Of Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth (Part I)

A/N: I'm challenging myself to write a chapter a month. We'll see how long that lasts. 12 chapters left!

Girly Disney Fan: Hey if you want to discuss the twisted tales maybe PM me? And I don't think TT Persephone being spoiled is a bad choice. I feel like every iteration of her requires some level of it whether we the audience are aware of it or not at first. Or that she's presented in a way that isn't the stereotypical version of a spoiled person, ie, Charlotte LaBouff (spoiled w/ heart of gold) or Veruca Salt (Evil spoiled).

"But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

- Matthew 8:12 (NIV)

Persephone remained rigid standing mere steps away from the heaving mouth of the pit, not knowing whether to run, to hide, or to even breathe. How could she when the smell of sulfur was so overpowering to her senses. This was eons of rot and festering desiccation. It was the musk of hopelessness and damnation.

This was Tartarus.

"Isodetes takes after myself it would seem," the voice of the pit echoed about her and across all the land. The earth beneath them quaking and vibrating like waves at high tide.

That was one of Hades' epithets. The god who binds all equally. Persephone wondered if he was using it to gain sympathy for his placement in the order of the world, or avoid garnering Hades' attention. But why was he awake? Was this Thanatos' doing? Was this her doing?

"Tell me, scion of Gaia."

Persephone tensed as the radius of ground beneath her began to rise and bring her to a vantage point directly above the pit. Almost like a plank extending over the ocean upon a ship.

Up here, Persephone could see it all. The land itself was just as massive as Erebus with its distant mountain ranges, craggy hills, and equally deep valleys. Ruins of dark palaces and broken temples overflowed with lava while monsters crept around every corner save this one. The only color apart from the dark infernal shades was the green flaming river Phlegethon who was reduced from the powerful current Persephone was intimately familiar with in Erebus to a small trickle deep down here. Tartarus must be where the mouth of the Phlegethon river was located.

And what better way to describe Tartarus?

There was his lips- the sloping edges of the abyss. The pointed rocks and crags, those peaks and troughs his gums and teeth. Yet there was light too. Distant and pulsing in shapes that her vision could not perceive due to the fathomless distance and darkness hidden deep in Tartarus' belly. Green? Blue? Was it true that Chaos personified had locked itself away since creation down in the deepest depths of the earth?

"Has the time come?" His powerful breath a heaving storm to rival even Poseidon's greatest almost knocked Persephone back, but branches rose and wrapped themselves around her legs, keeping her rooted to her patch of dirt.

"Tartarus Protogenos!" Persephone tried in vain to project her voice over the roaring squall of his timbre.

A rumble shook her and the surrounding land. Cracks began to gather and form in the scorched ground, revealing veins of lava in an infernal shade of crimson. Displeasure sizzled in the air as the sea of lava rose and crashed against the rocks. Tartarus heaved an ancient groan.

Tartarus, the setting and the being were one and the same. Both a prison and a prisoner. The underworld itself was no prison to him, however, the primordial god found no pleasure in the damned residents who occupied his space. Both shades and titan alike, although the latter seemed not to be such an issue anymore. Well, save for one, Persephone thought with a grimace.

"Fiery abyss of the lower world, return to your slumber! All will be made right soon!"

Despite being in the presence of a god without sight, Persephone felt his attention- his focus entirely on her.

"Very soon," Tartarus carefully articulated. Each syllable laced with amusement.

Persephone felt herself begin to sweat, and it wasn't just because of the heat. She needed to leave now. She'd find Thanatos a different way.

"You smell of spring time," Tartarus voice shook her out of her thoughts. A feat easily accomplished when the whole earth quaked with each word he spoke. "You smell of her."

Alarm flared through Persephone. Instinct made her take a step back, but the goddess nearly stumbled as her foot connected with nothing until a rooting branch stuck out and caught her foot.

"You've mentioned that," Persephone turned her head, and from the corner of her eye observed the pool of lava bubbling and waiting for her should she try and escape. Fates, what she'd give to be able to fly like Hermes. Or maybe…

Shoots of branches and vines began to grow across her patch of dirt and a bridge began to knit itself together and catch her foot over the open air with each step she took. Creating a path in a zig-zag shape to orient the growth away from where the lava was sputtering now that she no longer stood over the open pit.

