4.1
[Hades] [Fate/Grand Order]
Hades Order (Jesse Lee) (Anata_Suruu)
Few tales are told of Hades, whose very name inspires fear and penitence. Reminding us of the inevitable fate we all share.
I, however, mean to tell you such a tale. Listen carefully…
Zagreus was mid-fall as he Awoke, landing outside the gate as he stood up, pulling up his sword as he was about to sift through his memories for the loop, not expecting anything different…
Only for a second figure to drop down beside him, he turned, looking towards a girl with bright orange hair, slightly shorter than him… in fact, just like him, she had a pretty pale complexion, and as she stood up, opening her eyes, a pair of yellow, glowing orbs, he took her in. She was wearing a fairly similar outfit to him, only it was more fitting for her figure, even if it was made for free movement. The colors were reversed as well, being more predominantly black over red.
"Well this is a pleasant surprise," Zagreus noted as the girl shook her head. "Wasn't expecting a visitor."
"Tell me about it," the girl started as she looked up at him. "Wouldn't be the first time I've been to the underworld, nor first time breaking out," she noted, cracking her neck, and Zagreus noted that a version of Malphon was on the girl's fists, some sort of brawler then? "Though, first time being a denizen of it."
"Sounds like your place is a fun time," Zagreus said with a smirk as he rested the Stygius on his shoulder, the girl looking at her own weapon, the form of Malphon being fairly similar to his own… heck outside of the color scheme it was identical, with it being white and purple rather than black and purple.
"Yeah, it is. So what's your name? Haven't checked my memories yet," the girl noted as she stretched and Zagreus nodded.
"Well, I'm Zagreus. Son of Hades, as much as he wishes I wasn't, sometimes." the girl chuckled as she gave a small two finger salute to him.
"Ritsuka Fujimaru back home, but it seems here my name is Lotós," she said, before dismissing Malphon for a moment and holding out her hand. "I'm pretty new to this, but it seems we're brother and sister here."
He took her hand. "Well that's a new situation, but we'll see how it goes, I guarantee it'll be interesting," they shook, and turned towards the hallway, ready to make their first attempt at escape.
It was not going to be their last.
"Well…" Zagreus muttered as he walked out of the Pool of Styx. "I wasn't expecting that Lotós,"
"Sorry Zag, not used to being in the thick of it myself," she admitted, accepting the name as she wiped a bit of the Styx out of her hair.
They'd made it to the edge of Tartarus, not exactly an amazing first run, given Lotós had taken a few hits along the way. He'd noticed a small pang in his chest when she did, but it was when they fought Meg and she'd managed to catch Lotós with her whip that they'd already found out the nasty gimmick.
If one of them died, they both did, and judging by the pangs in his chest when she got hit, they were sharing their lifeforce in some manner.
"Back already?" Both of them walked down the hall to Hades' desk together. "Lotós, I thought you were better than this."
"Sorry father, but I can't just let him go out there alone, especially since I'd end up back here if he goes anyway. Might as well have a little fun," Lotós remarked as Hades raised an eyebrow.
"Really sis? A bit of fun, I would hope we could have more than that, running around Tartarus," Zagreus added with a smirk as Lotós looked at him and laughed.
"Oh come now, where would you be without me?" she jested as he chuckled.
"Probably halfway through Apsodel by now, given our circumstances," he said, and Hades scoffed.
"You're both stupid. Boy, I told you no one gets out of here, alive or dead. I don't appreciate you two wantonly ransacking my domain," the god of the dead remarked.
"Well with said wanton ransacking we got a bit closer to the surface, so I found it quite a delight," Zagreus noted as Lotós followed.
"I suppose we'll just have to be on our way then, see ya soon!" she said, her smile a bright ball of sunshine despite her still very recent brush with death.
"Ugh... How she can be cheerful with this situation, I have no idea. Regardless of how Lotós acts however, she is still apparently aiding you, so she is as viable a target as you will be when you both attempt to escape again. Megaera will put a stop to you both yet again. That much I can guarantee." Hades said plainly.
"Oh, I think you might be surprised." Zagreus replied before walking away, Lotós quickly went over to Cerberus and gave the big dog a nice pet on the head before following after him towards Nyx.
"So now that we have a moment, care to tell me about yourself?" Zagreus asked as Lotós hummed.
"I believe we'd need a bit more private a place for that conversation, brother of mine," she said, spinning around him and walking backwards as he chuckled.
"Well then, sister dearest, let's pay Nyx a visit and get ready for the next go." Zagreus spun her around, having her walk forward as they went towards Nyx.
"You two have come home," Nyx remarked as they approached.
"Yes, but we have hit a significant roadblock." Zagreus replied.
"The shared lifeforce. I was worried that would be what would hold you back, my children." Nyx said, putting a finger to her chin.
"You knew about this?" Lotós replied.
Nyx hummed in thought, "I had my suspicions... suspicions that are now confirmed. You two are bound by the Fates themselves."
"One goes, so does the other, and we both end up right back here. I could go out alone, or he, but if one of us died it wouldn't matter where the other is, right?" Lotós positited as Zagreus crossed his arm.
"Fun time that, what if I wanted a bit of sleep and she went got herself stabbed?" he joked as his 'sister' scoffed.
"Please, if you did that I'd drag you out of the pool to make sure we both don't drown," she said with a smirk as Nyx smiled at them both.
"It pleases me that you are taking this in good spirits, though the fact that you both share life means that if you wish to escape, you both need to exercise caution. The Mirror of Darkness should aid you in your quest. The abilities you can gain from it should help alleviate the pressures of your future attempts."
"Thanks Nyx," Lotós said with a soft smile.
"Indeed, we'll get right back to it then," Zagreus added as they both passed through the door to their rooms. Zagreus' normal room was effectively split down the middle, with a bit more privacy on either side. The differences were quite clear, with Zagreus' being its usual mess, while Lotós' side was more clean. A bit like opposites in a way.
"So then, now that we're alone, shall we share some stories?" Zagreus asked as Lotós nodded.
"Yeah, I've got quite a few to tell myself, so strap in," Lotós added as he smirked.
"Oh come now, can't be that bad."
"Wait, so you're telling me you've died how many times? In baseline?" Zagreus questioned as Lotós nodded, a finger on her chin.
"I've already stopped counting. Dying to my foes isn't exactly a hard thing to do, piss them off, say the wrong thing, do things the wrong way, heck even just random variants have rendered the baseline uncompletable just because someone was swapped with someone else unable to do the job, and I didn't have a companion on hand who could pick up the slack, and on occasion, the ones I did get were... not the best," She explained, before lowering her hands as she kicked her legs over the side of her bed.
Zagreus hummed in thought. This sort of thing he knew well, but still...
"Well, at least Hypnos isn't around to say what you can do to avoid the next death." He said in a joking manner.
She chuckled. "Please, if he said it like that he'd probably end up getting us both killed," she jested.
"Suppose he would. Though I do have to ask, what's the most spectacular way you've died?" Zagreus questioned as Lotós sighed.
"You know, it's probably a toss up. Technically the guy who warps in and kills me if I say the wrong thing does it in an overly spectacular manner via planet busting attack, but that's usually instant. If I wanted to say what I thought was the most spectacular that I actually bore witness to, that would have to be the time I got blown up by Zeus when in a variant he actually had the entire Olympians under his command. Turns out there really isn't an effective way to fight a mech that's several miles high and made of machine gods. Got a cool fight before I did die though, tried my best," she said, clearly with fond memories of the event, even if it had ended with her own demise.
"I see... I do have a question however."
"What?"
"What's a mech?"
"So… hold on," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small action figure of Talos, the 'Guardian of Crete'. "See how this thing is made of metal?" she asked, handing it over to him.
"Talos? Yes, I can see. I can assume it's similar to this 'mech'?"
"Yeah, except there's a chamber you can control it with." Lotós said as she took the figure of Talos back. "So think of it as a controllable version of Talos."
Zagreus nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. Much more than Monika's attempt at explaining a computer."
"Wait, you don't know what a computer is?"
