Flap of a Butterfly's wing
A/N: Oh my gosh thank you for the wonderful reviews, guys! I am especially happy that the peeps who read this when it first started are here too! Oh I can't believe how time flies!
And I'm super glad y'all liked the science facts ;)
One small note: The Disney movie is very myth-taken, and I'm honestly somewhat on that same boat since I keep mixing in myths together. But honestly its to keep this fic sort of unpredictable. We know how this story ends, I just like to make things a little difficult on how we get there. So I hope y'all don't mind, and I strongly encourage y'all to read the myths that inspired this.
Disclaimer: Chapter 1
"It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world."
- Chaos Theory
If there was one thing Hades always prepared himself for whenever he encountered mortals, he always prepared for tears. I mean it took a really desperate person, one who was currently on stage three of grief, to summon him.
Sure, there were times he showed up when they weren't calling him specifically, but when someone says any god he was more than happy to answer the call.
So when someone was gutsy enough to beseech the kid, well, since he's a minor, he was more than happy to step in as a guardian figure.
"Hey, name's Hades, lord of the dead, hi how ya doing?" The aforementioned god appeared in a pillar of fire sticking out his hand in greeting.
The sudden scream of a mortal female pierced the morning air. Ducking underneath her bed, the mortal could only stare in horror at the god that stood before her. "I- I didn't pray to any god…" she muttered.
"Think again, babe, you called for Death, and Death just so happens to be under my charge, but well, child labor laws and all that, so I'm here in person to avoid said laws."
"I'm… Confused," the mortal emerged from underneath her divan and began to back up, putting as much distance between the god and her as possible.
"Yeah, hi, the name's Hades if you missed the introduction, but as you can see I'm a bit of a fast-talker so keep up. I can see that you are currently a damsel in distress and in need of some divine intervention. So here I am. You want to fulfill your mortal desire, whim, fancy, whatever you wanna call it. I can do that, no sweat. One catch though, just one. I just require the usual fee- you'll hardly miss it, trust me I never do, your mortal soul, but I do accept checks. You're a princess, right?"
"Uh- what?" The mortal could not keep up with the god's speedy monologuing, and instead spared a glance at the door and then at her balcony.
Where could she run?
"But I think you're- that you're mistaken- uh- sir…" she fumbled through her words. "I just- I didn't think anyone would answer my call. It was more of a why not- let's see who's listening."
"Well, you came to the right place, babe," Hades disappeared and reappeared so that he was only an arm's length away.
The princess flinched back at his display of power, but tried in vain to remain calm. She'd never been in the presence of a god, or at least any that she had known of.
"So before we get to the nitty-gritty details about your problems- kind of curious here, but why would the Olympians be ignoring you? I mean sure, we ignore a lot of mortal pleas, but you're…" The question was an honest one, and one that was bothering him the more he studied the princess.
She was unusually pretty- like Aphrodite having a bad hair day pretty; which was next to unheard of in a mortal. The princess had long curly red hair which should have been full of life, but was currently flat and uncared for. The rest of her too reflected this same pattern as the heavy bags under her Adriatic blue eyes lacked any sort of willingness to live and her state of clothes looked like she hadn't changed in several days.
"I have offended the gods," the princess replied sending another wave of tears down her face.
"Join the club," Hades rolled his eyes. Oi, here come the tears.
"But why- why have you offended them? I mean, sure, I've done it like three times in the past hour alone, but ya don't look like the type to be un-favored by the gods. Ya know unless you were currently Zeus' new fling," Hades added offhandedly.
"I- well, it's kind of a petty reason, you probably won't believe me."
Hades laughed. Really laughed.
Oi trust him he had seen the Olympians do a lot of petty things towards mortals for just being better than them. "Try me."
The princess took an exaggerated breath before muttering, "I'm too beautiful."
Honestly these cases were becoming overly predictable at this point.
"So you offended Dite, specifically, huh?" Hades rhetorically asked.
Okay, now he had an idea of what was going on. Unusually pretty mortal equals one jealous goddess of beauty, but why would she make the mortal off-limits to the others? Her beauty had to have another added consequence to all this. Parents calling her more beautiful than Aphrodite? Nah, she'd be dead right now.
Mortals worshipping her instead of Aphrodite? Yeah, that looked to be the case, the gods did like their vengeance best served cold.
"I don't know, but I can't- I can't," the princess tentatively reached her hand out but once she stretched out a certain distance her hand immediately shot back to her chest as if she had just struck something. "I'm cursed! My parents, my sisters, they can't touch me- can't comfort me. No one can. It's why I'm holed up here, so I can't hurt anybody," she wrapped her arms around herself.
"Touching. Alright, I can get the thorn bush off," Hades inspected the invisible cage that surrounded the princess, his fingers lightly dancing across its surface.
"But that's not going to fix my problems," the princess began to get bold at the reminder of what her life was like before the bush. She was too beautiful, so beautiful that the mere sight of her drove all of her suitors away almost like they were intimidated by it, rather the opposite of what one would expect, but was exactly what had happened. "I want a husband."
"Well, I'm flattered, really," Hades smirked. "But unfortunately for you I got someone else in mind."
"Ew- no," the princess reared back in disgust.
Hades did not take the slide too kindly, but he remembered why he was here. This chick was perfect for getting Persephone's foot in the door: desperate, on the naive side, a hopeless romantic with probably a tragic end in a year? This was working in his favor, and he knew he couldn't lose her trust now- not when he was this close.
So he decided to make a joke out of it since the little princess had covered her mouth in regret. "Y'know for once I'd like someone to be disappointed that I shot them down cold, but anyway, yeah sure, I'll see what I can do, now as for my payment."
"I can give you jewels, money, name it, but I can't relinquish my soul to you," she proclaimed. "Please, I know what you do to those who give you their soul."
Hades didn't care, he didn't need her soul anyway, but she didn't know that. "How 'bout this. Let's just say that you owe me a favor. My business associate will be here soon, in fact she's on her way here now," Hades punctuated. "And all you'll have to do is be your charming little self when she gets here, kapiche?"
"What do you mean?" The princess asked unsurely.
"Don't worry you'll love her. Hell, I do. She's gonna get your little thorn bush off."
"What? But you said you could remove the thorns!" The princess desperately cried.
"Plant magic is unfortunately not my specialty, and I don't think you'd appreciate the Underworld this time of year- if ya catch my drift," Hades added with a sardonic grin.