"Exquisite," Tartarus proclaimed, but there was something in his tone that made her accelerate her steps. The appraising lilt not directed towards her powers, but of something else entirely.

Persephone came to a full stop as her bridge was set aflame. Either on purpose or due to the extreme heat of the land, she couldn't decide as sparks engulfed each support. Ushering the flames towards her as her bridge began to sink and give out. Where could she go? Where could she go?

"Tell me, little queen, does she know?"

In a hurry, Persephone flicked her wrists, commanding the last remaining boughs of vines to extend themselves back and launch her forward. With what little forward momentum she could manage, Persephone extended out her leg and caught the edge of the obsidian plane.

"Does Gaia know her children are dead?"

Upon contact, the rock cracked and broke apart, giving way to a sea of lava. Wasting no time, Persephone jumped from rock to rock in an extreme version of what she used to play with the naiads in their rivers when she was a child.

"What children?!"

Hands of stone and lava began to emerge and rise the size of mountains. Persephone took one look at the reaching hands and grabbed her crown.

"You have not been buried long enough to feign innocence."

In her hand, the stygian steel began to lengthen as Praxidice returned to her true form. The goddess gripped the staff and swung the crescent blade at the nearing hands and sliced the clawed fingertips before they reached her.

Tartarus chuckled, a ghastly awful cacophony that rattled her heart as more hands rose around her. "That blade does not suit you, little queen."

"It hasn't failed me yet!" Persephone lunged.

In a flurry of motion, Persephone extended her power out as she slashed and cut at the approaching hands. Vines and brambles burst from the ceiling above and wrapped themselves around the hands of Tartarus in an attempt to restrain them.

False hope alighted Persephone's adrenaline and set her pace into a blur. But more and more hands began to emerge and the vines that had kept the previous hands at bay began to break free. The scorching lava setting her foliage aflame.

"ENOUGH!" Tartarus roared in triumph and tore them apart, rendering her vines to nothing but ash and dust.

Persephone screamed as the first stone hand snatched her hair and yanked her up. Hanging in the air like a kit in a she-cat's mouth, she screamed in pain, "Mother!"

What was she doing? Mother was nowhere near here!

"Worry not, little queen. Gaia never bestows gifts without purpose."

As she kicked and squirmed in Tartarus' hold, Persephone began to turn and spin as panic set in. The hand was moving and Tartarus' maw loomed ever closer.

"And this is yours."

"No, no, no, no, no, HADES!" Persephone cried, but the weight of the scythe was not something she could easily forget. With shaking hands, Persephone readied herself to swing the blade, but a clawed hand sliced her hair and cut her free.

Before she could even touch the ground, Megaera caught the goddess with her talons. "Trouble follows you like a pup."

"You've no idea," Persephone muttered between gulps of panicked breaths. The scythe in her hand transfiguring into a metallic snake that slithered up her arm.

"Scatter!" Alecto shouted from behind as she and Tisiphone flanked Megaera.

"I'll take her to Nyx!" Megaera shouted after her sisters.

"No, you are not!" Alecto snarled. "Dawn is hours away!"

"But Tartarus wouldn't dare attack the palace of day and night!"

"Just take her to Erebus already!" Tisiphone squawked.

While the old bats argued, Persephone craned her neck to catch a glimpse of Tartarus. The abyss wasn't moving at all. Even his hands began to recede. Was he really giving up so easily?

Persephone glanced at the furies and back at Tartarus and that was when something clicked. "HEY! We need to get to the ceiling!"

"No backseat flyers!" Megaera snapped at the goddess in her talons.

Persephone groaned, but she could already see the wings of the Furies beginning to struggle as the winds began to change. "Don't you hear it?!" She shouted over them.

At once, the furies' squabbling fell silent to the distant thundering roar as it began to crescendo to a point where nothing else could be made out. Not even Alecto's shouts as the head fury unfurled the whip at her side and whipped it towards the hanging stalactites.

Her sisters quickly followed suit, but Tisiphone' aim was off. The fury screamed a silent scream as she soared through the air unable to battle against Tartarus' breath.