"I do, but I honestly cannot get the hang of one that well. All I know is that this is a game in the Hub." Zagreus shrugged as he walked towards the balcony, with Lotós following behind him.
"Huh... I wonder what my world's like in the Hub. Guess I'll figure it out eventually." Lotós said as she saw a living skeleton in the middle of the room they entered. "Uh... Hello?"
"Heya. Name's Skelly. Nice ta meetcha." Skelly said as he assumed a ready position.
"And to what do I presume you're here for?" Zagreus asked, despite knowing the answer already.
"Well I'm here for you to give it to me, so let me have it kiddos!" Skelly offered, asking for the pain.
"Oh, uh… Zag?" she looked to him, and he shrugged.
"He comes back," he noted and she nodded, summoning her Malphon fists and beginning to go through the motions.
He watched her form, which was not amazing, but she was working on it. Beyond the simple rapid punching, she kept clawing at different angles, and eventually went for a strong uppercut, blowing Skelly's head clean off as he faded away with a croak. After a couple seconds, he popped back up. "And I'm back!"
"Well, it seems we're sharing the set at the moment, hold on," He put back the Sytgius, before pulling out a spare from his pocket. "There, try taking it."
She came over to him, and grabbed the Stygius he'd left behind, when she did, the blade's color swapped from red to black, and the hilt itself also turned red, a mirror of his own aspect. The symbol of a skull however had changed to the symbol of a lotus.
"Wait, where'd ya pull that out of, Boyo?" Skelly asked, clearly demonstrating that he's not Looping.
"Just a little holdover from previous run throughs." Zag explained without really explaining.
Skelly stared for a short moment, before shrugging. "Eh, not my business really."
Meanwhile, Lotós took a few tentative swings with her own version of Stygius, taking note of its weight and balance. "Shockingly light."
"You know, it's a little surprising, aside from the colors and a few design choices, they appear rather similar." He pointed his own sword towards her, and she held out her own, noting that, outside of the colors and the emblem… they were practically identical.
"I wonder if any of the others will be the same." Lotós remarked.
"Depends. All I know is that we'll need to get some Cythonic Keys first." Zagreus said.
"Don't you have a stash in your Pocket?"
"Obviously... but where's the fun in that?"
Lotós looked at him, before smirking and nodding in agreement before they walked to the window, ready for another go.
"Agh... Who'd have thunk that a hydra would be there?" Lotós said as she crawled out of the Pool of Styx."
"Not a Hydra. The Lernian Hydra." Zagreus replied as he shook out the blood from his hair.
"Didn't you call him Lernie?" She replied.
"I did. That's the name I gave him."
"Well... not the weirdest quirk I've seen." Lotós said before bumping into Megaera. She got into a fighting pose before Meg held out a hand.
"Oh... you two. Don't bother. No fighting allowed in the House of Hades."
"Oh... okay." She went awkwardly returned to her usual pose before Meg turned to Zagreus.
"I'm not sure what you two did, but you clearly did something to make yourselves stronger. Whatever it was, I doubt you'd be able to make it past me without it."
Zagreus raised his hands. "Oh come now Meg. You have to admit we did it on our own. Though my beloved sister could've made sure not to dodge into your strikes."
"HEY!" Lotós shouted.
"Hmph, she's no fighter. Not yet. Of course I suppose with you two being tied to each other, and your attempts at escape, her being dragged along is just par for the course," Meg noted, crossing her arms.
"I assure you Meg, this is done of her own volition. She could easily stay here like a good girl and not have to deal with my escape attempts."
"But she'd still get hurt and die. That's just the nature of your curse."
"You call it a curse. We call it a bond." Zag said with a smile as Lotós nodded along.
"Well they say some things are thicker than blood, I just suppose ours truly is, even if we are already related," Lotós recited and looked towards her brother.
"Just goes to show how close we are already sister," Zagreus noted with a gentle punch to her shoulder, Lotós giggling as she tapped him back.
Meg looked at the two before going to her spot in the hallway before muttering to herself. "Ugh... when's the lounge going to be open again?"
"Probably after all of Cerberus' mess is picked up Meg!" Lotós reported from down the hallway as Zagreus looked over to said dog, who was in his usual spot chilling by their father's desk.
"Well, let's get right back to it shall we? We've got some keys, let's see what you can do," Zagreus wrapped an arm around Lotós' shoulder, leading her on as they went to swap tools and try again.
As it turned out, Lotós' own version of Coronacht was, like the other two weapons so far, the same as Zagreus' save for its colors, blue over purple. A fairly dark blue, but still blue.
"Opposite yet equal. I think that seems to be the theme of your personal Aspects." Zagreus remarked.
"Probably..." Lotós tested the tension of the string. "Aspects?"
"You see, the Infernal Arms were not originally mine. Back in the war between the Olymians and the Titans, these weapons were used by the children of Kronos against him. Of course, this was when they were young and didn't really know what their specialty was. As a result, Stygius used to be wielded by..." Zagreus shifted the form of Stygius to the form from when Posiedon used it. "Posiedon. Of course, even he will admit that he was terrible at it, and that's why my... our father trained him in the art of the spear, and why Posiedon is renowned for his trident."
"Interesting. So for Coronacht..."
"Hera used it in battle. Father calls it a weapon for cowards. Maybe it is, but you cannot deny that it is a lethal weapon all the same."
"Well you see, back home the most common use of a bow is to smack your enemies with it, I don't see what's so cowardly," she remarked with a grin.
"Okay... now I have to try that out later." Zag admitted with a grin.
"Why not right now? I certainly plan on it," she offered, walking towards Skelly as he prepared to take his punishment. He watched her rush forward, nocking an arrow as she slashed him with the bow, and firing point blank in his face, the arrow piercing him and getting embedded in the wall before vanishing. "Seems it can be used in melee, even if it ain't the best."
"Normally, I just rapid-fire a volley in an arc, but that works too. I suppose the look on Father's face when I smack him in the face will be worth the pain from getting close to him."
"Wait, we're gonna have to fight him?"
"Yes. He takes escapes very seriously, and remember, he taught Poseidon how to use a spear."
Lotós looked at her bow and then at the rest of the Infernal Arms she amassed, before looking back at her brother.
"Are there more weapons to look for? Like, I dunno, a gun?"
Zagreus chuckled. "Actually yes, but first... key hunt." Zagreus said as he walked towards the window.
"Oh thank G... wait there's actually a gun here?"
"Ok, that time was on me," Zagreus admitted as they walked out of the Pool of Styx again, sheepish as Lotós chuckled.
"You really wanted to smack him in the face like that didn't you?" she asked as Zagreus smirked.
"Well it's not a hard choice. He can be pretty arrogant afterall," Zagreus pointed out. Their most recent death had occured in Elysium, against Theseus and Asterius. It hadn't been the first time they'd fought them, in fact it was the fifth. Zagreus had elected to use Coronacht to… smack Theseus in the face and then shoot him and Asterius in the same shot..
After the many have gotten over being literally hit by a bow, he'd instantly used a call from Zeus, which had ended with both Lotós and Zagreus getting shocked as he hadn't been expecting that sort of reaction.
As they walked past Hypnos, who was actually snorting from what he'd just read of their most recent death, but not saying anything they moved towards Hades' desk to speak to him.
"You two have been causing quite the mess, I hope you both know that," Hades said extremely bluntly as Lotós shrugged.
"Hey I'm not the one who breaks the pots," she offered as Zagreus smirked.
"No, but you are the one who breaks the pillars," he pointed out as she huffed as Hades sighed.
"What am I going to do with you two…" Hades muttered as he shook his head.
"I mean at least we're also getting the funds for your renovations dad," Lotós said with a cheery smile as Hades nodded.
"I still don't see why you have to prioritize making things harder for us Lo," Zagreus commented as Hades huffed.
"Because unlike you boy, she at least maintains a modicum of respect for her father. Something you could learn to maintain as well, now begone, I have work to do." Hades ordered, ignoring Lotós once again walking over to Cerberus and giving the big dog some nice rubs.
"Suppose I should get back to 'work' myself then. You coming sister dearest?" Zagreus remarked as she spun to him.