The princess paled as she took a moment to stare at Hades' flaming hair. "Oh sure, whatever you say."
"Now I usually shake hands at the end of these kinda deals, but we can do this at a later time for your future hubby. So how 'bout your name, babe?"
"Psyche," the mortal smiled weakly. "You can call me Psyche."
Persephone stared blankly at the flower patch in front to her. There were no more orders. Not a single one.
Hermes had come by at the crack of dawn, with what she assumed was a pack full of orders, but instead he came to her empty handed, and honestly, she was wondering when this would happen.
Harvest would be over by the end of the week, and with it already almost completed there was no need for her services- for gifts to her mother- nothing.
She didn't have anything to do, and Nemesis was doing a great job at reminding her.
"Y'know if you want, I can go take you to see your mother; although she is pretty busy at the moment, so I probably shouldn't."
Persephone inwardly groaned.
Nemesis had been at this all morning, and she'd been up well before the crack of dawn. In fact she hadn't slept all night.
She had a lot on her mind.
"Thank you, Nemesis, but I'm perfectly content at the moment, " Persephone flashed her a steely look before setting her eyes on the flowers before her and began to angrily pluck them.
"Don't let her get to you," Daphne softly whispered beside her. She too was helping pass the time by making flower crowns with her friend. The other nymphs had decided to join in the fun, but they were at a farther distance prattling away with their insipid talk.
"What are you talking about?" Persephone seethed between her teeth as she began to weave the flowers together. "I'm having a great time…"
"Alright," Daphne singsonged. "Oh, I'm finished with mine, here let me put it on you," the naiad jumped to her feet and proceeded to place the flower crown on Persephone's head before she could protest.
"Thanks, I hate it," Persephone deadpanned. She made a move to remove the crown, but Daphne slapped her hand away.
"No! It's cute on you. After all, I love Narcissus flowers," Daphne admired the white six-petaled flowers with the yellow trumpet-like shape that emerged from its center.
"Why did Zeus even turn him into a god?"
"Maybe because he liked his flowers, they're certainly my favorite," Daphne mused.
"That's because you're the one who discovered them on your father's banks," Persephone smiled at that distant memory. Has it really been sixty years already? "Now c'mon let me put on yours."
Carefully, Persephone placed the crown she had made out of fallen tree branches and hyacinths into Daphne's blue hair.** "There now we're matching. Hey, Nemesis, you want one?" Persephone teased.
"Sure, if you got the time," Nemesis shot back with a sickening grin.
"I hate her," Persephone harshly whispered as she sank back to the ground in defeat.
"Don't be like that. You're just cranky because you didn't get any sleep," Daphne whispered back.
"But I sleep for four hours on average, I think I'm fine."
"Sure, cranky Korey… But look at her, she's as bored as you. The both of you are out of a job right now."
Persephone sighed, and followed her friend's advice. "You're right. I'm just being a little selfish."
"A little?"
"A lot," Persephone corrected. "I just can't stand this island anymore."
Daphne made a small noise at the back of her throat. "I will never understand you about that. I love this place, I love waking up everyday to this peace and quiet. It's free of mortals, crazy satyrs, and it's- it's just so-"
"Predictable?" Persephone guessed.
"Exactly. And there's nothing wrong with that," Daphne crossed her arms resolutely. "You have your idea of happiness and I have mine. I may not understand why you like a little excitement, but I do know it makes you happy just like how you know this makes me happy."
"When did you get so wise, Daph?"
"Around the same time you started to listen."
Persephone could only chuckle at her friend's biting remark. That was when her face became expressionless as she looked to the western sky. "I think you're going to be the only thing I miss about this island."
"Oh? Are you planning to be whisked away by your secret beaux?"
"No… No, I'm…" Persephone dared a glance at Nemesis, but the demigoddess was busily sharpening her sword arms.
"… I'm thinking of running away."
Daphne's jaw fell open in shock. "What?! But- but why?" The naiad whispered, and the two of them began to inch away from Nemesis in the hopes that she wouldn't listen in.
"I know- I know its sounds crazy, but I've been considering it- especially now that I know Hercules is going to be set free soon…" Persephone added after a short pause.
"So you've considered it for like seven hours?"
Persephone bit her lip to hold back her chuckle. "It was a solid eight and a half hours- c'mon what do you take me for?" she quipped. "No…" her voice became serious again. "No, I've been toying around with the idea since… since Hecate left."
"You can't stand anything about her, though. The idea of her, everything she's done- you even threw the spell book she gave you into the sea."
"I did… Well, most of it," Persephone admitted.
"You what?!"
Persephone shushed her. "I was the last one who saw her before she left and I tried to return it to her, okay? I tried to do the moral thing, really, I did, but she told me I needed to read it… among other things, so I did, but most of it was the darkest things I've ever read. But she had something else in there- something I kept."
"Her poisonous plant page?"
Persephone was about to object, but she paused. "So, I kept two things… That and a map. A map of the mortal plane and on there are starting civilizations she wrote down that are looking for gods! They're hiring!"
"Now?"
"Yes, they're now hiring!"
"And she left it there for you to find?"
The smile on Persephone's face fell. "… yes."
"Like she knew you were going to run? Just like she did?" Daphne pressed. "Korey, is that right, though? Do you want to follow in your Aunt's footsteps?"
"I... I don't know," Persephone held her face in her hands.
Her mind drifted off to the old witch who had raised her alongside her mother.
Their relationship had always been a complicated one, but never was there a more defining moment than the very night Hecate left Greece for good. That last conversation she had with her haunted her to this very day, and it was something she had never told anyone about. There were times when she could not sleep as she thought over and over of the piece of advice Hecate had left her, but with it came the choice.
A choice that Persephone never felt she would ever have to make, but now with the advent of her consequences it was time that she too travel the same crossroads that Hecate came upon whether she wanted to or not.
"Then how about you start figuring out what you do want before you make another impulsive decision."
"You're right, you're always right," Persephone sullenly muttered. "It's just-" she hesitated before her she fell back into a pensive pose. "… Okay, I won't run away."
"Well, I'm not saying you shouldn't, I'm just saying a way out isn't always as easy as it seems I mean-"
"-There's always a catch," Persephone finished. "Trust me, I know that only too well, but the option will always be there."
"And c'mon working with your mother might not be so bad, she might give you Spring like she promised, or you might get married to Ares and get to wage war… that sounds like fun, I guess?" Daphne forced a smile.