Due to the added weight of Megaera's passenger, the two wound up several hundred feet away and watched Tisiphone barreling towards them.

Persephone and Megaera screamed the fury's name and reached their hands out to grab her.

Without warning, Megaera removed her talons from Persephone and pushed the handle of the whip to the goddess. Understanding the plan, Persephone clenched the handle with an iron grip as her other hand reached out for Tisiphone's scaly claws.

"I got you!" Persephone screamed through gritted teeth as she felt her whole body being stretched and pulled in opposite directions.

Tisiphone smiled a toothy grin up at the goddess, but the victory was short lived as the current of air began to gather far more power. Persephone and the furies were wrung like linens left out to dry in a raging storm as boulders and ruins and yes even monsters began to unroot themselves and fly towards the abyss. Embers and ashes littered what little atmosphere this infernal realm possessed, forcing Persephone to shut her eyes as they began to sting and water.

"THE QUARTZ!" Megaera screamed.

And before anyone could react, the stalactite fractured with an inaudible crack.

Persephone and the two furies screamed, tumbling and scrambling as they were wrenched towards the abyss. Still holding onto Tisiphone, Persephone held the fury tight against her as the current of air forced them to spin and lurch about in an infinite downward spiral.

Falling, why was she always falling? Persephone thought as she screamed. The lips of Tartarus soon began to rise above her and the former darkness of the realm intensified as the primordial god's maw began to shut.

Mother, I miss you so much…

Thanatos didn't know where to run to. Blindly he had flown to wherever his wings would take him. Angry tears and flashes of what had taken place moments prior had him racing faster than he had ever flown before. So erratic was his flight, the godling barely had time to prepare for impact as he slammed onto the palace roof instead of the typanum he was aiming for. Tiles of platinum were ripped and swept away as his body slid across, sending hundreds of them scattered and broken across the roof.

Thanatos released a pained groan as he sat up and brushed the dust and tiles off of him. Seeing the mess, Thanatos felt more tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

"Why am I always such a disaster?!" Thanatos picked up the scattered tiles and began to fling and hurl each one he could get his hands on. But his need to sate his bubbling rage escalated. He grabbed multiple of them at a time and launched them at one of the many towers lining the palace. Huffing and puffing, Thanatos released one final scream before sinking to his knees defeatedly.

Weakly, Thanatos lifted his head to gaze at the damages. Hot and tepid tears flowed down his face without restraint the longer he stared at the state of disarray he left his mother's palace. Not wanting to look at it any longer, Thanatos lifted his massive wings and hid himself underneath their embrace.

Bringing his knees to his chest, Thanatos silently cried. The Olympians. Those shining gods sitting pretty in their palace in the clouds basking in light and the adulation of the mortals. Did they know how lucky they were to not be hated? The one time he walked among them, they treated him like a garbage boy. Sure, his mother and even Hades had warned him, but it still didn't make it hurt any less.

Maybe that's why he wanted to Persephone like him. He needed to get one to like him. And who better to get along with than the goddess who married the dread lord of the dead? Of course she'd be more openminded than the rest. So when she had offered to mentor him, he leapt at the chance. And despite all that…

Thanatos kicked one of the tiles caught under his foot.

"Dude, like ma's gonna kill you if you keep doing that."

Thanatos opened his wings slightly to peek and quickly shut them at the sight of who was standing there. "Go touch grass."

Hypnos tiredly winked. The silver rings around his stardust eyes gave the youth the appearance of someone much older, but the godling's curly mop of silver hair seemed to counterbalance it, and holding back his curly hair was his signature eye mask. Everyone often remarked how much Hypnos looked like their mother based on his midnight complexion and the starry freckles that dotted his face, but Thanatos could never see it.

"Ha-ha still on house arrest, bruh. But, you, on the other foot," Hypnos plopped himself next to his twin and held out to him his skeletal leg.

Thanatos was ready to snatch his leg out of Hypnos' grasp, but the sight of his own skeletal hand made the godling make a double-take. Wordlessly, Thanatos spun his hand round and round, allowing his phalanges to creak and rattle as he did so.

Ah.

"… Whatever," Thanatos grabbed his detached tibia and locked it back into his knee. "Don't you have better things to do?"