"Of course brother of mine," she said with a smile, as Hades sighed, shaking his head. These two were going to be the undeath of him.
The pair took a moment to visit the lounge after said quick discussion, with Lotós trading a bit of Darkness for a few Chthonic Keys, intent on picking up the next weapon.
Returning to the armory Zagreus directed her towards either Varatha or Aegis. She went for Aegis first. He watched as the shield shifted forms, once more appearing similar to Zagreus' own Aspect of it, with the colors somewhat inverted. The skull on the front was painted black, while the green crystal was now red like blood. The wreath of red had turned green, while the black of the shield had turned bone white. A silver rim was met with golden spikes, leaving Zagreus to hum.
"You know, the more I learn about my own tools, the more I wonder just how much more there is to them," he noted as Lotós looked to Skelly.
"One of my best friends uses a shield to fight as well, may I ask how you fight with it?" Lotós questioned as she spun the shield around and he nodded.
"Well I tend to just bash things with it. It's a shield, not exactly a lot of finesse to smacking someone," he commented as she smirked.
"I think that's where our styles are gonna differ here, watch this Zag," Lotós commented before she rushed at Skelly in a bullrush, fairly similar to himself, but the way she swung Aegis was less his standard bludgeon, and more akin to a small dance. A forward thrust with the shield, followed by a bash in a slashing motion, and ending with spinning the shield around her arm, uppercutting Skelly and sending his bones flying.
"Wooo!" the skeleton shouted as he scattered before fading away, and reappearing. "Gotta say kid, you pack a serious punch when you wanna."
"Hmm," Zagreus brought out his own Aegis, giving it a few swings in the air. "Think I'll stick with my own style, after all I've spent a while training it," he admitted as Lotós nodded.
"Yeah, probably for the best. So what do we do with this Nectar stuff?" she asked, pulling out a bottle of it as he smirked.
"Well, aside from drinking it, I tend to hand it out to my friends. If you don't plan on building bonds here, keep it," Zagreus noted as Lotós tossed it up and down… before tossing it to him.
He blinked in surprise before she smiled. "I can think of at least one person I already care about here," she noted as Zagreus chuckled before Pocketing the Nectar anyway.
"Well then, if that's how it's gonna be," he pulled out a bottle of his own, throwing it to her. She smiled as she caught it, Pocketing the bottle herself as they both looked towards the window. "Let's commemorate with another round."
"Yep, onward and upward Zag," she said cheerily as she carried Aegis to the window, Zagreus swapping for the Sytgius himself before they both leapt down for another run through the Underworld.
"I think that's stupid," Zagreus commented as Lotós walked out of the Pool of Styx with him.
"Uh… why does it say here that Lotós killed you Zag?" Hypnos asked as Hades actually looked up from his desk in surprise.
"Stupid Olypmians forced us to fight to the death or they wouldn't unlock the damn door. They don't know we can't do that," Lotós complained. They'd been offered a choice of two boons by Zeus and Athena, and since they'd already figured out that they didn't share godly boons a while ago, the had just decided to take both, one each. Zagreus had taken Zeus' boon and Lotós had taken Athena's.
That apparently still managed to piss them both off, leading to them force locking the door and having them fight to the death… or as 'fight' as they could, as neither of them had wanted to kill each other, and it had only been after two hours of trying to force the door open Zagreus had told Lotós to just kill him to send them back to the House.
"They did what!? In my underworld!?" Hades actually stood up, surprising Zagreus as Lotós crossed her arms. "This is unacceptable," he started as Nyx came over from the hallway.
"For once, we are in agreement with that, forcing the very children they believe to be aiding in escape into fighting each other," Nyx noted as Hades very pointedly did not look at her.
"Hmph," he sat down. "You two will never speak of your condition to them, understood?" Hades started, and Lotós winced and Zagreus shrugged.
"Wasn't planning on it old man, if they knew, they'd probably just force us to keep doing it," Zagreus noted as Lotós nodded.
"As much as I would prefer to see you both back here again and again, the fact remains, I would much rather you not kill each other. We aren't supposed to do the same as those fools of Mount Olympus," Hades remarked before getting back to his paperwork. "Now, begone, both of you,"
"Much the same. I would hate to see your bond torn by battle," Nyx noted as she returned to the hallway.
Both Zagreus and Lotós went to the lounge after that one.
"I'm surprised, my… our old man actually gave a damn about me," he noted as she smiled.
"He can't be that bad brother," she noted as she sat in a chair kicking her legs. They'd already been going at this for at least a couple dozen times at the very least. At the very least they know that eight Olympians were helping them… when they weren't spurned of course.
"Well, he actually cares a little bit later, after I return mother back here," he admitted quietly as Lotós sighed, and starting drawing circles with her finger on the table.
"You know… it's actually strange to me… you want to hear something Zag?" Lotós asked as Zagreus shrugged.
"Dunno, is it something we should be talking about here?" he responded back as she sat up.
"In a more private place," she said, standing up and walking back to their shared room, or rooms as it were, one there, standing in front of the Mirror… she looked at herself, up and down.
"So, what's on your mind sis?" Zagreus asked as Lotós took a very deep breath.
She reached out towards the mirror with one hand, and then put her hand to her face with the other, gently feeling her own pale skin. "...It's odd… having family," she noted as he chuckled.
"Well we're got one hell of an extended one, I mean I know you said you aren't normally a deity, but… having family? Don't you have parents or something at least?" Zagreus asked as Lotós tapped the mirror with one finger.
"...I am Ritsuka Fujimaru, the forty-eighth Master of Chaldea. I apparently was on a volleyball team at one point, and one of my childhood heroes of Ushiwakamaru… that is the extent to which I am defined Zagreus. Everything else can change, and does, every single Loop. Everything from my gender to my age, my family, my home, where I'm from… but none of it matters as I never get to connect with any of it anyway. My entire Baseline I never get to meet my family… nor do I ever get to experience the outside world for real. Like you, my life is forever trapped in a cage... " she took a deep breath. "But rather than break out, I choose to stay in it, because I'm the only one who can save the world, over, and over again."
"...Everything?" Zagreus asked, trying to imagine just how much of a nightmare that could be, to never have anything be the same between every iteration, save your own memories, and with that your personality.
"Those three facts are all that truly define me, and sometimes one of those doesn't even apply, that being the one about being on a volleyball team," she continued before wrapping her arms around herself. "And yet here…" she closed her eyes. "...I am Lotós, daughter of Hades and Persephone, sister of Zagreus. Niece of the Olympians and princess of the Underworld. And so much more… rather than back home where everything changes and the fact I am a near blank slate means nothing… here," she held her hands to her face. "I...have an identity… one that matters… one that defines who I am. I didn't even have that much in Fódlan…"
Zagreus walked up behind her, catching her before the girl could fall to her knees. "Hey, listen to me," Zagreus started as he could hear the tears actually hitting the floor. Hundreds of years building up, and releasing at once as he pulled her hands away from her face. "If that's such a problem, then find a way to define yourself. Just because who the world says you are changes, doesn't mean you have to. After all, you've told me some of your stories. You've clearly got friends, people who care about you and that you care about, no matter who you are."
"Where would I even begin Zag? All I've ever been is the Master of Chaldea, my entire existence has been defined as finding the best way to save the world, and to give others a chance to live… that I never truly have," she said softly as he looked down at her.
"And do you hate that?" he asked, the small, thankless hero. The once normal girl who had become a world's savior. Nothing defined them, save that they were 'The Master of Chalea, the friend of all Servants.' The so-called 'Savior' of Human History. Never celebrated for their efforts by anyone but the dead, only respected by their enemies for their achievements. A destroyer who killed entire timelines just for the unpromised hope to save her own world. To Zagreus, the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was like she was trapped in her own personal layer of Tartarus. And unlike him, the consequences for breaking out were far, far worse.
She was silent for several moments, probably thinking about how to respond. "...I don't, I can't. I have to keep moving forward, and I have to keep going. It all depends on me, whether I like it or not… I can't do that to them, I care… I care about the world that doesn't care about me."