"Oh don't remind me about that. I'm only doing it for courtesy's sake. I mean I work too well on my own just to be stuck in nuptial doom." Persephone groaned. "I need a night out anyway, away from mother, my babysitter, and this job."
"Yeah, you're getting a bad bout of cabin fever," Daphne agreed.
"What about you, cuties?" Persephone crooned to a pair of birds that were nestled in a tree nearby. She hadn't noticed them until just now, but she couldn't help feeling that something felt off about them. "You want to eat something?"
Deciding to test her theory, Persephone 's hands began to overflow with seeds, garnering the attention of the two birds so much that they flew over to eat.
"That's right, eat up, you two."
The birds seemed rather content as the goddess that fed them began to stroke and shower them with affection.
"Aw they're so cute," Daphne squealed and moved closer to pet them.
"Daph, this is Pain and Panic," Persephone smirked.
The two birds' beaks fell open in shock dropping any seeds they had been about to swallow, and not even a second later, a strand of Persephone's hair wrapped around the 'birds,' successfully tying them together.
"Korey! What are you doing!?"
"Trust me, there's not one bird on this island, they've all traveled South, Fates' knows, why. Now," Persephone fixed her attention on the two trapped imps. "What does he want?"
Pain and Panic gulped.
Their restraints hadn't tightened, they were shocked, and a little on the terrified side. Hades wasn't kidding that her powers were changing. The hair that tied them together was almost like Hades with his smoke. He could manipulate his form and change into smoke which would then act as extensions to his arms, but this was light! Honest to Fates' light!
"He needs your help," Pain spoke up.
Daphne jumped in surprise. "He talked. The bird talked!"
"With, what?" Persephone chose to ignore her friend's comments, and focused entirely on the two imps.
"There's a cursed princess," Panic piped up.
"Did he curse her?"
"Oh no- oh no," both imps echoed each other while shaking their little bird heads.
"His curses are never this subtle, and he's more of the take your immortal soul, kind of thing," Panic added.
"Korey, who are they talking about?"
Persephone gave Daphne a pained grin before turning back to the imps. "Look, boys, you can tell him I'm not helping him steal this poor girl's soul."
"But if you help her, she'll be in your debt not his," Panic reminded her.
Persephone opened her mouth to give her reply, but the shadow of someone standing over her stopped her.
"What are you doing?" Nemesis sneered.
"Interrogating these birds," Persephone cooly replied. "Pesky little things, digging up some of the flowers."
"You want me to smite them for you?" Nemesis' eyes glowed with latent bloodlust.
"Nooo, I think I'll get rid of them, no need to sully your blades," Persephone cheekily grinned as she rose to her feet.
Daphne was too confused to contribute to the conversation, she was just trying to gather what was going on.
"Oh? What do you have in mind?" Nemesis began to follow Persephone into the woods.
"Trust me," Persephone held up her hand to make her halt. "I'll send them to Hades, screaming. And, uh… I might be awhile so don't follow me- either of you," she shot a quick look at Daphne.
The naiad nodded once and piped up. "Yeah, Nemesis, I don't think you're into the experimentation that Korey's into. I mean between the poison and the uh- other stuff, there's barely any blood in it."
"No fun, then," Nemesis sighed. "Alright, go and do your little science experiments."
Persephone breathed an internal sigh of belief. "I won't be long! I hope…"
Once they were far enough from Nemesis and her prying eyes, Persephone released the trapped imps.
"Alright, boy's, I'm interested. Just take me off this Fates-forsaken island! I got a bone to pick with your boss."
And a few things she really wanted to talk about for that matter.
Pain and Panic shared a look, but each of them breathed a sigh of relief. They accomplished what they had been tasked now all they had to do was get her there.
Thankfully Hades let them bring the harpies.*
The two imps transfigured back into their original forms, but once back in their old skins they wore exceedingly large grins.
"Why are you guys smiling like that?"
"You ever ride a harpy?"
So apparently she had never ridden a harpy; much to the chagrin of Pain and Panic, but she was always a fast learner. After getting the hang of hanging onto the screeching, wild creature and not twisting it's wings, or shifting your weight too much on one side- it was easy.
But now her mind was whirling of all the things that could go wrong if she is discovered.
"Panic, I need you to go along and create a diversion, we can't let Apollo see me outside of my island."
"But your most-"
"It's fine," Persephone cut him off. "Pain can take me to Hades. Just go cause a panic, okay?"
Pain and Panic shared a look, but the corpulent pink imp just shrugged his shoulders. It didn't require two imps to take her to Hades.
Panic sighed. She was going to be his future Mrs. Boss, anyway, might as well get used to taking orders. "If you say so your most meticulousness."
"Thanks, Panic," Persephone gave him a wink. "C'mon, Pain- how much farther?"
Psyche's bedroom by all accounts was certainly one of the finer rooms in the entire palace. With mosaic floors detailing the wine dark sea in its purest form from its swelling tides to the many sea creatures that inhabited its depths, but most notably was Aphrodite in all her splendor. For it was she who had arisen from sea foam.
Psyche's parents often found the detail to be rather coincidental considering how beautiful their daughter had turned out to be, but they never could've imagine that the very goddess they attributed their daughter's divine beauty to would one day be her greatest enemy.
But to Psyche, she paid no heed, not even to the dread lord of the dead who kept pacing around the room waiting for his associate. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a noise coming from the rounded arch window.
Usually the window had a clear view of the sea front, but that was currently being blocked by a huge horrific harpy as it dropped off its passenger.
A pale pink goddess slid through the opening, feet first and Psyche couldn't believe that she was barefoot. It wasn't until she fully entered the room that she began to inspect the rest of her.
The goddess was certainly tall with a willowy figure and long luminous hair that flowed about her ignoring any sort of gravitational law, in fact on further inspection it didn't have the same texture as regular hair. When her violet eyes met her blue ones, Psyche took in her pretty heart-shaped face and her small nose that curved upward in the center of it all.
Her demeanor appeared sweet as she waved at her, but when the goddess opened her mouth to give her a warm smile, Psyche could see the dangerously sharp canines that she hid underneath her full lips.
Psyche gulped.
Yup, she and that Hades guy were friends, flower crown or not she was chthonic underneath all that sweetness.