"Well duh," The palace began to rumble and shake beneath them. "But I got the wildest feeling and it just really killed my vibe. Hehe, wordplay," Hypnos laughed to himself.

Thanatos rolled his eyes, or at least he would've if he had any at the moment. And people said he was the weird twin.

"Chaos, am I in need of a nap," Hypnos loudly yawned and leaned against his fuming brother. "Wait… We can do better than this," and stretched his equally silver wings which emerged from his mop of curly hair. "Much better."

Side-by-side, Thanatos shifted uncomfortably. The creaking of his bones made loud rasping clacks that the godling felt even more self-conscious than usual.

"You know for a guy who never stops talking, you're really bumming me out right now." Hypnos half-mumbled as he slid his eye mask over his eyes. "C'mon man, put me to sleep," he muttered before proceeding to pat his twin's head with his creepy head wings.

"Can you not?!" Thanatos bristled.

Hypnos replied by flapping his wing into his face. To which Thanatos answered by tackling his twin.

All around them the underworld was shaking and tearing itself apart, the sound of a roaring wind echoed from hundreds of miles away, but to the twins, they had other more pressing matters to preoccupy themselves with.

"Oh yeah, Pasithea says hi," Hypnos mumbled before slamming his forehead against his twin's, knocking Thanatos' skull off of his neck.

Thanatos saw stars as he soared. Maybe a girl laughing too.

Hypnos who was equally dazed, shook off the floating skulls dancing around his vision and flew after his brother's screaming skull. "Alas poor Thanatos!" Hypnos lifted his twin's skull. "I knew thee-"

"BODY!" Thanatos shouted.

"What's he gonna-" Hypnos wheezed as a humerus bone whacked him from behind. As Hypnos fell, Thanatos' skull rolled out of his hold and into the waiting grasp of his cold phalange bones.

Thanatos triumphantly looked down upon his brother as he fixed his skull back into place. "Check-"

But Hypnos wasn't done and with his head wings slapped Thanatos' ankle and sent him falling into a heap of bones. "-Mate." He exhaustedly finished as he collapsed onto the roof next to his brother.

"HEY, I'M TRYN'A SLEEP OVER HERE!" A voice shouted from the palace below them

"Sorry, Aunt Hemera!" Thanatos and Hypnos replied in well-practiced unison.

Thanatos, however, lifted his reformed fists ready to barrage his twin one last time, but Hypnos caught them. And suddenly, Hypnos' hands began to shift and morph like sands of shimmering gold as he put his twin's arms to sleep.

Thanatos grunted and tried in vain to move his jellied bones, "Flaming cheater."

Hypnos flashed his twin a goofy grin. His golden arms returning to their obsidian tone, "Ehhh, I mean you could still kill me."

Thanatos couldn't contain his snort at his brother's humor. "Too easy."

Hypnos rolled himself off his twin and released another long yawn as he stretched himself and cleared a more comfortable patch of un-tiled roof to lay upon. "If sleep wasn't my job, I woulda been fired for sleeping 'round long time ago."

"You did get fired."

"Semantics," Hypnos brushed him off, tucking his hands under his head and stared at their father, the ceiling.

Thanatos huffed. It must be nice that there were others who could step in. "But you got a girlfriend out of it," he reminded him.

"But I got a girlfriend out of it," Hypnos slid his sleep mask over his eyes. "You ever get the nerve to talk to that prince?"

"… He died." Thanatos muttered softly.

Hypnos didn't say anything at first, choosing instead to push his sleep mask back to watch his brother. He allowed the silence between them to stretch as the distant rumbling across the land began to decrescendo. "I'm sorry," he finally exclaimed.

"His whole family was cursed; it was bound to happen," Thanatos mumbled in a quiet voice.

"Doesn't mean it hurts any less. Even considering where we live."

"He's still got one family member alive. So maybe there's hope."

Hypnos grimaced. Having the Fates as their sisters made Thanatos sound naïve, but Hypnos understood. Thanatos, his little brother by two seconds, the end of all things, had hope. There was something to be said about that. Neither agreeing or disagreeing with his twin, Hypnos just nodded. "Sometimes, I forget how much your job can suck."