The girl, at least, had already defined herself with the heart of a hero. "Well, that's a start. You've certainly got more to you than some people, that's for sure. You've got an unbreakable will, just like me. We'll never stop until we reach our goals. I'll bring back my mother, and prevent war between the House of Hades and Olypmus, and you will save the world. Even if no one else will ever appreciate it, even if they'd condemn you for what you've had to do, I will. After all, I wreck my way through the Underworld every loop. And if you've put up with that for this long, you can keep on going," Zagreus continued, before smiling at her. "How about we take things slow, cool our heels as it were, after all, we've got an entire Underworld to explore and fight through on our way to mother… You do want to meet your mother, yes?"
That lit a fire back in her eyes. "There's that light," he said with a smile, helping her back to her feet. "Now come on, our journey is only just beginning… would you prefer it, if I called you Ritsuka?"
She shook her head. "No… call me Lotós," she said softly, before nodding. "I'll be Ritsuka when I'm home at Chaldea. Here… here I'll be Lotós," she said, reaffirming the name the Loop had given her. Even if this may never come again, she would be whoever she wanted to be. In a way… she wanted to be here, she loved her home, she would defend her home.
But that didn't mean she had to only have one home.
"Well then, let's give father a reason to renovate again, shall we?" Zagreus joked as he summoned Stygius again, and she summoned Aegis, both of them walking together to leap out the window, ready for their next rampage through the gates of Tartarus.
"Left Lotós!" Zagreus called, and as he did a bullet shot the last witch. Lotós was wielding the Exagryph, which like every other Infernal Arm, was a mirror of her brother's, with only a different color scheme but the same functions, even if their fighting styles differed. Equal yet opposite. Varatha had been the same.
In her hands, the spear was similarly a reverse of its normal colors, being a brighter green while the gems were as green as a pine tree. The white wings had been replaced with silver, while the silver on the spear had turned white. She'd used it a few times before now.
Exagryph, in her hands, was still the same as with Zagreus, only with its colors being different once more. In place of gold, it was silver, in place of blue, it was red. The red that was normally there was swapped with blue. The powerful weapon proved to be another deadly tool in her arsenal.
And now, for the first time, they had finally reached the surface. A Saytr Sack now in their possession, which Zagreus was now carrying. He was holding Varatha himself. Together, they returned to Cerberus, giving the hound of hell his snack. And for the first time… he let them pass.
It was an interesting feeling, walking onto the surface alongside someone, rather than on his own. It probably wouldn't be the first time. Nor would it be the last this Loop. Zagreus knew that.
"Here we are," Zagreus took a deep breath.
"Took us a while to get here didn't it?" Lotós asked as she rested Exagryph on her shoulder, both of them in relatively good condition this run. They'd managed to avoid another snafu in a Duo Boon room by just having Zagreus pick one of the two, leaving them to only fight the enhanced monsters rather than each other, and then the other boon had been given to Lotós. In a way, working together was a blessing, the eyes the other needed, and they'd swapped roles as defender, and attacker throughout.
A rhythm they would now have to put to the test against Hades himself.
They walked out into the snowy field, and by the exit was none other than their father.
"Father. I take it you don't wish for us to escape." Zagreus remarked.
"It shouldn't have had to come to this you two. For all of your antics both with me and around the house, I have kept my temper, have I not?" Hades remarked before scoffing. "Unlike you boy."
"Well I could go down the full list for what you've done to us both, but that would be a pretty long one, so let's keep it basic. To me specifically, you've continually been berating while to her you've been at least calm, if distant. You've lied to both of us, but that's something everyone's been doing lately. You've mustered the forces of the damnned to kill us over and over, and while I doubt you gave the order, they aren't stupid, recognizing that my sister just so happens to be the easier target. Most of our deaths have come from her side, but I will admit my fair share of that as well," Zagreus noted before shaking his head. "But you have kept your temper, with me at least. I still recall your outburst at finding out the Olympians forced us to fight, what was that the most you've cared about me in centuries?"
Hades took a deep breath, before looking to Lotós. "...I'll ask you this once. Please, step aside, and go back home. I'll even refrain from killing him if you step back, and walk with you myself."
Lotós blinked, her eyes beginning to fill with tears at Hades' more gentle tone, nearly dropping Exagryph. "Dad…"
Zagreus stepped forward, putting his arm in front of her. "We came here for a reason sister. But if you can't stand to fight him, I'll do it myself," he began to step forward as Hades glared, Lotós clutching Exagryph like some sort of security blanket as Zagreus summoned Varatha.
"I would have thought you'd try to convince her to fight, like how you convinced her to share your burden," Hades remarked as he looked at Zagreus.
"She's in a fragile state. I'm many things, but I think we can both agree that having to force my own sister to fight our father is quite distasteful. You yourself tried to keep us from having a family feud," Zagreus retorted as Hades closed his eyes.
"Very well, I'm taking you home, one way, or another," Hades threw off his cape, it burning away amid the snow as he summoned Gigaros, only for Lotós to step forward, raising Exagryph weakly.
"Lotós…" Hades started as she spoke.
"There are answers I need to find dad… I'm not going to fight you because Zagreus wants me to. I'm not going to stand back because you asked me to. I…" she closed her eyes. "I need to do this, to find out just who I am." Lotós raised Exagryph once more the light, the fire in her eyes returning.
"Whatever do you mean. You are my daughter Lotós, I know not what sort of fragile state Zagreus claims you are in, but that is a fact, and that will not change," Hades remarked as Lotós nearly crumpled again at his words… and not out of them being any form of scathing.
Zagreus stepped in, either to force a fight or rekindle Lotós' fire; he wasn't sure, but he knew what he was about to say would get their father mad. "Alright, well you may be our father, but what of mother. Why stop us from seeing her?"
Hades' eyes lit up, and we went silent, before raising Gigaros, and vanishing, the Helm of Darkness concealing his movements as Zagreus looked to the snow. Suddenly there was a sound of gunfire, Lotós having spun around as Hades reappeared again, blocking the bullets from Exagryph with Gigaros. Of course, Daedalus made sure to leave behind a hammer behind in Elysium, so she had an ace up her sleeve. Pulling the other trigger, a rocker spewed forward, enhanced with Artemis' boon. Hades' took the brunt of a masterful crit as Zag dashed in and stabbed his father with a Dionesian wine coated blade with rapid fury. Hades disappeared again, and Zag and Lotós went back to back.
"Father, I know you're out there." Zagreus spoke up.
A flaming skull flew by, and nearly hit the two. "Go home! Your mother cannot be allowed to be revealed to the others!"
"Why not?" Lotós replied by unleashing a flurry of Zeus enhanced bullets, emptying her magazine within seconds.
"Because I said so!" Hades said as he swung his spear in a circle. Lotós, having not seen this move before, took the brunt of it, along with Zag once he dealt with the skull before it exploded. The two groaned as they felt themselves at half death. Zag took out a flask and tossed it at Hades. Direct hit.
"You think this will stop me?" The God of the Dead said just before lightning struck him. "Gah! Blasted Zeus."
"Hopefully Zeus and Artemis' combined might can pull through after that." Zag said to himself as Lotós readied a Phalanx Cast.
Hades dashed out of the way and thrusted his spear at Zagreus, who definitely saw that coming and responded with throwing his spear, Athena's power coursing through it.
Hades winced as it was recalled before he turned to his children.
"I must admit, you've gotten strong, but not strong enough." Hades planted his spear into the ground and summoned several Numbskulls to distract the duo before disappearing again..
"Of course, he'd summon foes to fight us." Lotós mumbled under her breath.
"Least they're Numbskulls. Easy prey." Zag said as he furiously stabbed at the floating skulls at the same time Lotós opened fire on the rest.
The two went back to back again.
"Got some more in you, dad?" Lotós asked, gripping her gun tightly.
"More than you think." Hades said as he appeared and swung his spear in a circle again. The two dashed away, both making sure to take Athena's blessing of protection.
Zag stabbed with his spear rapidly once more and Lotós fired upon her father again. The combined might certainly was doing a number on him, and he planted his spear again, summoning some of Elysium's exalted to fight off his children.