"Hi- how are ya? I'll be with you in a second, I just gotta take care of something," she strutted to the other side of the room where she saw Hades lurking in the shadows.
"You," she pointed at Hades with an accusatory finger. "What on Gaia's green, earth were you thinking of inviting me over here? I told you I'm not working with you-"
"Sweetness, how long's it been?" Hades cut her off, and took the hand she was holding out. "Like seventeen hours? Jeez, that's a long time. We really should see each other more than just a daily basis. How ya been? How's life treating ya? Miss me much?" He kissed her hand only for her to snatch it back.
"Don't change the subject," Persephone blushed and took a few steps back to widen the gap he had closed between them. Gods, he is not holding back is he? "Hades, why bring me out here? I don't make house calls- I've never even been beseeched and you need my help with this poor girl?"
"Uh, sweetness," Hades jabbed a thumb in the direction of Psyche. "You want to talk about this now in front of the mortal?"
Persephone briefly felt the uncomfortable feeling of embarrassment wash over her.
Psyche immediately looked away as the two god's stared back at her. This was clearly a private moment that she shouldn't be a part of maybe she really should-
"You like cypress hedges?" Persephone's question broke the tense silence.
"Uh… sure?" Psyche agreed, wondering what the goddess was speaking of.
"Perfect. We'll only be a minute, I promise." Persephone exclaimed and with a flick of her wrist a thick wall of cypress erupted across the room, giving Hades and her some privacy.
"Only a minute, babe? Fine, I guess we can make the most of it," Hades straightened his chiton and made a move towards the goddess with a leer, but she surprised him by grabbing his collar.
"Hey, I need you to be serious right now," she whispered in case Psyche was listening in. "Why bring me out here? You're not the kind of guy to ask others to step in for you and do deals with mortals. Especially when I'm not in league with you."
Hades gave her a crooked grin as he straightened. He rarely ever had to use his full height when he talked business, but considering how tall Persephone was he certainly needed to use it if he wanted to impose a little on who was dealing the cards here.
"Maybe I'm tired of working alone," Hades cupped one of the flowers of her crown. It began to crumple and burn, but as he released it the Narcissus instantly returned to life. "That's old news, anyway, and you know what they say about two heads being better than one, and hey, I'm not choosing just anyone. I'd take you in an instant if you just said yes," the god's slow, low voice whispered in her ear.
As his breath hit her ear Persephone felt the beginnings of a blush begin to form.
Hades rarely dished out compliments; most of his talk involved underlying insults about the person he was talking to, but the fact that he fully expressed he valued her ideas? It was downright flattering, but why did her insides feel like a thousand butterflies had just emerged from their cocoons and into her stomach?
"I- I appreciate it," Persephone walked away and turned away from him to recollect her thoughts. She didn't want to look at him; not when she felt so vulnerable.
Say yes, one little yes was all he needed. Not more, not less, c'mon…
"But I'm not stealing souls," Persephone resolutely stated.
"My sweet, no, you don't have to do what I do- that's my style," Hades reassured her. "You gotta find your own, and hey, I might sue you for plagiarism."
"Hades," Persephone couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her. "I know-" but she stopped herself short.
He didn't know that she knows about him relinquishing Hercules' soul. She had told herself outright that she would consider trusting him a bit more if he ever did so, and now he has.
So maybe it was a sign?
But he didn't need to know just yet.
After all, she needed to figure out exactly what Hades had gained for Hercules' soul. It had to have been something important for his greatest enemy's soul, and if he had done it to show her he wanted her for a business associate he would have told her immediately so, no deceit required. Or perhaps, he was waiting for a better time to mention it.
That thought sent an excited thrill through her. Maybe he was finally satisfied after all that he'd been through and ready to start anew. Still she did like to tease him.
"Y'know? I'll consider the possibility," Persephone said sweetly.
"Oh, really?" Hades appeared behind her.
"But you have to remember I've never done these kind of business dealings before," she twirled one strand of her glowing hair between her fingers.
"Of course, it's why I asked you to come here, sweetness," Hades' hand floated over her shoulder. "So why don't you do what mother dearest has been holding you back for?"
"Oh look at you trying to be all charming," Persephone teased as she watched him from the corner of her eye. It did help that he was still behind her. "Well, wish me luck then, and I'd appreciate it if you left us for some girl talk."
The hedge began to open up a gap large enough for Persephone to go through.
"Call me when you're done?" Hades tugged at her arm before she slipped all the way through.
"We'll see," Persephone winked.
"You're such a tease, my sweet," Hades winked before disappearing in a column of smoke.
It wasn't until he was fully gone that Persephone realized she was still smiling.
Oh no she was getting fond of him.
Whatever, save those thoughts for later, she had a beseeching to take care of.
"Hi, sorry for taking so long…" Persephone wracked her brain trying to think of the girl's name.
"Psyche," the princess finished.
"Psyche," the goddess repeated. "Well, you can call me-" Persephone hesitated. Everyone called her Kore. Her family, every god but Hades, and all her mother's worshippers knew her as such, but this was different.
"… You can call me Persephone."
"Oh, Persephone… It's nice to meet you," Psyche smile wavered ever so slightly.
"You look a little nervous is something wrong? Am I doing this wrong?" Persephone inquired. Gods, she was probably as nervous as the princess.
"I- I'm just a little depressed," Psyche admitted.
"I can relate to that, but I'd love to help," Persephone sat at the edge of the girl's divan. "So why'd you call Hades? I mean you'd have to be pretty desperate to call him."
"I didn't call him specifically, I called for all the Olympians even Hestia, but no one would answer my call. So I called my last resort: Thanatos."
Persephone narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you a little young to think about…?"
"Dying? Apparently not," Psyche sighed. "My parents talked to the Oracle yesterday and they told me I would marry something that the gods' fear above all else, and what could it possibly be? A monster? A beast of sorts? I don't even know! All I wanted was to get married like my sisters," Psyche bit her lip to prevent the sob that began to rise. "But no prince- no pauper wants me, they're all so terrified!"
And it was that final line that broke the camel's back and the flood gates were unleashed.
"Oh don't cry!" Persephone soothed. She felt like she should hug her but she pushed that thought aside, she barely knew the princess and if she imposed she'd probably be even more frightened. "Trust me I know a little of what you're going through, I gotta choose whether to stay single or get married in the next three days, and all my options are pretty sketchy, but maybe he's not so bad?"