Thanatos stared at him, burning holes into his twin. Two could play at that game. "Oh yeah? And you're just the yutz that made everyone afraid of us!" Thanatos shoved Hypnos.

Hypnos began to slide, but he extended his wings creating some drag that kept him from sliding off the roof. "How is that my fault?"

"Uhhh," Thanatos pretended to guess. "Let's see. Weren't you the one who got tricked by Hera to knock out Zeus? TWICE!"

"Hey, when he woke up that second time. Scariest day of my life," Hypnos' eyes had gone wide at the memory. "I never cry for ma, but I did that day."

Thanatos felt the feathers near the base of his neck begin to rise. "Yeah, I was there," he rolled his eyes.

Hypnos wasn't even a teen when he pulled those stunts on Zeus. Before that time, the Olympians didn't really fear them, sure, they were always cautious. I mean who wouldn't for the only sons of Nyx and Erebus? So when Hera had asked Hypnos to lull Zeus to sleep during the Trojan War, Hypnos had done so without any struggle. The almighty, all-powerful Zeus had fallen under the sway of a godling with one brush of his hand. The second time, however, Hypnos wasn't as stealthy. He had gotten cocky getting away with it the first time, so when he was asked to do so again? He revealed himself too soon and Zeus got a good look at who made him go lights out. Since then, all of Olympus learned to fear the twins of sleep and death.

"Hey, I'm in a better place now. I'm not listening to gods who want to use me for their nefarious deeds or marital issues. I mean Hades tried 'while ago, but at least he set me up with this cool job till my statute of limitations is up. I mean, yeah, ma pulled some strings though Flame head got a really good kick out of my whole internship with Morpheus blowing up… But I'm doing better. And you will too," Hypnos grabbed his twin's knee and shook it. "I mean at least you still have your internship."

Thanatos scowled, tossing a tile. "You've been asleep for five years."

"So? Can't I get a quick nap?"

"Dude, everything has changed since then!" With a flap of his wings, Thanatos was on his feet. "The past four- five months alone. Hades? He unleashed the Titans-"

Hypnos grinned, "I can go back to earth?!"

"Oh he lost. Bad. Prophecy came true surprise, surprise," Thanatos muttered earning an unsurprised shrug from his twin. "And things have been insane down here ever since. I mean Hades was MU-IOTA-ALPHA for two months in Phlegethon and everything fell apart! Shades left the underworld, I got kidnapped by some psycho king, and when Hades got out Hermes got his ass fired! Meaning, I'm the guy now. I'm in a full time position!"

"Dude for real? That's awesome!" Hypnos cheered.

"No, not awesome!" Thanatos frustratedly shouted. "I suck!"

Hypnos' face fell in an instant. "Thanny, I'm so-"

It incited Thanatos even more. "Sure, I don't have a stupid sentinel job like you, but at least you can control your powers!"

"Control's a strong word…" Hypnos awkwardly brushed his hand through his curls.

"Oh and you don't even know the worst part. Hades' wife-"

"Hades married Leuce?"

Thanatos felt like strangling his twin. "We never met her!"

"Right, right, sorry. Ma just always compared her with the one she didn't like."

"Okay, you know just shut up right now! Anyway, she tried to help, and she was super nice at first-"

"Minthe was nice?"

"What did I say?!" Thanatos released a tired groan. "ANYWAY Hades' wife that isn't Minthe- long story- tried to help. Look," He started again. "I messed up so bad last week," Thanatos bowed his skull at the memory. "I collected triple the souls I was supposed to at some stupid Bacchanal cuz Bacchus loves drowning his stupid grief with his stupid parties. There was so many people and I got so confused! When I was interning with Hermes- he did parties!"

"And- and when I came to drop off my load of souls, I got held up at customs cuz I brought the wrong souls and it became this whole thing that Hades and the new missus showed up. And you would not believe how he got on me," Thanatos rubbed at his teary eyes. "But in the middle of all that, brimstone breath took a breather and Mrs. Boss cut in before he could go for round two and told me to wait outside."

"I'd never even met the lady before that, but I ran with my wings between my legs and when the doors shut, those two went at it. She's one of those first-gen Olympians. Flower deity, but man, the whole underworld heard them screaming at each other. Next thing I know, I get called back in, and Mrs. Boss asked me if I would consider getting some mentoring."