"Oh for... not these guys again. I hate the ones with shields." Lotós groaned in exasperation.
"You and me both." Zag said as they dodged behind two Greatshields and attacked them quickly. Zag threw another bottle of Dionysus' wine and the fog that came from it attracted more of Zeus' lightning. Hades appeared to try and hit Lotós, but she dodged and fired a rocket at him, killing one of the exalted in the process, right before Zag dealt with the resulting spirit trying to seek out a new host.
"Enough of this!" Hades said as he thrusted his spear at the two. They dodged and landed their strikes once more.
Everything came crashing down on Hades as he collapsed.
"Alright Dad... admit it. We beat you. We're going to see mom now, whether you like it or not." Lotós said with affirmation.
Hades groaned before grasping his spear. "No... You're not. I have more left in me yet."
"Lotós... I think he wants to go for round two." Zagreus said as he readied Varatha.
"What?" Lotós said as Hades clenched his fist and rose up, unleashing a wave of energy that swept the arena. The two dodged it and Lotós looked at him in shock. "What!"
"I am not finished!" Hades said as Gigaros levitated and spun around him. Energy began to build up as Zagreus grabbed Lotós and hid behind a rock. Two streams of energy blasted by the rock on the sides.
"Okay, no! I am not okay with this at all!" Lotós shouted.
"At least we're not facing him under extreme measures. By the Gods that was awful." Zagreus gritted his teeth and escaped from his hiding spot once the beams stopped.
"You. Will. Go! Home!" Hades shouted with each swing of his spear, culminating in him spinning. Lotós got caught in the strike.
Had they not had a Death Defiance, that would be the end.
But they did, and it wasn't over,but it was their last chance.
"Damn it!" Zagreus growled as he stabbed at Hades rapidly while Lotós fired a rocket at her father.
If there was one thing they were grateful for, it was that Hades was far more reckless a fighter, not even bothering to defend himself from the many strikes he was taking.
"You almost down, old man?" Zag inquired.
"Oh, far from it." Gigaros spun around again, and the two hid behind different rocks, watching the beams of energy hit all around Hades.
Lotós took a deep breath and once the beams stopped, she threw a Phenlax Cast, which struck him in his back, just before she hit him with a rocket, and then twelve electric bullets. Zag responded with another flask that attracted more lightning. Once the fog disappeared and the bloodstone appeared, it acted like a lightning rod that just hurt Hades more and more.
It was time.
"Artemis!" Zag shouted.
"Zeus!" Lotós shouted as well.
With ten arrows and a flurry of lightning showering down on Hades, it became clear what could only happen next.
Hades groaned as collapsed once more. Zagreus and Lotós approached him.
"Is that it, Zag?" Lotós asked.
"Should be. It's over, father. We're seeing mother." Zagrues declared as Hades coughed.
"...When you see her…" Hades started, coughing up blood. "Tell her… tell her Cerberus is doing well…" he offered before the Styx pulled him under, leaving the siblings alone in the snow.
"Dad…" Lotós muttered quietly as Zagreus put his hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, we can only be up here for so long. Mom's waiting," he reminded her, and she turned to him before nodding. They walked together amid the snow and the trees, passing by the rising sun. Zagreus, for once, ignored it, instead leading Lotós onward towards Perspehone's cottage.
As they approached it, the snow gave way to green grass, a simple sight of spring's beauty among winter's cold.
"Who's there?" A woman called, and Zagreus smiled. Meeting mother was always something to look forward to, even if, for the first time, he was doing so with family.
"Uh… hi?" Lotós asked weakly as they walked into the garden, a fresh harvest having just been picked. A woman stood there, a basket of herbs and fruit under her arm, wearing a simple gown of white and green.
"Well hello there," The woman responded as they walked towards her, Zagreus keeping Lotós walking forward, wanting her to speak first. "Pray, who might you two be, wandering all the way out here?" Shook her head. "You're trespassing on private property, you know?" Lotós shrunk under the woman's voice as she looked the princess of the Underworld up and down. "Speak up."
"Um… Are you Persphone?" The woman nodded, confirming her identity as the Goddess of the Verdure. "Um… I'm… Lotós, and this is my brother Zagreus and…" Lotós tried to avoid the woman's gaze, already cracking as Zagreus took the lead.
"What my sister is trying to say is… Hi, we're your children." He waved to himself and to Lotós.
The woman's eyes went wide as the basket she was hold fell to the ground. "What!? How dare!?" Rage filled her eyes as Lotós tried to run away, but Zagreus kept his hand on her shoulder. She needed this, even if it hurt for the moment. "Both of you, out! Get out! Before I make you!" Persephone continued as Zagreus pushed further.
"Mother please…" he started, grabbing Lotós by the shoulders and holding her in front of him, the visiting Anchor shrinking under Persephone's angry gaze as Zagreus continued. "I don't care if you hate me, but you can't deny her. And we can't leave until we get some answers. It was only recently we learned you existed… So my question is why did you leave us?" Zagreus asked the question he already knew the answer to.
"But… you both… you both were dead!" Persephone held her hands up to her face as tears were beginning to flow. "But… now you both stand here before me… How?" she asked.
"You can thank Nyx for that one Mother… but I can see they never told you then," Zagreus admitted as Persephone knelt down to Lotós.
"Alive…" she reached out to touch Lotós' hair. "Oh he even kept your names… Oh Nyx… You brought back my children…" She threw her arms around Lotós, the girl freezing in surprise as Zagreus slowly joined the hug. "My children."
"Mom?" Lotós replied as they sat there for a while. Time passed upon the surface, for the first visit, the Styx had not yet claimed either of them.
By the end of the tale, Lotós was far, far more chipper and happy, sitting in one of the two chairs at the lawn table. "So we finally did reach the surface, and we beat dad, even though he tried really hard to stop us. He did say to at least tell you Cerberus is doing well," Lotós finished as Persephone smiled.
"So he told you that did he? That's good, very good." she nodded before looking between them both. "But how is it you found me? For you both to have journeyed all this way?" she started, as Zagreus noticed the pain finally building in his chest, and Lotós similarly began to look very under the weather. "Zagreus? Lotós!?" Persephone pulled both her children closer.
"Zagreus… it hurts…" Lotós complained as Persephone sighed.
"I know sis, just… bear it for as long as possible." He offered as Persephone closed her eyes.
"You two can't stay here… just like your father, tied to the Underworld." She shook her head. "The fates be cruel, that we must say goodbye for now," She smiled. "You cannot believe the joy within my heart knowing you both live. And how far it falls, knowing our time is so short."
"But… mother…" Lotós started, and Zagreus let her continue. "I don't want to go, I need to…" she winced. "We can come back, we have to come back. Dad, he'll let us come back…"
"You two tell your father I demand your return. And that he tell me why neither he, nor Nyx, sent word that you lived! Olympus was already rife with schemers… shame on me for believing they were different." Persephone noted.
"Our time is up Sis…" Zagreus noted weakly as Lotós lowered her head.
"So the Styx will take you both. My son, my daughter, this is only a temporary farewell. You'll both come back to me, right? When you are able please. I will be waiting for you both, however long it takes." Persephone declared softly as the Styx pooled beneath the two, spiriting them away, back to the House of Hades in the depths of the Underworld.
When they crawled themselves back out of the Pool of Styx, Hades had tried to play dumb about his defeat, even after Lotós called him out on it. He merely said the discussion was over, that this was not the place or the time.
For all three of them, it was quite clear where that 'place' and 'time' actually was. For Zagreus, it was old hat, if an important duty he enjoyed doing. For Lotós, it was her way to get what she now wanted.
With a renewed sense of purpose, the two siblings once again fought their way through. Lotós learned quickly that while the Aspects of the Infernal Arms were different for her and Zagreus, when using the other versions, they were still the same as when Zag used them, as Demeter's Aspect of the Twin Fists showed. Zag had opted to used Zeus' Aspect of Aegis for this particular run and they collectively noted that they had enough money to at least stop by Charon's shop and see if they could buy something.
So they did so when they could. Tartarus' wares in this case was one of Demeter's boons, a centaur hear and some darkness. Zag looked over them and got a boon from his grandmother.