"The gods are what keep the world from descending into chaos- do you really think something that opposes them is not so bad?" Psyche deadpanned.
"I mean he might be a bad guy, but that doesn't automatically make him a bad guy, right?"
"How is there a difference?"
"Look, what I mean is that if he hides things from you, lies to you, compliments you to gain your trust, can turn invisible, making you wonder if you're ever truly alone - okay, you probably won't have that last problem, then he's a bad guy. A bad guy is just someone who's an actual villain."
"Like Hades?"
"Oh sweetie, he's both," Persephone laughed. "Yeah, don't trust him at all, I learned that the hard way. Seriously, after I help you don't ask for any favors from him."
Psyche thought back to when Hades and this goddess had talked. They acted almost like they were a couple, so they must have recently broke up based on how Hades was looking to get back together. "Is that why you two aren't currently an item?"
"What do you mean an item?" Persephone blinked.
Psyche sighed. "Never mind. But he might eat people- me, specifically."
"Huh, but why would a monster want to get married if he's going to eat you?"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean think of it this way, if you're having a hard time getting married, maybe he is too? Thought of that, huh?"
"So we have something in common? I'm so relieved."
Persephone inwardly groaned. Was beseeching always this difficult or was she just exceedingly bitter?
Reminds you of someone, huh?
No, she had to change her approach to this. How would the gods do it? Say something wise probably, but what wisdom could she impart? Should she reflect her mother by exuding that maternal love or like Athena and be mysterious and philosophical?
No, the mortal was old enough to not appreciate the motherly compassion and too young to understand the confusing riddles.
A sudden thought struck her.
How would I like to hear it?
Persephone took in a breath. "Look, I know right now things look bad, so bad that sometimes it feels better if you just end it all to stop the pain, but I've seen the Underworld and it is no place you want to end up in- not anytime soon anyway. You're young, you haven't seen all the beautiful things in this world and I've lived over a thousand years and I haven't either. So what if there's risks in the future? This is a world of gods and monsters, do you really think your fate is to be eaten when you haven't even seen the monster in his den? I know some heroes who fight monsters at the drop of a drachma, but you have that advantage, you have time to prepare."
When Psyche said nothing, Persephone continued.
"Would you want to leave this world the way you are now? Wouldn't it be better to go until Thanatos, himself, has to drag you kicking and screaming to Styx? The gods may have cursed you- abandoned you, but don't give them the satisfaction that they have broken you not when you haven't given all you have. But before you face whatever this monster is don't forget that everything is not always what it seems. A monster that all the gods fear," Persephone repeated what Psyche had told her about her intended.
"Not a lot to go on there, and from my experience of the gods- the Olympians specifically, they fear unpredictability, of change, and you might very well be the first to be challenged by all the gods and win. So yes, you might marry a monster, but that doesn't give you the excuse to treat him like a monster. And you'll find from my experience sometimes the biggest, most egregious-looking creatures with the darkest hearts are just as affection deprived as you are. Give it a chance, if he consistently shows signs of being a bad guy, then you'll know and you have a reason to act- to fight."
"And it doesn't hurt to listen to the advice from people who love you, but just make sure they do love you before you take it," Persephone winked.
The room remained silent for a while as Psyche wiped her tears with her chiton. "Thank you," she quietly whispered. "I really needed that."
"Of course!" Persephone beamed and before Psyche could stop her she reached out to hug her.
"Persephone, no!"
"Gah!" Persephone jumped back as the sharp dry thorns dug into her exposed arms leaving tiny little cuts, but soon the little drops of golden ichor began to disappear as her godly healing kicked in.
That felt like a thorn bush, but why would she have one fully encapsulating her?
"I'm so sorry!" Psyche cried. "I forgot to tell you-"
"Oh don't worry, I've jumped into my fair share of bramble bushes. I was just a little surprised," Persephone waved away her apology. "How do you get food? Change clothes? If no one can touch you doesn't that apply to objects as well?"
Psyche sniffed. "Exactly."
Persephone felt a punch in the gut. "Okay, stand up let's get this thing off of you."
Psyche rigidly stood up. "How are you gonna do it?"
"I'm asking the same question," Persephone muttered with hands extended as she tried to get a feel for the bramble bush. Well, at least she knew it was a plant she could work with that.
She began to wrack her brain thinking back to her mother and the way she dealt curses. There was this one time about a hundred years ago when Demeter had cursed a mortal back home for cutting down a section of their forest to build a giant new palace. His curse was rather simple, his appetite could never be sated and he sold everything he owned from his land to his daughter to buy food.
She could see some similarities, but all she did was disconnect his esophagus from his stomach. This was something different, it was an actual manifestation of a plant and it was powerful enough to block even a goddess. Sure, she wasn't one of the more powerful goddess' but she was an agricultural one.
"Who did this to you anyway?"
"Aphrodite, I think? At least that's what your- uh associate said."
"We're not affiliated," Persephone exclaimed. "In any way," she added after a second thought.
"Right…"
"Alright, Aphrodite, hmm," Persephone's hand began to glow a soft lilac as she tried to detect what kept this thing alive. There were no roots which meant it was getting its food from something else. "Mother never really let me talk with her, but I always thought she was so nice."
"I might just be the exception."
A sudden thought occurred to Persephone. Putting her nose against the thorny entrapment, she took a good long sniff.
She knew that smell. That earthy, ancient scent that reminded her of the Eastern wind and the cool summer nights.
The very same nights she would be tutored under Hecate.
While her mother was always her teacher when it came to botany and other such agricultural pursuits, Demeter always knew her daughter was not sated with everything she had to offer. So what had she done? She found two perfect tutors to instruct her daughters in ways that could help her improve and build upon what she had taught her.
Athena was an obvious choice. As a patron of the sciences and wisdom who else to give her daughter the willingness to find new ways to improve how agriculture was done?
But that was in the day.
At night, she was under the tutelage of Hecate. Queen of the Night and goddess of magic and crossroads, but most importantly, Demeter's best friend.
Hecate was a grueling tutor requiring nothing less than perfection, and she often got it in a way that made Persephone grow to hate her. Yet, something good did come out of her lessons, she learned everything and anything about curses and hexes, but most importantly how to undo it.
"So can you get rid of it?"
"Yes, but I'd close my eyes if I were you," Persephone warned her. "Both hands over eyes, please, things might get a little… blinding. And don't say a thing, don't do anything, no distractions alright?"
