilver. Same texture, but much more poisonous.

If his words were true- like they were just today about Athena, maybe she'd trust him again. Yet one instance of trust was not enough for her to go back to being buddy-buddy with him again, she'd just give him a chance. A small, tiny, insurmountable chance.

That is if she was desperate enough, Persephone cynically added.

He had a lot to prove, and a demigod to return might just be the start, but if not, she'd have to beat him at his own game.

Then again… Maybe he was trying to repair the bridge he had burned.

He hated Hercules in the same way she hated Hecate, alright maybe not as much, but while Hecate is a wicked, vile goddess, Hercules just isn't.

Hercules is good and kind, the greatest hero of his time! And for anyone to be his enemy- his greatest enemy wouldn't that make his adversary a villain?

Persephone momentarily paused and allowed the memory she had been holding back to resurface.

She had watched Hades do a simple snap of his fingers and snipped the cord of life in the very hero she had held onto. Gods, she was so afraid when she felt that warmth leave him and even more so of the dawning realization that she was holding onto nothing but a corpse. She allowed his body to fall with no remorse and it was then she had to make a decision and fast.

So she played Hades' game, using every little trick he taught her and let him enjoy his brief reverie. With his guard down, she defeated him with the powers he had bestowed upon her, but that small sentiment inside of her held her back from leaving him at the mercy of his previous prison.

She pitied him, and that was why she let him go.

Yes, Hades is a villain through and through, a god who is as ruthless as he is cunning. What makes him all the more chilling is his ability to make himself likable- relatable even. And it was that relatability that connected them.

She saw herself in him.

Maybe a hundred- maybe a thousand years from now, she could become him. They had that same sob story of being abandoned by their fellow gods, left to rot somewhere far from the welcoming embrace of Olympus, but he had let that bitterness take root over centuries.

She was only beginning to water it.

And yet, with his grudge against the Olympians, she thought she would be lumped together with them for betraying him and stopping his second attempt of taking over the cosmos.

If he had, why did he show up at her doorstep? Not just once, but twice, and by the looks of it he might even try again tomorrow!

He had been really- and I mean really apologetic each time he visited, and for a person like him to stoop so low to apologize it spoke volumes. He was a fun person to be around with their bantering and the amount of things they could do when their heads came together was- it was…

Almost scary how well they worked together.

Scary because of how much trouble had been created when they did so. Nearly caused Greece to undergo yet another catastrophic event mere weeks after the Titan Takeover.

She was smarter though.

She'd never fall for his schemes again, she told herself, but when wasn't he scheming?

Always planning, always plotting, always hungry and never satisfied. People like that you have to watch, especially, dear reader, if you are that person.

Maybe that was why he took her under his wings so quickly. Perhaps he saw that same glint of ambition in her. Saw her yearning as much as she saw that desperation in him.

They'd make quite a pair if they teamed up again and maybe some good could be created out of it.

If he's trustworthy, Persephone reminded herself.

Uh, here she was going in circles again, the goddess sighed.

She really needed to talk to someone soon before she exploded, or if the sparks returned.

Ah, now that was another topic on her mind she'd been delaying.

Her little freak-out that followed when her powers began to turn into decay was enough to drop her mask in front of Hades, of all the gods, but somehow he figured out what was the problem.

She realized later that same night when her hair never dimmed that something had changed. It just kept on glowing like florescent algae, no matter what she did to turn it off. Was that how it was like with his hair? She almost wanted to ask upon his second visit, but she wanted to keep the similarities between them as little as possible.

It was true that her other features had returned partially to normal, but her canines were still incredibly sharp and the ears she'd been hiding were slightly on the pointed side.* Of course there was the other chthonic feature that had not gone away, but she kind of liked it.

Her sparks.

It surprised her that they had not disappeared with her powers of decay, but it was nice to know she had something new to come out of all her troubles.

It was this little power that she found herself testing as the horizon was lit with the dying orange and lavender hues that blended into the ever growing ink of night.

Lightly pressing her finger to the trunk she was using to relax on, Persephone concentrated her power in such a way that a flame did not bloom into life and traced out the simple image of a flower. The wood burned underneath her finger, but since the temperature was not too high it only darkened the wood.

Satisfied at the result, Persephone couldn't help but wonder maybe she should practice more with the sparks.

Extending out her index finger, Persephone couldn't help the little gasp that escaped her mouth as a lilac flame burst into life, surrounding her finger in a column of light.**

This shouldn't be happening.