Charon groaned in approval at the purchase when...
"Heuugh?"
Lotós tossed the obel bag up and down with a grin and then looked at Charon. "Hope you don't mind me borrowing some coin. Right Charon?"
Charon, for his part, let out a very angry groan as Zagreus winced before the three of them were teleported away.
The three were in a rectangular arena with four pillars, and it was filled to the brim with obels. Charon raised a hand to his throat and made a slitting motion.
"Oh, uh... I mean... Can I just give the obels back? Why are you raising that oar like th-"
Zagreus and Lotós dragged themselves out of the Pool of Styx as Hypnos looked at his latest report.
"Whoa! You were killed by Charon! You must have done something to make him really angry."
"You could say that." Zagreus said as he shot his sister a glare.
"How was I supposed to know that he'd hit like a boar?!" Lotós raised her hands in exasperation.
"Tch! Both of you! Come here!" Hades spoke up. Zagreus and Lotós walked towards their father and he looked over a piece of parchment. "According to this report, you tried to steal from Charon himself, and were subsequently slain. How ignoble, even for you two."
"For the record, I tried to be a good customer for Charon's wares, but my sister wasn't so kind towards him." Zagreus spoke up.
"Yeah. How could a simple boatman be so... painful to fight?" Lotós rubbed her neck.
"You picked a fight with a Chthonic god and were surprised to have been slain by one? Blood and Darkness... I would've expected such foolishness from you, boy, but my own daughter? Unbelievable. I hope you take this as a learning experience, though somehow I doubt it."
"Well I guess the lesson learned is to be careful around simple boatmen. You'll never know if they can fight with the viciousness of the Minotaur." She shrugged.
Hades let out a disgusted groan as the two walked towards their room.
"Hail, my children." Nyx said.
"Hey Nyx. On the off chance that someone would steal from Charon and subsequently fight him, what do you think would occur?" Zagreus asked.
"Why would one entertain such a ruinous thought?" Nyx replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Because my sister did the exact same thing, and lost."
"Oh, haha! Rub in the salt, why don't you?" Lotós huffed.
Nyx sighed and shook her head, "I hope you do not attempt such a ruinous thought again, but knowing you, you'll both find such a challenge exhilarating."
"Well..." Zag looked at his sister. "You're not wrong."
Following their encounter with Charon, and many other attempts to reach the surface, meeting other denizens of the underworld along the way.
Lotós for her part was quite sympathetic to all of their plights, as Zagreus had been. Helping them recover, even as she was building up herself, was a step in the right direction.
They brought Patroclus and Achilles back together, and reunited Orpheus and Eurydice. Sisyphus was freed of this sentence, and slowly, they continued to journey through the Underworld.
They'd become a team, no matter which weapon the other was using, they could swap fairly easily to have one working offense or defense. And as they traveled to meet Perspehone, time and time again.
Similarly to Zagreus, Lotós cherished the time she could spend with the Goddess of Verdure, even if she hated fighting Hades. She had actually sat out a few of their fights, some that Zagreus had even lost. And like the dutiful daughter, she had walked with Hades back to Tartarus.
In a way, Zagreus was both happy for her, and a bit annoyed that Hades favored her even after they had fought, and continued to fight. The battles she did participate in didn't slow down in intensity at all, but it was a bit of a novel experience for some of his bouts against his father not to outright result in death, even if the result of being back in Tartarus was the same.
Like always, he'd managed to get back together with Meg and Than, even if the pair wasn't Awake. A pity, given he'd wanted to introduce them to Lotós.
But as the two made their way through the Underworld, meeting their mother time and time again. As both she and Hades pushed away, Zagreus could see the growing concerns on Lotós' face. And the fire in her eyes.
Oh he'd told her of when the Loop ended yes, after a grand feast, but he'd never actually gotten around to explaining how they reached that point. At the current juncture Persophone was trying to push them both away, but that had just made Lotós more determined to return. To grasp something she had never had before.
"Father, have you seen Lotós around?" Zagreus asked, and Hades looked up from his desk.
"Boy? You are still here?" Hades asked in honest surprise.
"Still here? What do you mean, you know where she is!?" Zagreus questioned as Hades stood up.
"My underlings told me that there was another 'escape attempt' in progress. Currently in Elysium," he started as Zagreus stepped back in shock.
"Elysium!? On her own!? But I haven't felt so much as a twitch of pain, I've been with Than for the past few hours!" Zagreus exclaimed in surprise as Hades looked to him.
"You will stay here boy," Hades ordered, and Zagreus was about to retort. "I could kill you, right here, and return her to us. But she has gone out on her own. Why?" The God of the Underworld asked as Zagreus prepared to summon Aegis if need be.
Zagreus thought back, to their most recent conversation with Persepohone, about how he'd exploded over the choices their family had made. How the Olympians and House of Hades alike kept running from its problems. And how Persephone had claimed she was happy to be safe and alone.
'...Oh blood and darkness, she didn't?' Zagreus thought as Hades looked to him.
"That look on your face boy, you know something," he stated, and Zagreus closed his eyes.
"It seems our previous conversation with mother took that fire in her eyes and turned it into a blaze," Zagreus commented as Hades looked away, Cerberus getting up to travel with Hades to the Temple of Styx.
"You two continue to test the limits of my patience… But if what you say is true, she will not back down. Now listen to your father for once boy, and stay," Hades ordered as he took Cerberus and left to travel up the Styx to meet Lotós on the surface.
After he left Zagreus crossed his arms. "She went into father's chambers, even without my intervention," he put his hand to his chin in thought, for once he was willing to listen to his father as he pondered this current situation. "...Huh, perhaps a blaze isn't the correct word then. If she's doing this well, I wonder who's helping her, and what she's chosen to take into battle," he mused.
Hades was facing the lake as Lotós arrived… her presence was pure, without even a hint of any of the Olympians on her.
"...Not even aided by those on high?" Hades mumbled as he turned to face his wayward daughter, and caught sight of the Stygius on her shoulder, and not a scratch on her.
As Zagreus had claimed, she'd beaten her way here, on her lonesome without getting hurt. And she hadn't even picked up a single boon that the Olympians provided. Only the sharpness of her sword spoke that she had claimed two of Daedalus' hammers to enhance her blade, but apart from that?
It was just her.
"Dad," Lotós raised Stygius slowly. "I need to see her, I need to tell her something."
"No, no you don't," Hades ordered as he looked down at her. "Every other time you've fought, it was only with your brother by your side. And even then, after all this time, you still stand by on occasion to let us fight alone, unwilling to go against me completely, yet unwilling to just go home… Yet even your brother was surprised at this, why? What is it that has driven you to come here, alone?"
Lotós took a deep breath, before looking up at Hades. "I'm going to tell her something she needs to know, Father."
"What message could be so important that you'd do this?" Hades asked, scoffing as she looked him up and down.
"That you still love her."
They both stood there, in silence for several moments, before he summoned Gigaros, and she raised Stygius. A battle that needed to happen, no matter how much either did not want it.
But rather than the spectacle that she had faced many times before, it was far more simple. Spear against sword. No magical spells or the power of gods. Just a young girl and her sword against a spear wielded by a master of the weapon.
By any account, she should have lost easily.
But in this battle, neither was truly giving their all.
She thrusted and he deflected. He spun his spear to stab her and she dodged. It was still a battle.
One that she could win alone.
They both knew this was no serious fight, Hades hadn't even burned off his cape. Neither was dashing around, teleporting or any sort of acrobatic. It was simply blade against blade. Divine blades to be sure but the tools did not matter. Simply their wills.
And Lotós' will was currently greater than that of Hades.
At the end of it, when she swung, he was tired. "You've learned quite a lot… Lotós."
"Both you and brother have been good teachers," Lotós commented softly as the god of Underworld closed his eyes.
"...I will see you at home," he offered, before the Styx took him, leaving Lotós to continue on her lonesome towards her mother's home.
Alone, she walked towards Persphone's farm. As she passed by the cliffside and the sea, so looked towards the rising moon. She took a very deep breath, nervous… but determined.