After receiving a simple nod, Psyche did as she instructed.
Taking one deep breath, Persephone felt all her lessons with Hecate begin to flood her mind.
The process was simple and should take at most seven seconds in the physical world, but was still quite complicated if done right.
Lifting one hand, Persephone began to feel the layers of magic around the thorns; the magic that kept it alive.
Layers of yellow and magenta were quickly being undone. Bit by bit, don't intermingle them, make sure each one is removed before peeling back another. Look for traps trying to warn the conjurer, trick the magic into thinking you are her. When the defenses are down, penetrate its core, and remove the command the previous conjurer had placed and replace it with your own. That was when Persephone felt several strands of her hair begin to rise and wrap around the nearest branches to her.
And now here was the tricky part, clear your mind and think of nothing else as you soothe the remnants of the previous conjurer's magic. Whisper to it and hold it in your metaphysical arms as it begins to die, but you must wait until it is truly gone. One wrong move and the magic could come back full force and set off an alarm to the conjurer.
Every last spark as her aunt had always warned her. Otherwise, any sort of warning could go off without her knowing.
This was always Persephone's greatest challenge when it came to magic as she was always distracted. Always thinking, so impulsive as Hecate often called her.
But not anymore.
With a final gasping breath, the magic died and Persephone's hair began to dim considerably.
Still she was not done.
The thorn bush was now visible to everyone's eyes, which meant she could do this. Finding an area that did not have any thorns, Persephone wrapped her hand around it and watched as it too began to wither and decay.
"You can open your eyes now, Psyche."
Psyche removed her hands from her eyes and took in the pile of ashes that encircled her. "Oh… Is that?"
"It's all gone," Persephone removed her flower crown and placed it on Psyche's head.
Psyche began to tremble and fell on her knees.
Ah! Not again!
"Do you have something edible on you?"
"Of course- food- uh…" Persephone summoned a plate of fruits comprising of cherries, grapes, apricots, and one large pomegranate. "Eat it all, sweetie." She set the plate down to where Psyche was still crumpled up into a little ball.
Psyche began to nibble on a cherry, but soon enough as her teeth ripped into the red flesh of the cherry, it's blood-like juices dribbling down her lips.
Persephone sighed and sat down beside the mortal. "You want this?" She handed out a small piece of cloth.
Psyche smiled awkwardly and accepted the offering, "Thank you."
"No problem," Persephone chuckled. She'd been around nymphs all her life and with a perfectionist mother she sometimes acted as the designated mom friend. "Hey, you gonna eat this?" She pointed at the pomegranate.
"Go ahead!" Psyche exclaimed between bites. "Oh this is so good!"
"That's starvation talking, your toga would taste good too." Persephone quipped as she tore the pomegranate open. "Well, I better get going, you won't forget what I told you, right?"
Psyche stopped her feasting and sat up properly. "I won't- I promise! And thank you, Persephone. I owe you so much. My parents will build a shrine in your-"
"That's okay," Persephone cut her off. "My mother doesn't know I'm off the island right now and I'd like to keep it that way," she threw a handful of pomegranate seeds into her mouth. "Oh and don't ask for anything from Hades," Persephone warned her as a few drops of pomegranate juice slid down the corner or her lips.
"Hades equals bad news, general rule of thumb, okay, sweetie?"
"Did you start saying that after you two broke up?"
Persephone felt the pomegranate seeds she was about to swallow come back up as she choked. Running to the window, she began to spit out the seeds as she continued to beat her chest. "One pomegranate. Can I enjoy one tiny little pomegranate seed? Is that too hard to ask?!"
"Hey, are you alright?" Psyche came up behind her and patted her on her back. She had to do so on her tippy toes since the goddess was so tall. "I didn't mean to be nosy."
"Oh, you're fine, we're not- never have been, we just have…" Persephone sat on the window sill as she stammered, "History."
"Then don't try to repeat it."
"I'll keep that in mind," Persephone weakly laughed.
"Hey, Persephone I just have one question before you go," Psyche continued to squint out the window.
"Alright?"
"Who's that?" Psyche pointed behind her.
"Who's who?" Persephone asked, but when she turned around she felt herself freeze.
No, she took every precaution how could he have found her? Damnit Panic!
"Kore, what are you doing here?" Apollo inquired from outside Psyche's window. The sun god stood on a cloud in all his glory, arms crossed and head held high like some shining prince. "And why are you here with her?" He eyed the princess warily.
Persephone quickly motioned Psyche to leave before facing the sun god. "I was invited, what about you? Why are you here?" she turned the question back on him.
Apollo began to scratch the back of his neck, and his head quickly turned as if to check if something was behind him. "It appears Aphrodite was going to do her daily checkup on this mortal, but asked me to go in her stead."
"That's weird, don't you have a job to do right now?" Persephone pointed at the sun.
"Ah, my son- I mean my servant is currently taking care of it." Apollo corrected.
"How nice," Persephone deadpanned.
Damn, it's only been twenty seconds and Kore was already blowing his cover. Damn, Cupid too! How did the cherub even know Kore was here with the cursed princess?
It will all be worth it, Apollo reminded himself. He was already at the end of his wits after Zeus announced Kore's last three days to sign the dotted line or go home free, and she had continued to ignore all of the letters he had been sending her. How was his Olympian takeover going to go into affect now? Poseidon had just backed out of supporting him- Fates' knows why! And he only had one last shot at an ally, one that couldn't back out like old fish beard.
"Well, you've checked the mortal, and I gotta go, my ride's around here somewhere..." Persephone stressed. "So I guess I'll see you around-" she took a step onto the window's ledge, but Apollo grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the room.
Turning her around so she wasn't facing the window, Persephone tried to pull herself out of Apollo's grasp, but he held her arms tight. "Pollo, let me go," the spring goddess warned him as the tips of her hair began to alight with flame. Yet to her astonishment when he failed to flinch as her hair wrapped around his offending arms she began to realize she had forgotten a very important detail.
Apollo was the sun god, heat- flame it wouldn't bother him, and that was currently her most powerful option.
She was trapped.
Maybe if she was in a forest she may have stood a chance but she was in unfamiliar territory. Marble palace, marble everywhere, the hedge was gone, and there was no dirt anywhere to help her draw her strength. "Apollo, I'm serious! Let me go now!"