"Man, she convinced Hades to give you lessons?"

"Weren't you listening? She was."

Hypnos stared at him. "The flower goddess was offering you lessons and not... I don't know, the god who knows how your powers work?"

"Oh who cares. It doesn't matter anymore," Thanatos' voice began to whisper. "I'm done. I- she's afraid of me, okay? And I- I got so," Thanatos couldn't stop himself now that he remembered why he was here in the first place. His face began to burn as his voice hitched. "I am trying so hard, and- and I just can't do anything right!"

"I know," Hypnos whispered as soft as a breath. He didn't fully understand the whole situation from the snippets Thanatos was saying, but that didn't stop him from comforting his twin.

"And you want to know the worst part about all this?" Thanatos paused as a sob spilled over.

Hypnos embraced his twin and allowed him to cry against him. Were it one of their countless sisters, Thanatos wouldn't have been so open. But to his twin? His best friend?

"It makes me hate myself even more." Thanatos' voice sounded muffled against his twin's wooly chiton.

"Don't say things like that," Hypnos' embrace stiffened.

"Why not? It's true. I hate that everyone hates me. I hate that everyone blames me for taking their loved ones aways. And I hate how much the souls yell at me. Like it was my fault! And- and maybe that's why I can't control myself. I am under so much stress that I- that I- I don't know," Thanatos drifted off, not knowing where he was going with this.

"I don't hate you."

"No one asked," Thanatos snapped.

"Than, things are going to be okay."

"No, they're not-"

"Hey, if you didn't have control? Why am I still alive?"

"I don't know, but it's not for a lack of trying."

"Don't you get it Thanny? You wonderful, stupid brother of mine? You love life. You love mortals. The idea of causing them pain or grief or doing wrong in their eyes drives you crazy- makes you stressed and nervous. Maybe that's why you can't control yourself when you're on the job, but don't you get it?"

Thanatos' embrace began to slacken.

"Yeah it sucks that your job doesn't make you a popular god- you think college students like me? Grad students? No," Hypnos made a very pointed look at the author. "But they're the ones who need me the most, and they can fight and scream and drink gallons of coffee and energy drinks, but I give them the rest they need. I may be inconvenient, but dude, I am essential to their brain functioning. And life? Mortals? Like of course they need you. They can't continue if everyone stayed alive. That would be- that would be..."

"Divine?"

"Well... Oh you meant immortal. Yeah, man. We already got enough gods. I mean is it just me, or do we have a new sibling pop up like every other century?"

Despite his tears, Thanatos couldn't help but snort.

Hypnos grinned at the sound. "Dude," he began again, his voice soft and quiet. "I know you want people to like you, but I don't think you're doing it in a healthy way. This is stressing you out and stress doesn't help you learn. Maybe you should tell Flame head you're not ready for full-time yet? I mean-"

"But I can do it!" Thanatos' head angrily swiveled up. "I just need more practice!"

"That may be so," Hypnos started slowly. "But maybe an assistant to hone your skills can help with the stress? I mean Hermes had you for the past millenia, what's wrong with help?"

Thanatos wiped at his face and it was in that moment that he realized he had skin again. Could it be that easy? Could he have assistants? Minions? Oh he liked the sound of minions. "Huh… Since when are you smart?"

Hypnos snorted. "Not even once. I'm the idiot who left his post and now Tartarus is awake."

"Huh?"

"What? You really think I'm not aware of how you're doing when I'm snoozing? Morpheus taught me a thing or two cuz after having to deal with Phantasos all those centuries."

"… So you could've saved me when I got locked in a chest for a week?"

"Bruh, you weren't in mortal danger. You were in... time out." At the way Thanatos' was glaring at him, Hypnos began to squirm. "I just needed five more months, honest."

"That was literally the worst experience of my life! I'm pretty sure I'm claustrophobic now!"

"Shhh…" Hypnos patted Thanatos' head. "We're having a moment of sibling harmony. Best not squander it."

"No, c'mon, go put him back to sleep before Hades finds out!" Thanatos picked up Hypnos before he could realize what he was doing and with him in hand, the godling jumped off the roof of the palace and took to the air.