That thought alone was enough to scare Persephone at how she had earned those powers. Without a second thought, she wrapped her other hand around her finger to put it out, but as the flames were entwined with her emotions, the tongues of flame only grew until they were emitting from both her hands.

Persephone stared long and hard at her hands. Both in awe and fear.

There was a certain elation that coursed through her, a feeling as strong and dangerous as the fire that was coming out of her hands.

For Hades, his flames were tied to his emotions- it was why he tried to stay calm so much. The slightest upset and fwoosh! He became a torrent of flames, but in a way it served a purpose didn't it?

It let out the tension when you're overflowing with emotions and you feel the need to scream. Maybe that's what the flames did for him too.

Which meant if that was the food for the fire-

Persephone watched with a satisfied grin as the flames extinguished with her fear along with it. "I just need to watch what I feed it."

"Kore," Nemesis called. The silent avenger had been leaning against the same trunk of the tree that Persephone was currently hanging out on. She had been there for some time, guarding her to make sure she didn't run into trouble as she was prone to do so at night. "Your mother's here."

"Alright," Persephone shouted down, and with a last look at the odd assortment of little sprigs and the open sky, she began to descend down. "You know I was wondering if you were gonna call me or just drag me kicking and screaming, but I really appreciate the war-"

"Hello, Kore," Hera greeted from her mother's side.

The branch that Persephone was holding onto shattered as her grip tightened to a strength the wood could not bear. "Gah!" She fell without nothing to grab onto and landed on the rocky terrain of the earth.

"And Hera," Nemesis added.

Persephone groaned at the impact, but she could already feel whatever damage she suffered began to fade as her godly powers worked their magic. "Thank you, Nemesis."

"No problem," the demigoddess walked away with a satisfied smirk.

"Oh sweetheart," Demeter twittered, and proceeded to help her daughter up. "Are you alright? Does anything-"

"Mother, I'm fine," Persephone tried to assuage her mother, but couldn't stop her from fixing her dress and pulling out any branches and leaves that got caught in her hair .

"Oh you're such a mess," Demeter grumbled, and furiously began to rub a non-non-existent smudge off of her daughter's face. "Hera's here to talk to you," she whispered. "You're lucky your getting off with a warning-"

Before Persephone could ask her mother what she meant, she had already shifted tones.

"And where's your sandals?" Her mother lifted up her skirt to reveal Persephone's bare feet.

"Mother, don't do this now," Persephone pulled back her dress out of her mother's grip. She briefly made eye contact with Hera, and felt even more embarrassed. Why did her mother have to do this now? In front of the Queen?!

Seeming to notice Persephone's embarrassment, Hera gave her a small wink. "Demeter, dear, I really don't want to be such a bother. I know it's late, and the Harvest is still going on-"

"Oh, Hera, you're not a bother at all!" Demeter stopped her fussing and flashed her guest an awkward smile. "Come, let's head to the cottage for some tea."

Persephone never felt more relieved, but couldn't help the bemusement that overtook her. Hera and her mother never saw eye to eye even before she found out that her mother had cheated on her husband. She was living proof of it, so what got them to be so amiable all of a sudden? "Well, have fun you two," she waved, and began to take her leave.

Hera softly laughed. "Actually, it would be appropriate if you joined us Kore. I have news from Olympus concerning you."

Persephone and Demeter briefly locked eyes before she met the serene gaze of Hera. "Nothing bad I hope?" She gave a strained smile.

"Far from it, sweetheart," her mother lilted, a strange sad sort of smile graced her round face. "It's something that needs to be discussed about your future."

"And one of those futures you could have is my specialty," Hera gestured to herself. "Now come we have much to discuss." The queen of the gods put a gentle hand on Persephone's exposed shoulder while her mother did the same with her other one.

Persephone went rigid underneath their hands. Did they know? What was going on? "Alright," she bit back her tongue from saying anything more for fear that she'd say something that was meant to stay clandestine.

"Three days?!"

Persephone choked on her tea as she sputtered this. She briefly felt the ends of her hair begin to flicker, but thankfully her hair was so long it was not visible to the other occupants of the table.

"The time may be on the short side, but it's nothing compared to Aphrodite," Hera took a small sip from the steaming tea cup. "Poor dear showed up on Olympus for the first time and had twenty minutes to decide. That's not even considering introductions and the Civil War that erupted when everyone realized she was unmarried. I had to take Zeus aside and tell him to do something. That god," she laughed fondly, but Persephone watched her mother as she said this.