Apollo wasn't even looking at her right. His eyes were focused on someone behind her as he mouthed something to his mysterious ally. When he looked back to her, he smiled. "Don't worry, this will all be over soon," he tried to assuage the struggling goddess a she continued to kick him- did everything she could!
Psyche watched the scene unfold as she hid underneath her divan.
Oh gods she had to do something quick! But she was a mortal- not even a demigod! What could she possibly do?
There was someone she could call, though.
"Hades! I beseech you!" Psyche pleaded, and when the fiery lord of the dead appeared before her with his usual sardonic grin already pulled back prepared to say something snarky, he stopped cold as his eyes were immediately drawn to Persephone and the god who was currently holding her.
Psyche watched in fear as Hades began to turn a dangerous shade of orange as did the rest of his flames, and she slowly began to crawl away. She did her part, Hades would take care of the rest, Psyche assured herself.
Persephone locked eyes with Hades amid her struggling, and the initial fear she felt building up inside her began to dissipate. It was in that moment as she flashed Hades a relieved smile when she felt herself suddenly go still and a piercing pain erupted through her chest.
Oh gods...
Persephone felt Apollo release her as whatever stabbed her went through her core, and with nothing to keep her up she immediately fell to her knees.
And when she opened her eyes she saw Hades giving her a wide-eyed look. He was raged and she could see the conflict in his eyes as he debated running to help her or to stay and hide. She only shook her head once and that was all it took for him to calm down.
Persephone did a quick check of her body, trying to see if any pain lingered inside of her or if she could pinpoint any pain, but she felt fine. Perfect even. Whatever had just struck her heart was gone; dissipated into nothingness.
It was then that she saw Hades disappeared.
Time to go then.
Apollo smiled triumphantly as Persephone returned her attention to the sun god. "Enjoying the view?"
"Well, since you're still here... No," she deadpanned. Once rising to her feet, Persephone began to straighten herself and ran a hand through her hair. She was fine- everything was fine, so what was that lingering ache in her heart?
"Excuse me?" Apollo stammered.
Without a second look at Apollo, Persephone made her way to Psyche's bedroom door. Slightly opening the door, Persephone paused and craned her neck slightly so she could give the sun god her best side eye.
"I will not forget this, Apollo."
Apollo stood there dumbfounded as Persephone walked out and closed the door behind her. He looked back at Cupid who was hiding in the cloud he had flown in on, but the cherub god wore the same confused expression.
What in Hades just happened?
Did it just not affect her?
No it can't be, she went through the first stages, that much was obvious, but why did she not go through the following stages? Yes, love was a complicated thing, something that couldn't be watered down to feeling all fuzzy inside. It was a mixture of pain and pleasure, of misery and merriness; no, love was something that could not be described into words no matter how great of a poet he was, he would never get it right.
So what power did Kore possess that she could walk away without even giving him a second glance?
Persephone only took a few steps outside the room before Hades fully manifested into existence.
"There you are, would you mind taking me home?" Persephone nonchalantly asked.
Hades' mouth was open wide like he was going to ask her something, but after a quick shake of his head he just moved on. "Uh- yeah... Hey, is everything alright, I mean? You- you kind of-"
"Had a scene back there? Yeah," Persephone narrowed her eyes. "You know,I don't really care how you do it, but you have my full permission to screw with him."
A grin snaked its way across Hades' face. "Really? Well, as my lady commands it," the god began to flare excitedly. "So, hey, here's an idea for you how 'bout we discuss revenge plans over dinner tonight."
Persephone laughed. "Hades, I can't tonight, I got plans."
The lord of the dead snorted. "What? Does underwater basket weaving only happen on new moons or something?"
"No, not that kind of plan," Persephone waved off. "I got a date."
"Uh, yeah with me, sweetness," Hades exclaimed matter of factually. "We can discuss other kinds of business too. Potential mergers, job opportunity, a change of scenery, seriously there are a lot of opportunities in the Underworld. There's even an opening in leadership positions-"
Persephone put a single finger over Hades' lips, stopping him from saying anything further.
"Sparky, you can make a deaf man rip his ears off," Persephone smiled as she removed her finger and nudged him with her shoulder. "But waste your words on your next customer. I think we've moved past that stage, hmm?"
Hades dared to grab Persephone's nearest hand and the two of them disappeared and reappeared on her island home. "Way past it, my sweet, but humor me," the god ran his thumb across her knuckles. "Who's the schmo taking you on a date, maybe I can convince him otherwise."
"I don't know he's stubborn, short-tempered; almost like you but not as hot." Persephone felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.
Did she really just say that last part?
Oh gods she hoped he understood her slide as temperature-wise and not attractiveness. Where had her filter gone? And why was she suddenly so open to schmooze with Hades? Thirty minutes ago, she was getting on him for calling her out here. So where did her iciness disappear to? On top of that why was she enjoying this?
"Ares asked you out? C'mon, tell me another joke."
"Unfortunately, that was the punchline," Persephone rolled her eyes. "Now I gotta go, Nemesis is probably wondering why it's taking so long to eviscerate a couple of birds."
"That was how you stepped out? Running out of ideas are we?"
"Blame your imps, they're kind of recognizable when they're together, you know?"
"Oi, you're one of the few who's ever figured out their shtick," Hades groaned.
Persephone smirked. "I'm learning your tricks, Sparky, you better come up with new ones before I outsmart you," she began to pull away, but Hades still held tight to her hand.
"I, for one look forward to the challenge, my sweet. Till tonight then," Hades once again kissed her hand before he released it.
Persephone shook off the blush that was beginning to flourish. Gods, she needed to get her thoughts together.
This was the same old Hades, she reminded herself. Nothing had changed within him; none that she could sense anyway. His methods might have, but that mind of his had not changed, and she surmised his motivations with it. Her fondness may be growing as well, but that was only a small obstacle. She could worry about Hades after the three days were up, anyway. If she chose to remain in Greece that is, otherwise he would be Greece's problem.
For now she'd listen to Daphne's advice and figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Once and for all. Come Hades or high water she would decide her own fate.
"Keep telling yourself that, Sparky," Persephone waved. "Good-bye, Hades, please don't come back," she gave her usual farewell.
"Good luck trying to stop me," Hades grinned, but the underlying warning in his words were unbeknownst to the daughter of spring as she disappeared from view.
He could already see the pawn was a few moves from reaching the end of the board, but how could he coax her forward without her sensing the trap?
Well...