It would be her first time meeting Persphone without Zagreus.
The first time she could have a heart to heart with a woman she could, even in the vaguest sense, and for only this one Loop, call mother.
Walking towards the garden, she saw her mother looking towards her cottage, and clearly she could hear someone's approach.
"...You know you two, of everything down in the house that I feel I miss the most, it was probably Cereberus. But there's much more I miss. The lack of light upon my skin was much gentler. It's not as cold as up here. And of course Nyx and her sons… it was all very odd," she mused, assuming that her children had come together.
"Zagreus isn't here mom," Lotós started, and Persphone spun around in an instant, surprise on her face.
"Lotós!? Just you? Where's Zagreus is he alright!?" Persephone asked in a panic as Lotós walked towards her mother.
"He's fine mom, it's my fault he isn't here. I snuck out without him for once… because there was something I needed to tell you. Something I learned." Lotós started as Persephone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh at least he's alright… but… what could be so important you would come all this way alone?" the Goddess asked as Lotós took a deep breath.
"It's… about what I found. In dad's room, he still has a picture of you, right by his nightstand. An old one, of you in the clothes of what can only be dad's queen," she started as Persphone raised an eyebrow.
"You came all this way to tell me of an old portrait your father probably only recently put back on display?" Persephone asked as she shook her head.
"Don't tell dad, like, ever, but I broke into his room. The portrait had been at his bedside for a long time, I could tell. He never put it back on display mom," she explained, as Persphone thought about that.
"...You mean to say, and to get me to say, that he still loves me, don't you?" She asked as Lotós closed her eyes.
"...You didn't see it, but, when he tried to stop me from reaching you, when I told him that I knew he still loved you… the fight fled from him. I know, without my brother, I could never beat him alone, unless he wanted me too. I told him what I had to tell you…. So I suppose I should ask if you ever loved him, mother?" the daughter of Hades asked.
Persephone looked away. "All I ever really wanted was to leave Olympus. While I didn't exactly abscond persay, I doubt I had much of a choice. I did go willingly, at least. Perhaps your uncle Zeus knew how I felt, thought he was doing me a favor… as for Hades," she took a deep breath. "I did grow to love him, yes. He gave me space when I needed it."
Lotós smiled, even as the pain rose through her chest, the call of the Styx. "Please mother…" she clenched her fists together. "Please, speak to him. Visit Cerberus, or Nyx? If… if Olympus is the problem there has to be…" she clutched her chest. "A solution, a way to work it out."
"...I don't know, dear. I've put Olympus behind me. As for the underworld, I can't imagine I'd be welcome there after all this time." Persephone said softly as the Styx pooled around around Lotós' feet.
"But you're… his queen…"
Persephone tried to speak before Lotós was pulled under.
Seconds later, someone was dragging her out of the Pool of Styx.
"Well, someone got antsy," Zagreus offered with a small smile as he helped wipe the Sytx out of Lotós' hair. "Invaded father's chambers, and went on a one woman rampage through the underworld. Do tell, how did the experience go?" he asked as she closed her eyes.
"...It was hard, and yet… I did it. I didn't want their help, I didn't take their help. This felt important for me to do, to just… tell her the truth," she noted softly as Zagreus raised an eyebrow.
"You fought your way through the entire underworld without the aid of a single Olympian? I'd say I'm impressed but… well that would undersell it. No, I can see this was important for you sis, so I'm not going to make light of it. Especially since father walked out of the pool practically sulking. I must say, it was interesting to actually see him walk out of it myself for once," Zagreus explained as Lotós closed her eyes.
"We need to go back," she ordered and Zagreus smiled.
"Really now? I wonder why. Well then, the next escape awaits sister of mine… Let's bring it home." He held out his hand.
And she took it, Hades watching as his two children prepared to attempt to escape, this time together once more. The God of the Underworld leaning back on his throne. As they left for what was perhaps the final time… he closed his eyes.
"...I suppose even I must learn when to change my mind. Do you think so, Cerberus?" he asked the hound of Underworld who licked his hand with one of his heads. He rubbed the dog's head, and prepared himself for the notice. Either they would return, or he would meet them on the surface once more.
It was, as they say, how it goes.
They had reached the Temple of Styx together once more, perhaps their hardest run yet, with the Pact of Punishment in place. Zagreus was wielding Stygius' Aspect of Arthur, while Lotós had Malphon's Aspect of Gilgamesh on hand. They'd already unlocked all of Lotós' own aspects… Now it was time for the final pieces to be put in place.
Zagreus kept silent, knowing what awaited them. He did want it to be a surprise for her, after all. Together they opened the door, walking out into the snow once more. Towards the man they saw standing by the unfrozen pond, Helm of Darkness upon his head.
"Father," Zagreus commented as he planted the sword of the king in front of him. Slowly, Hades began to speak.
"...I have done everything in my power to prevent this. All of it… for nothing. The fates, uncontent with saddling me with the Earth… they continue to mock me, even now." Zagreus did raise an eyebrow as his father's words, they weren't too different from before, but there was a noticeable shift.
"Well maybe they just thing you're in the wrong father. That you're an obstinate, overbearing, miserable excuse for a husband and a father. Haven't you figured out yet that we're trying to fix the problems you caused? Since you remain so unwilling to fix them yourself?" Zagreus asked.
Hades sighed, lowering his head towards the lake. "You're right. I was unwilling. I made my choices, in all of this." He turned around, this was new to Zagreus, he normally continued to face the water. "You were right Lotós… I love her. I love her terribly," Hades admitted as Lotós looked up in surprise.
"Dad?" she started to walk forward as he raised a hand, adjusting the Helm of Darkness atop his head.
"I've realized I've only been delaying the inevitable. Boy, you started your breakouts for freedom, and found a greater purpose in doing them, as foolish as it may yet be. You dragged her into this, in a way… and now she too has found it in her to defy me fully, simply to tell your mother what I am unable." As Lotós came form, he raised a hand, gently resting it upon her shoulder.
"This time however. We will visit her together," Hades declared as Zagreus blinked in shock and surprise.
"Wait what!? Together? What prompted this? How has-!?" Zagreus was actually shocked. Sure, he beat him up enough, it finally got through his thick skull to stop attempting to stop him from going to see her, but this?
"That surprises you boy? Hmph," Hades scoffed as Lotós smiled.
"You're actually coming dad?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Yes… I am. At the very least, it has been far too long. The Helm of Darkness will conceal me from Olympus, at least," he noted as Zagreus smacked himself, trying to reboot his own brain before Lotós broke away from their father's grip for just a moment and shook him herself.
"Come on, we only have so much time brother," she said with a smile, taking his hand and leading him on, Hades actually following them, at a short distance away, but not very far off.
Together they walked onward, and just as the sun was rising they passed by the cliff, one last time.
And as they were approaching, Zagreus took a moment to look at both Lotós and Hades' shared surprise of Persphone packing her bag. And as she looked up to see them, he could see the utter surprise on her own face as well.
"Hades!?" she gasped, holding her hands to her face as the God of the Underworld started to walk forward.
"Persephone…" he was soft, rather than the grand imposing presence that was the norm, he was much more… normal. For the brief moment, despite the helm upon his head, Hades was but a man before his beloved, not a god prepared for war.
"Why!? You… You finally come to visit?" she asked as she accepted Hades' hand, the God of the Underworld giving a very, soft smile.
"...I changed my mind. Just this once, I was willing to bare what may come… if any harm was to befall you for my actions here, I would have fought, tooth and nail, to keep you safe, or avenge you," he said softly.
"I'm glad you came at all… even if I was on my way back myself," Persephone said with her own smile.
"What?" Lotós asked as Zagreus smiled, and Hades himself seemed surprised.
"You were… coming back?" Hades questioned as Persephone smirked.
"I am. Zagreus, Lotós, please, help me pick up these last few things and we can all go together, rather than you all going back the normal way. It's bad enough when I have to watch my children do it, I'd rather not watch my husband do so as well," she said, and like lightning both Zagreus and Lotós were aiding her, Hades sharing the moment with Persephone watching their children picked up her things and put them in the bag, Hades lifting it up for her as they all turned towards the river with the sound of a bell.