Demeter was an expert at ignoring the elephant in the room, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Reaching underneath the table, Persephone found her mother's hand and gave it a tight squeeze. This was an awkward situation for both of them, but it was more so for her mother who was being scrutinized the most. Hera may be a nice goddess and a wise queen, but there was always going to be that underlying distaste for her mother for what she did all those centuries ago.

"How would the cosmos run if there were no queens to keep their husbands in check?" Hera couldn't help but eye Persephone curiously, but the goddess was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to notice.

"Pardon?"

"Just an observation, dear," Hera smiled genuinely. "Now tell me, the goddess of marriage, has any particular god caught your eye that you'd like to settle down with? I know Apollo has come with intentions of courtship, but-"

"Oh Kore broke ties with him," Demeter interrupted. "Although he keeps sending letter after letter that she reconsider, but, I respect my daughter's choice. You see he was dating one of her friend's recently and we haven't seen her since, so you can imagine the impression he left on my Kore."

Persephone didn't dispute any of what her mother said, even if the whole "respect my daughter's choice," was exaggerated a bit too liberally. Her mother didn't believe her about Clytie being gone even after she searched the entire forest for her with the assistance of the nymphs, but had suggested that she wandered off to the human village that lived next to their woods.

"Uh-huh," A unfurled scroll was now laid out on the table in front of Hera. "And what do you say, Kore?" She jotted down a few notes, but from Persephone's angle she couldn't read a thing.

"If its marriage you seek I am here for your benefit, if not. Well," she paused so Kore could gather her thoughts. "Then I will take my leave and send Hestia or even Athena your way, but either way you must decide before the sun sets in three days. The three days given for your benefit, but no longer for all the trouble you caused."

"That's right, sweetheart, we are both here to support your decision in whatever form," Demeter gave her daughter an encouraging smile.

Persephone returned the smile, but the action was as empty as she felt. That same uneasy feeling of being cornered rose up inside of her as she stared at her mother and queen. It almost reminded her of when her and Hercules had raced back to the Underworld only for them to be greeted by Hades.

That same fear of having to choose and decide what to fight for, to decide who's side to join, this situation was the same in that aspect, but instead of seeing the twisted triumphant grin of a god who had finally won, she saw her mother with that same grin.

Her mother wanted a family.

She wanted more than just the two of them on a lonely island in the Mediterranean, and she couldn't deny that she wanted it too. This was her last ditch effort to get it, and she had three days now to make her wish come true.

But she wasn't going to do it on her mother's terms. She would not take Apollo no matter what her mother did. If anyone was to decide her Fate- even if the idea of making any choice on her own terrified her- it was going to be her and her alone who decided. She could not risk her mother interfering on her behalf.

Not like this.

"Mother, would it be alright if I just talked to Hera? Alone?" Persephone asked, finding the cup in her hands to be far more interesting than anything else in the entire world.

Persephone heard her mother suck in a breath, ready to protest, but that same breath came out in an exasperated sigh a brief moment later.

Hera looked at Demeter, expectantly, and the agricultural goddess couldn't help but feel herself flush with embarrassment. She couldn't say no, she'd be made a fool by her own daughter, and she couldn't do that in front of Hera of all people.

But Demeter decided to concede for another reason.

She knew that there were times when some things could not be talked about in front of one's mother, though the latter would often be offended at the idea of it. Yet it was their past selves that reminded them of when they were in their daughter's sandals, and kept them from overstepping their boundaries.

Kore was not a child any longer, and she had to respect that. No matter how much it hurt.

"If that's what you want, Kore," her mother exclaimed in a strained voice. She attempted to make eye contact with her daughter, but she continued to stare off listlessly at her tea.

"Good night, Hera," Demeter muttered stiffly. "But you'll have to forgive me. I have a long day ahead of me."

"Rest well, dear. Don't worry I won't stay for much longer," Hera exclaimed.

Persephone sighed, and closed her eyes as she tried to find her calm as the front door of the cottage gently closed shut. Leaving the two goddesses to talk amongst themselves in the still night.

"I'm sorry about that, but she just makes me so nervous," Persephone rubbed the sleep from her eyes. First Athena, then Hades, now Hera, ugh, her day- no, now her night wasn't getting any better.