"Pretty sure he already knows," Hypnos muttered as his twin unceremoniously dropped him to the ground. "... why?!"

"Sorry! I thought you needed contact with him to do this?"

"Well yeah, but at least warn a guy next time," Hypnos yawned as he rolled onto his back. Just like before Hypnos' skin began to change into a shimmering gold, however, the color seeped all over his body instead of just his arms. The sleepy godling began to make a dirt harpy impression in the earth with his arms and legs stretched wide, making motions in the earth. "Hey, help a brother out," Hypnos ordered, his eyes gesturing towards his eye mask.

Thanatos quickly flew to his twin and slid the mask snugly over his eyes. Now, the godling watched enraptured as the shimmering gold began to seep out of his brother and into the ground, like streams of water into a parched land, but this time with sand.

Hopping onto a nearby toppled column, Thanatos watched the sand spread and spread all across the ground. "Hey, Hypnos, you still with me?"

When he received no response, Thanatos cheered. "Nice!"

But his mirth was short-lived as the ground began to rumble and quake again beneath them. "Shist," Thanatos cursed before lunging for his brother's comatose body.

Thanatos snatched Hypnos and quickly took to the air. "Dude, wake up, wake up!" He began to shake his twin, but while in the air, there was only so much he could do. Zipping back, Thanatos headed not towards the palace of day and night, but to the gates of Erebus.

He would've landed at the gates, but a massive crowd of monsters and daimons were amassed at the great gates of Stygian steel that separated Tartarus from Erebus. However, on closer inspection, a great stone wall had arisen and completely blockaded the former gates.

The three Hecatoncheires, beings as tall as mountains, stood at the forefront. Their hundred hands slammed their fists into this newly formed obstruction. All around them, other monsters filled in the cracks and tried to assist to the point that the mob was so large, everyone together covered almost every square inch with their slamming claws, paws, and jaws.

"What's going on?!" Thanatos flew up to Echidna's ear, the great mother of monsters as she held her yowling babies from the back of the crowd.

"Tartarus locked the gates! We've all been trying to escape after the first quake, but it's no use!"

Thanatos paled at the news. Quickly the godling flitted down to the middle of the stairs that led up the gates and deposited his brother on them as monsters and imps ran or flew past them. "Hey, wake up, wake up!" He patted his brother's face but received no response.

Thanatos scanned the sea of monsters, but a familiar yellow imp stood out to him. "Neurosis! I need your help!"

"Huh?!" The imp shook like a leaf at the sound of his name. "You calling me, baby? No, why would he call me? There's a zillion other guys out here. Am I hearing things now? What's that gonna do to my health insurance?"

Thanatos didn't have time to roll his eyes at the imp's antic and picked him up before he could scurry. "Yeah, you, babe!"

"Gee, Than. You really are a pal, I just wish I could help ya out. Really I do, but what good will I do? I mean I barely get any work in this fluctuating job market. I've had to turn to freelance and boy, they never tell you how cutthroat the field can get-"

At this point, Thanatos zoned out the imp's monologuing and set him down on top of Hypnos' unconscious body.

"I don't think sitting on your brother's gonna be any use. I mean, I know I'm not exactly packing away any beef, but what if I crush his little ribcage, and he can't breathe anymore? Or worse, what's your mother gonna think that I helped ya kill your brother. Tale as old as time that one. Why if I was you-"

"Something's wrong..." Hypnos groggily came to.

"You're awake! Neurosis, you did it!" Thanatos shook the imp's shoulders in excitement.

"Boy what a feeling!" Neurosis grinned. "But what if it gets to my head and then I'll never be able to do better than this?"

Choosing to ignore the imp's ramblings, Thanatos helped Hypnos to his feet.

"I don't get it. That should've knocked Tartarus out," Hypnos shook his head, shaking sand out of his curls. "I put everything into that one, and he never needs that much to go lights out."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Uncle Tartarus is just like our pops, they nap for eons. When you're that old and that ancient, I get it. Sure, they'll go and grab a cup of milk before going back every millenia or so. I mean a lot of time I don't need to keep Tartarus sedated, that's usually all him unless he get really fussy. Like when did you say Hades unleashed the Titans?"

"Five- six months?"