At least Ares owed him a favor.
Meg was pacing around the cobbled floors of the villa. Phil was by her side, but instead of following her every move, he had taken a seat on one of the benches that lined the edge of the patio which overlooked the waterfront. He was currently trying to warm himself on one of the three fires that decorated the patio despite the humidity in the air.
In the still evening sky, everything was calm and the sun was ever inching down as crickets played their stringed instruments, but Meg was everything but calm.
Garbed in long dark robes befitting that of a widow, Meg looked worse for wear with dark circles under her unusually puffy eyes. It had been two days since Hercules had been taken from her, and she hadn't slept since.
She'd been calling, crying, screaming for the gods to answer her but like always they were silent. She should have known better with her previous experience with the gods; should have expected this type of behavior. Married to Hercules she may be, but she always felt isolated from her husband's family, his blood family. Meg could only reason that it was because they could not understand why someone would give up their godhood to be with her.
It was a question that plagued her many nights before she married Hercules. After working for Hades, having to do his dirty work, to help with the overthrow of the cosmos she wondered why her Wonder Boy still wanted her after all that she'd done.
When she had pressed him about the subject a month into their budding relationship, Hercules had smiled. Oh she loved how his sweet, innocent face looked when he smiled. The glow that emitted from his face reminded her of how he looked when he ascended to godhood.
"Why Hercules, why would you give it up all for me?"
"Oh, Meg," he had kissed her forehead and she felt his feather-like touch as he ran his fingers through her bangs so he could see her eyes. "Because I want to remind you every day for as long as we have on this earth that through it all I will always choose you when others didn't."
She had cried when he said this, and as she had tried to pull away, Hercules held her in his strong arms. "Wonder Boy, don't say words that won't mean anything in a year…"
"I finally know where I belong, Meg," he began to cry with her.
"Then so do I," Meg kissed him with even more fervor than the day he gave up his godhood.
And together they had pressed their foreheads together and let their tears intermingle as one.
After they both had cried their hearts out, the two lonesome souls caught in a fish bowl, laughed at the absurdity of it all, and the next morning they married with the dawn.
It wasn't her wedding day that was the happiest day of her life, it was that night when they bared it all before each other in the very garden where she realized she had fallen for him.
"They ain't coming, Meg," Phil's tired voice interrupted the memory that she had lost herself in.
"I'm not giving up, Phil. He never gave up for me, so why should I?" Meg snapped. "Zeus, Hera, Hermes, Athena, please answer my call. Hermes, I beseech you! Athena, I beseech you!" She poured the wine bottle she'd been holding into the fire and the olive branch along with it.
Meg and Phil waited with bated breath as the fire consumed the offering.
They had done this five times a day for the past two days, and Meg was beginning to lose hope, but the fire suddenly went out as a strong gust of wind whipped through.
Before their very eyes, Athena appeared in all her splendor, with shield and spear in hand. Ibid sat upon her shoulder, and the two gazed upon the two mortals with their calm serenity.
"You came…" Meg gasped in disbelief.
"Forgive me, Megaera, your cries were great but the cries of my patron city were greater."
"No, you don't have to apologize," Meg quickly changed her tune. "But I just need to know is Hercules okay, how is he?"
"It would seem your husband is dead."
Meg shut her eyes as her face twisted in anguish, she could hardly mutter a sound, but before she could fully express any of the emotions bursting through her Athena added, "But- he will return to you in two days time."
"Ya think ya could've started off with that, lady?!" Phil snapped. He had removed himself from his bench and took Meg's hand into his own as a way to comfort her.
"Phil," Meg hissed warningly under her breath.
"What?!"
"It was decided yesterday," Athena replied cooly. "Hades has made a wager with Zeus, the nature of which I do not have the liberty to say," but in reality she had no idea what the wager was about. She reasoned her father would have told her if it was important.
"It was for that goddess, huh?" Phil commented.
"What are you referring to?" Athena's face sharply turned to the satyr's direction.
"Ha- Hades came to gloat that day of the competition," Meg explained. "The night before Hercules was taken, and well… he wasn't alone."
"But Hades shouldn't have had time to leave the Underworld. Hercules and Kore met him in the Underworld when they dropped off the first wave of souls why would he be on the surface while-" Athena drifted off. "Forgive me, I'm just babbling… Which goddess do you speak of, Philoctetes?"
"I met her once at a harvest festival 'bout a decade ago so I know her face. Kore, Demeter's little girl."
"What about her? She was competing that day, she probably came by to reap the souls of your former students."
"But she scared Hades away," Meg exclaimed listlessly. "She was eavesdropping on him when he came to gloat, and once I told him she was there she ran and stole his chariot. This might be just a theory, but I think they knew each other before that moment. Like they were working together-"
"But that's impossible," Athena argued. "Kore would never work with him. She was working with Poseidon-"
"Alright, we get it, your friend's a saint, but we saw what we saw," Phil huffed. He was still not happy that Athena decided to give the bad news before the good one. "And she even brought my students back to life to fight the monster hoard while she and Herc high-tailed it to the Underworld."
"She may have been tricked like I was, and fell for Hades' tempting offer. Whatever it was," Meg added.
"Oh this changes things," Athena began to gingerly stroke Ibid's head, a frown began to darken her serene face. "Very well, Megaera, Philoctetes, Hercules will return to you soon. Whether or not Hades wins his bet. Rest assured, he will return to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to speak to my father." Athena disappeared in a flash of light.
Phil and Meg looked at each other as soon as the goddess had disappeared.
"He's coming home, sister. Everything's going to go back to normal," Phil tried to assure Meg, patting her leg sympathetically.
Meg remained silent as she stared at the sky. For a moment she could have sworn a familiar black chariot streaked across it, but she simply shook her head. "Then why do I feel like we've just made things worse?"
*if you watch the very first episode of the TV show, Pain and Panic use the harpies to steal the sun, and honestly I think the writers thought it was a good pun for Harley's as in motorcycles, but that's jut me. You can tell me my I'm wrong, I can take it.
**hyacinths were created from the blood of one of Apollo's lover's when he accidentally killed him. And I think y'all understand the thing about the tree branches. Daffodils/Narcissus flowers have often been thought to be the mortal world's version of asphodel flowers and symbolize rebirth.
Sorry, about the jumbled structure of the chapter. Things are going to get pretty straightforward after this and hopefully shorter.
As always please fav, follow, and review!