"That's alright, dear," Hera continued to jot down a few notes on her scroll. "Now, let me guess, do you have someone in mind that you don't want your mother to know about?"

Persephone blinked. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

Without looking down, Hera drew a line through one of her notes. "Just a thought, dear," she noted a slight tone of disappointment in her voice. "So what do you want to talk about, Kore?"

"Nothing really," Persephone exclaimed truthfully. Any sort of nervousness she had while her mother was around seemed to dissipate as she sat straighter in her seat. "I just don't think it's worth concerning yourself with me when your son is currently in a predicament- a predicament I find myself responsible for."

Hera became rigid at Persephone's words, but not because of the reason the goddess assumed.

"Really, I mean it," Persephone pressed on. "Waste your energy on bringing your son home, not on a person who doesn't even know what they want. He's a good man, your son, and I don't want him to suffer for doing the right thing."

I just wish I listened to him, she wanted to say, but held her tongue.

Persephone stared expectantly at Hera, waiting for her response.

"Tell me, how is your flower service going? I understand your mother implemented it to help your popularity after what happened."

Persephone eyes narrowed at the topic change, but took it in stride. She wasn't going to pester Hera about Hercules. Her son was her business and though she may have put him back in Hades' clutches, she knew if she wanted to get out of trouble she needed this circumvention to put Hera's mind on other things. Who knows maybe Hera had a solution to her problems.

"To be honest, it isn't getting the reception that my mother hoped. Worshippers of my mother and High schoolers seem to be the only people who have taken advantage of the flower service, but from what I'm told," Persephone paused as she tried to paraphrase what Hermes had explained.

"With Homecoming happening tomorrow, the orders will dwindle down to nada, and my only market will be those trying to send offerings to my mother. It's a funny situation, right now," Persephone gave a strained smile at the absurdity of it all. "But one I imagine I'll have to keep up if I don't want to be on the bottom of the popularity list."

"You're not enjoying it are you?"

Persephone hesitated. "It certainly passes the time. With mother gone for the harvest- Athena waging war- it's really the only thing that's entertaining me," she took a long drawl from her tea. Allowing the warm, calming juice to soothe her throat.

You know besides a certain god that won't stop dropping in, Persephone added mentally.

"Well, don't worry about it for much longer, dear, your recent actions have been thoroughly erased."

Persephone stared perplexed at Hera. "I'm acquitted?"

"Yes, it was part of the bargain we reached with Hades for my son," Hera explained poignantly.

Persephone felt her heart leap in her chest. Dear sweet Fates, hell had officially frozen over. Kronos could escape from Tartarus at this very instant and gobble her up and she still wouldn't feel as stunned as she did now.

She almost wanted to ask why, but she knew better than to ask Hera. No, she needed to confront a certain lord of the dead on the subject.

"I see…" Persephone listlessly exclaimed, her mind was everywhere but here.

After a long pause, Hera watched the goddess stare off into space.

You prefer Persephone, don't you?"

The question caught Persephone off-guard as she had not expected this subject to be brought up at all.

"Or what about the name your Aunt Hecate called you?" Hera inquired. "Melantheia? No that's not quite right."

"It was Melanthe," Persephone whispered in a thin voice, holding back the bile that rose from its mere mention. "But Persephone is perfect."

"Alright, Persephone," Hera began again. "I will leave you with your thoughts, but I need to know: What path would you prefer? You may be absolved, but Zeus still requires your decision."

Persephone felt her current elation dwindle at the reminder of Zeus' ruling. No matter what, the gods would always remember what she'd done, and they needed to find a way to make sure she never did something like that again. So in a way, she was still in trouble, but only slightly less so.

"Keep in mind," Hera reminded her. "Living the single life- is not a bad life. Mind you fewer headaches, less stress, less heartache," she added with a pained grimace. "It's a path Athena and Artemis enjoy thoroughly and allows them to explore paths not usually offered to goddesses, or do you desire the bond that two can share? Marriage can be a public declaration of love, but in its origin it is a consolidation of forces that come together against a greater force, putting together their strengths and resources to become the ultimate power couple."

Huh, Persephone felt herself whisper in amazement. So that's why Zeus and Hera got married.

"Well, that sounds all good and all and I understand that, but I just don't know what I want," Persephone remarked as plain and as obvious as the nose on her face.