"Charon?" Lotós questioned as the boatman of the Styx tipped his hat to all four of them, and beckoned for the royal family of the Underworld to join him on his boat.
"Let us not keep him waiting. Charon is a busy man," Hades remarked, all four of them climbing into the boat together, Zagreus and Lotós sitting together, facing Hades and Persphone, who were squeezed together in the ferry, but neither seemed to mind, Persephone's bag between the four passengers as Zagreus smiled.
"I can't believe that this is happening…" he muttered. Of all the things he'd imagined would happen this loop, sitting in Charon's boat alongside not only his father and mother, but his one-time sister… It was like a dream.
"I know son, my heart is racing… Nothing like a river journey to remind oneself there's no going back," Persephone commented as she leaned into Hades, the God of the Underworld remaining silent, with only the hint of a smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around Persephone.
Lotós was silent as she leaned into Zagreus' shoulder, smiling as the bell rung. Charon beginning to paddle, heading towards the Underworld.
For Zagreus… and for Lotós, they heard the song. A song that Lotós had heard for the very first time, and for Zagreus… he always enjoyed. This time however… It was even more special.
For the first time, he was with his family, a peaceful journey back home. Though it was silent, aside from the song of Orpheus and Eurydice… he didn't think anything could be better. After all of the fighting, the long, long journey they'd shared, with the end soon to be in sight.
He was willing to take the rest of the Loop slowly, just to feel this one time together with them all. Perhaps the most healthy the family had been in eternity.
When they finally returned, and climbed out of the ferry, Hades helping Persephone out of it as they all looked towards the gates to their abode.
"Shall you open the gates, or shall I?" Persephone asked as Hades closed his eyes.
"You are the one returning, are you not? It is only fitting," he said as Persephone slimed, and looked towards the gates.
"In the name of Persephone, the Queen! Open the gates!" their mother ordered and together they all walked through into the garden.
To Zagreus' surprise, it was more verdant than normal, even within the underworld's darkness. In fact, he could practically see Lotós light up as they walked together through the garden, both her own presence and Persephone's causing the plants to start to return to a verdant green, and various flowers starting to sprout in their presence.
Cerberus barked, rushing towards them from the door, happy at the Queen's return as they began to hatch a plan. A plan to calm the ire of the Olympians… but that would take time, and there were much more pressing matters to attend to.
Hades and Zagreus made up, something he himself was happy for. Both of them were hired on, officially, as the Underworld's twin Wardens, and master escape artists.
The painting that was created for the occasion… Zagreus was going to treasure it, and discreetly ordered two copies of it. One for himself… and one for Lotós, for both of them too keep.
A masterwork, with the entire family together. Cerberus by their side with Persephone and Hades walking together. Zagreus and Lotós standing side by side, holding up their father's spear as one, Zagreus was more front and center, allowing Persephone's arm to sit on his sister's shoulder, as if to wrap around both of the queen's children.
"I could stare at this painting for ages." Zagreus said as he looked it over once again from his parents' bedchambers.
"Agreed. This is a great painting. Thanks for the copy, by the way." Lotós replied.
"Not a problem. Not going to lie, I'm tempted to just say this is Baseline to everyone."
"You're just going to attract bad attention with that Zag."
"Hey. It's not like we don't get enough of that anyway. Besides, I wasn't the one who pulled that prank on Orpheus about Dionysus and I being one and the same this Loop."
"But it was funny." Lotós crossed her arms and smirked.
Zagreus mockingly spread his arms and smirked as well as the two exited the room. "Alright then, we should get ready for our first official day of work."
"Did you mean night?"
Zagreus shrugged. "The sundial always say 7:48 here for some reason. Can't tell if there's any way to get anything different or if there's anything missing."
"What about... I dunno... the sun?" Lotós replied.
Everyone in the general area went quiet before Hades let out an extremely annoyed groan.
"Years of attempted commissioning... wasted!" He groaned out in exasperation.
Zagreus and Lotós looked at each other before quietly agreeing to just move on to the next phase of the Loop. They should be attempting to get as much ambrosia as possible anyway.
If they took their time doing it… well they had quite a lot of it. Time to share with each other, their family, and to move forward. Causing havoc throughout the Underworld to find holes in security, and even testing their might with the extreme measures.
But eventually, it did have to end. And with time being something no one kept track of, they weren't sure when it did actually come to a close.
"So this is it?" Lotós asked quietly as she and Zagreus stood together in the garden, looking at the gift the Olympians had left them, a small statue made of gold. The image of Olympus.
"Well it might be a few days but yeah… this is it sis," Zagreus added. Last night they'd packed up the entire set of Infernal Arms into her Pocket for her to keep, and Zagreus had given up most of the resources they'd built up over the loop to her as well. Hundreds of bottles of Nectar, the Mirror of Night from their room. Literal thousands of Darkness just in case, gems galore, over three hundred Chthonic keys, several dozen bottles of Ambrosia, spare Titan's Blood, a few dozen diamonds the box full of Keepsakes and, even if they weren't to be useful anymore, the Chthonic Companions they'd collected.
And of course, the knowledge that this would all be of use for the future for Lotós whether or not it'd be effective, but chances are that they would, given what kind of place home was.
"This is really it. We did so much, and yet I feel like we haven't done enough together." She said with a tinge of sadness.
"I couldn't agree more. I'll be honest with you, Lotós. You surprised me. You surprised me more than once. Father joining us to see Mother on the surface. You going off all by your lonesome without getting injured. Even managing to get Alecto to calm down for a lengthy period of time."
"Tisiphone could've been within reach but... yeah." Lotós cringed.
"Some things you just cannot do, Lotós. I figured as much long ago, but regardless, it's coming to a close, but we'll remember this and treasure it for the rest of these Loops and beyond." Zagreus placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "I'm proud to have a sister like you."
Lotós smiled and pulled her brother into a hug. "And I'm proud to have a brother like you. Thank you Zagreus."
"No. Thank you, Lotós." Zagreus embraced his sister.
They stood there, for several moments, before she spoke. "...I think I found my answer… to my identity," she whispered softly to him.
"Oh, pray tell what would that be?" Zagreus asked as she looked up at him.
"I'll be following a friend's example. That one can never have too many names. Or I suppose, I can have names, identities, that matter to me. I am Ritsuka Fujimaru, Master of Chaldea… but I am also Lotós, Princess of the Underworld, and Goddess of Flowers. Your sister. The first Identity I claim," she said softly as he smirked.
"I do suppose that's one way to solve not having an identity. Defining yourself as who you want to be. I'm just glad that this is the first then," he offered as she giggled.
"By the way, besides the painting. I did want to leave you something as well," she said as they broke the hug, Lotós reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small doll. A white doll with blue highlights, some sort of small fluffy creature wearing a red ribbon. "My own gift to you."
Zagreus grabbed it and looked it over, a smile growing on his face. "Lotós... I love it! What's it called?"
"It's a little mascot of a friend of mine back home. His name is Fou. A constant companion on my journeys," she reminisced before smiling at him. "I do hope when you come to visit, that we'll be able to travel far beyond just the Underworld. There's the entirety of Human History and beyond to experience."
"Hmm..." Zagreus hummed in thought. "I hope I do too, although if I die as much as you say I'll likely be able to, I do wish to make sure to have insurance against that."
She thought for a moment, before snapping her fingers. "A Catalyst, something tied to you Zagreus, something I can use to call you back."
Zagreus scratched his chin before taking the wreath around his head and giving it to Lotós. "Would this work?"
She handled it gently. "Perfectly," she said softly before stowing it away in her Pocket in its own special place.
"Good. If this is our last go, then let's make it count." Zagreus said as he grabbed his own Aspect of Stygius.
"Let's." Lotós said as she grabbed her own personal Aspect of Malphon. The two gave each other a look, and then dropped out the window, to attempt to escape once more.
AN: Finding Family. The Hades Order is one of those longer snips that gets a chapter all to itself. Some probably won't be so bunched up like this. I hope you all enjoyed