"Dude, okay now that makes sense. Tartarus woke up pretty mad 'round that time frame, and I took him out before he made any real damage."

"Boy, would I hate to be you two right now," Neurosis spoke up, reminding the twin's of his presence.

"Don't do this to me now, dude!" Thanatos sighed.

"What? I'm try'na help? But uh-" The imp gestured to the gates and suddenly a cold rush of fear swept both twin's hearts as the sea of monsters began to scatter as a pair of metal spikes jutted out from the center of the blockade.

"Your goose is cooked."

A boom rocked the gates. A conflagration far larger than the gates itself burst through the blockade, sending stone and steel flying through, incinerating the few unfortunate monsters that did not escape fast enough. Despite the explosion, despite the avalanche that was occurring before their very eyes a shout was heard over it all.

"THANATOS!"

The godling trembled at the shout. "Oh gods…" Hades never said his name correctly.

"Phew, dodged an arrow there," Hypnos sighed in forced relief.

"HYPNOS!"

"... Never mind."

From the cloud of smoke, Hades emerged upon his chariot and whipped his team of horses straight towards the cowering twins.

"WHERE IS PERSEPHONE?!"

Drip...

Drip...

Persephone gasped as she came too. On instinct, the goddess wiped away the droplets that were sliding down her temples, but hissed in pain at the way the liquid burned against her skin. With her senses collected, Persephone found herself on her back unable to make heads or tails of what she was looking at.

Darkness stretched to infinity everywhere she gazed. Or at least what she could perceive as such. It was like being in a room made of nothingness. There was no rock, no dirt, no sound, no light. Her own hair was as dim as could be, flickering like the dying embers of a fireplace.

How she missed sunlight- moonlight- starlight- oh Fates. Summer up above, what else could compare? It was so cold. It made her want to close her eyes and- no! Persephone imagined herself wrapped in Hades' embrace.

She had to get out of here!

Persephone began to shift, but paused at the familiar crunch of dried plants beneath her. It was a relief to be able to hear something so normal. Did that mean?

Placing a hand to her head, Persephone then brought it in front of her vision and in the dim light stared hard at what she assumed to be the golden points of ichor upon her fingertips. She'd already healed, but there was still evidence she'd been hurt.

Slowly, Persephone lifted her torso and grimaced at the pain of it all as she rotated to her side. What is this place? Is this where Chaos laid to rest? Was she past the edge of the cosmos devoid of substance and all matter?

"Tisiphone? Megaera?" She called out to the furies as she tried to light a flame, but the more she tried, the more she felt her sides heave from exertion. Frustratedly, Persephone relented her attempts and slammed her hand to the ground, causing an unexpected splash.

Persephone flinched at the unexpected sensation of water and brought her hand to her. The goddess gazed in wide wonder as light issued forth from the ripples she caused. What relief she felt turned to silent terror as empty, dead eyes numbered in the millions- billions stared back at her.

Persephone brought a hand to her mouth before she could scream. In her panic, she was on her feet in an instant as wailing began to echo and abound. From her disturbance, a subterranean lake began to unveil itself as vast and as wide as the path of the ripples undulated to in a perfect ring of khlōros-colored light.

Shades.

Persephone felt herself begin to feel sick.

This wasn't right. The souls of Tartarus were above them. These souls weren't meant to be here.

Persephone spun and spun around her island shaped like her body silhouette. One step upon the narrow edge had water splash upon her foot and the goddess hissed in pain, but Persephone felt her heart rise and beat in her chest in silent elation. She knew that burning sensation. Had swam in it for far longer than she could endure. This... This was-

"Phlegethon. We're at the end of Phlegethon," Persephone shouted her realization amid the uproar of the soul's collective weeping and howling at their awakening.

Screaming, wailing cries of terror, and pleas of help. The shouts of a hundred generations filled the subterranean prison. Like cacophony, the wild ramblings of maddened individuals was a symphony- a legion of discordant frenzy. And all their weeping, all their gnashing of teeth were directed towards her.

Oh Hades, what have you done?

A/N: Chapter split in half so that I can follow Hypnos' advice and my chapter a month goal. I have one last qual to study for y'all!

And have a ghoulishly Happy Halloween, my dear readers! Till then!