"I mean I do want both of what those paths could offer. Having the chance to do my own thing and not be tied down, but I also want to have someone I can trust and raise a family with, you know, so my mother won't be so alone," Persephone added.

Hera nodded understandingly, but briefly wondered if Persephone was really referring to herself and not her mother.

"And well, I personally think it's just better to continue on being single. It's the only life I've ever known, and I can't imagine any change being the best thing for me. I like predictability... It's nice," but even as she said it she felt a nauseaous feeling wash over her.

"You do know it could be your last chance to get out of being your mother's assistance, correct?" Hera reminded her.

Persephone clenched her teeth as she mustered a soft, "I know…" That hopelessness drifted across her mind, but she kept her resolve. "But I can still try."

Hera did not say anything as she wrote something down on her open scroll. "Well if that's what you wish, I'll take my leave then," she rose from her seat.

Carefully rolling up the scroll, Hera proceeded to make it disappear from her hand only for a new scroll sealed with scarlet wax to take its place. "But if you ever change your mind, and decide to elope, read this."

Persephone took the outstretched scroll from Hera's waiting hold. Her thumb already began to tear off the seal, but stopped when Hera took a small intake of breath.

"Not now, my dear. Only if you change your mind about the vow of chastity, and…" her voice lowered as she whispered into her ear, "Don't tell your mother about it."

Persephone felt her curiosity begin to overflow, but did not ask any further. "Alright, you can send 'Thena then and-"

"Oh wait, that reminds me," Hera beamed as a lovely idea crossed her mind. "You've heard of the little civil war going on in Greece, correct?"

"Bits and pieces."

More like having 'Thena come angrily accuse you of starting said little civil war.

"Well, if you want to at least be open-minded about some of your other options how about a little date with my son?"

"Isn't Hercules already married?"

"My other son," Hera deadpanned. "The one that's not engaged," she added after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Oh, you meant Ares," Persephone sheepishly smiled. It was in that moment that she remembered what she told Athena before everything went to hell.

"I'd marry Ares!"

Oh irony you truly are worse than karma.

"Well, I'm honored your majesty, but I don't know... Athena hates him more than any other god and-"

"She loves you, though," Hera pointed out. "And I'm willing to bet you can make the two reconcile their differences once and for all. It's not right for siblings to bicker, and I implore you that you two at least try so you can at least see one of your options, but if you don't want to I understand, trust me, I know, I'm his mother."

Persephone internally groaned, but she knew she couldn't say no. She could try, plus she'd do anything to get off this island at this point. "A date doesn't seem too bad." Apollo's date didn't go so bad it was just painfully obvious that he was hiding something.

Hera brightened at this. "Oh wonderful! Does tomorrow at seven work for you?"

"Sure," Persephone shrugged.

"Excellent, Ares will be so pleased!" Hera rushed to the other side of the table and gave Persephone a quick hug.

A cloud began to soar down to the earth and Hera climbed aboard, "Do give your mother my regards. Good-bye, my dear."

"Bye!" Persephone watched Hera soar away into the heavens, and as she watched the queen of the gods ascend to the heavens she noticed something else in the sky.

Persephone grinned as she watched the ravens fly over her. She knew those dark shaped anywhere even in the dead of night, and they were finally here!

Racing to her sanctuary, Persephone hurriedly climbed to the top of the tree to greet them for they loved to perch their and gorge themselves on whatever seeds she had lying about.

"Hello, how are you my pretty dar-" Persephone stopped mid-word as she noticed that her birds had already passed her tree, completely ignoring their familiar nesting grounds.

"Wait, come back, my darlings! I got food!" Persephone shouted at the flock, hoping to coax them over.

The leading raven momentarily paused his stride and looked back at the goddess. Persephone smiled brightly, hoping the bird would recognize her, but that brief look was full of indifference, and the raven continued his path while his flock followed.

"Please, don't leave me here!"

Her shouts began to get more desperate as her birds failed to acknowledge her. All she could do was watch them continue to fly Southward, to Africa, maybe.

That was when she felt the first wave of tears slide down her face. "Don't leave me here too."

Pain and Panic were having a swell time sweeping what remained of the world map.

They had been at it for the past hour or so and found the accompanying silence to be quite pleasant since they had been greeting the screaming shades at the docks of the River Styx for the past two days. Of course, that wasn't even considering the other normal wailing sounds, and whenever Hades showed up to yell at them for whatever his conniption was at the moment.

Pain was humming a jaunty tune when a sudden thought struck him. "Is it a little quiet in here for you?"

Panic paused his sweeping and took a moment to contemplate the tomb-like silence that permeated the room. "You know I was just going to mention-"

"Boys! Meeting, NOW!" Hades burst through the doors sending a massive heat wave across the room.

"Never mind," Pain huffed while Panic clutched at his chest as he had a mini heart attack.

"Okay- okay, boys we have three days… Three flaming days to get-" Hades paused mid-sentence holding Persephone's little figurine over where the world map should have been. He took a moment to stare at the jagged pieces that his two imps had swept up and then looked back at the empty space in front of him.

Damnit.

He did all his rearranging the cosmos plans here. This was how he organized his best machinations and allowed him to see the big picture- to see all the flaws in his plans…

"Alright change of plans." Hades disappeared and reappeared on his throne in a plume of smoke. "Boys, I got great news. I'm getting married."

"Oh congratulations, boss!" His two imps cheered.

Pain smiled triumphantly at his fellow imp as Panic handed him a drachma. "Why, thank you," he whispered gleefully.

"So when's the wedding, your most engaged-fullness?"

"Yeah, so about that," Hades began to laugh in such a way that reflected the growing anxiety attack he was currently having. He had so many ideas, and so little time, and all he had were these two morons to listen in. "It can be either, hey, I don't know, maybe tonight, or sometime in the next three days. All I know is that's our window, and if it doesn't happen, well…" Hades began to drift off while his fingers drummed against the armrest of his throne.

"Don't worry boss, we can get this wedding organized tonight if we have to," but even Pain knew that was a lie as he said it. A wedding, especially with Hades' standards and his frugal tendencies would have proved an impossible task to undertake.

"So, how excited was the future missus when you popped the question?" Panic asked.

"That, boys is going to be priority numero uno. Because..."

"Sir, you haven't asked yet?" Panic guessed. It was his turn to smile gleefully as Pain handed back the drachma. "Why, thank you."

"Ha, no," Hades face fell into a deep frown. "But, on the bright side, I got Zeusy's full permission to marry our dear, sweet Persephone. It's part of the wager we set for Jerkules' soul. On the down side, I got just one, teeny tiny, microscopic problem about that. See, she's gotta agree to it from now until three flaming sunsets from now. Jeez, why is my time always so- you know what? Forget it, who cares. It doesn't matter anymore. We gotta focus on the present and all that jazz. So," Hades paused, narrowing his eyes as he began to formulate a plan.

"How do we get the blushing bride to the church on time? And countering that, how we gonna come up with a plan Beta if she doesn't say yes."

"Oh, sir, don't be so hard on yourself, how could she say no?" Panic twittered. "With your looks and charming disposition her most pulchritudinous would jump at the chance to be with you, boss."

"Yeah, and I mean didn't she want to rule the Underworld too? So if she marries you she'll be-"

"Ha, that's cute," Hades cut him off. "No- no, she didn't really want it. Not enough to entice her. She told me herself, she just wants-" Hades paused as an idea struck him. "… she wants out."

"Out of what?" Pain and Panic shared confused glances.

"Her ma's shadow… Boys, that it!" Hades began to flare excitedly. "If she can't fall for me, long shot, I know, she can fall for the Underworld! Get a whole new career outta farming. She'd add a whole new layer to the business. Hell, I can take her to Egypt, old Barker owes me one, and he can show her how they do it so she can get some ideas to make this bit her own. She's a passionate little minx, and if she likes it, she'll agree in a heartbeat if it meant she got to do what she wants. I mean all she has to do is say yes to a proposal- doesn't gotta be a matrimonial one, Zeus never specified what kind- the tool," Hades sneered.

"Now all I have to figure out is how she's gonna agree to play hooky with me and sneak her out cuz overprotective is too weak of a word to describe the future mother-in-law."

"Imagine Demeter coming over for holidays?" Pain mused.

"Oh, I know, especially if we have to resort to plan Beta. That's gonna be awkward," Panic shuddered. "What is plan Beta anyway?"

"Leave that to me," Hades waved off. "So boys, while I'm busy with the bride, you two schmos are the newly designated wedding planners so you gotta do the catering, the decorating- the whole shebang. If ya need help get Mel and her crew, they might know a thing or two about 'lady stuff'- or whatever. If Persephone created them, that means they know what she likes."

"But-"

"No buts, clean this mess up while you're at it, and hey, kid if you wanna come out you can help the boys out too," Hades shouted.

The lord of the dead had noticed the uneven outline of a shape that was situated on one of the two windows of the room and figured Than was eavesdropping like always.

The sound of someone falling on the ground, followed by someone rolling around and fumbling in fabric being ripped off announced Thanatos' appearance. The thin godling's face wore a flabbergasted expression as he removed the hood of his invisibility cloak. He weakly waved at his three uncles and tried to play it cool.

"Hi, guys..." Thanatos flashed them an awkward smile.

"Hey, Than," Pain and Panic grumbled.

"Hi, sir…"

"Kid," Hades sighed. "Had a little fun snooping?"

"Heh, yeah… So congrats on the wedding- and don't smite me," Thanatos nervously laughed under his breath. "But like can I get some help right now?"

"Oi, what's your major malfunction now, kid?" Hades groaned.

"Something's buzzing in my ear- like bees and I can't stop it!" Than whined, pressing his hands onto his ears.

"You're just being beseeched, kapiche? Ya just gotta practice a little more until you can make out voices," Hades rolled his eyes. "Jeez, didn't your ma teach you?"

"Well, no, because no one ever beseeches her, and why would anyone want to beseech me?!"

"I don't know kid, maybe they want someone dead? They're bored? Desperate? Who cares you can either go see 'em or ignore- wait a sec'... Desperate enough to ask Death for help, huh?"

A thought struck him and phase one of his plan finally fell into place. That was how he was going to convince Persephone to interact with him. She needed to be respected by mortals, and what better way than to meet one in person? "I haven't done field work in a while…. Alright, Pain, Panic get to work. Kid, give me the location of this hapless mortal."

"But how?" Thanatos asked. He waved good-bye as Pain and Panic flew out the room.

"Use your thick skull, brat. Concentrate, I know it hurts for you," Hades impatiently snapped.

"Okay, okay, uh... I'm getting a garden. Oh and butterflies, so many pretty butterflies, and oh there's two other people with her- yeah, it's a she!" Thanatos shouted in surprise. "Oh she's a pretty she. I think her two friends are her sisters."

"Alright, alright- is it a farm, a temple? C'mon, give me details, " Hades prodded.

"It's like a temple- no wait, people live there…"

"A palace then. Perfect, I think I got an idea of where to look tomorrow," Hades yawned. "Get back to work or go get some shut eye, kid, we got a long day tomorrow," a coffee cup appeared in his hand.

"What are you gonna do then, Mr. Hades?"

Hades flashed Thanatos a knowing smirk and took a long swig from his mug. "You three got your job, I got mine, and I gotta find someone to provide the flowers for the big day whether she knows it or not."

^For those of you who have no agricultural background, a simple example of grafting is cutting off a living branch of an apple tree and putting it on a peach tree by tying the apple tree branch onto an end where you cut off a piece of the peach tree. Then the peach tree either accepts or rejects it, but if it accepts the living apple tree branch becomes a part of the peach tree and thus you get a tree that produces apples and peaches. Take that Master Oogway. Special thanks to my Bible study friend for introducing me into her agricultural ways. It has seriously helped with this fic in several ways.

*After careful analysis of every Underworld character in the series, I started to take note of how the Underworld characters differed from the Olympians, so I decided to make that a part of Persy's blending with her belonging to two different worlds. I think we sometimes forget that she'd not just solely a Spring goddess, but she's both a life and death deity. I love that duality in her character and its one I am trying to implement in this fic.

** I didn't choose lilac as her flame color just cuz. Plants contain the element Potassium in their cells which allows them to control how much water they store. Potassium chloride (AKA: pot ash) is an amazing fertilizer, as it is made out of the ashes of plants. Get it? Fire and plants? Anyway, when you burn potassium, it produces a purple flame. Just like how burning boron you make a green flame.

This has been the science side of Fanfiction. Tune in next week for more ways I try to make Disney movies scientifically accurate.

Also birds are depicted a lot with Persy, both with Harpies and Sirens- and yes, sirens are birds with heads of women not mermaids unlike how they are usually depicted in modern media. Supposedly Hades gave Persy the harpies for her to use as minions and I believe she was with the sirens in the over-world. It's also why I made her and Ibid close in chapter 1.

Let's get this train a'rolling!

As always fav, follow, and review!