PERSEPHONE

At first, all Persephone could see was darkness. Slowly, her senses were returning. Her limbs were heavy and limp. She could feel that the ground was damp and hard beneath her. The air flowing over her felt misty and cool. But there was something else that she could sense as she slowly awakened from a deep slumber.

A warm hand gently caressed her cheek. It was strangely comforting, this phantom hand on her face. Persephone instinctively turned her face into the touch, dreamily wondering who it could be trying to wake her. It could not be her mother's delicate hands, for the hand was far too large. Even so, Persephone relished in this unknown touch. She knew that she should have been alarmed, but she was not.

She was entranced.

The only touch she had ever known was the hands of her mother and the Nymphs that danced around her throughout her life. This was something different, something...strong. Her own arm shakily rose to her face. Persephone lay her hand on the one that still held her. Beneath her fingertips, Persephone felt the rough, heavy skin of the stranger's hand. Her heart began to beat quicker. This was not a feminine hand. The image of a man hidden in the shadows came swimming into view for a brief moment and then the image faded. Where had she seen a man before?

There was a sudden coolness on one of the fingers and Persephone thought she had touched a ring of some sort. The cold metal of the ring seemed to wake her. Persephone's eyelids fluttered as she emerged from the darkness. A soft, shadowy light glowed through tall trees above her and Persephone thought that she was still in the grove of willows. Yet how had she ended up on the ground? Her bleary vision cleared and the leaves above turned sharp and thin, like the fragrant spines of pine trees. Persephone let out a hushed gasp. These were not willow trees.

Her heart nearly stopped beating as memories came flooding back to her. The voices of the Nymphs calling out her name, that man in the shadows calling himself Hades, those strong arms circling around her waist, darkness enveloping her as they fell beneath the earth—

That hand beneath her fingers moved slightly, pulling away from her face and Persephone realized exactly whose hand that was. Now, her heart was beating wildly inside of her chest. She sat up and the blood rushed to her head, making her suddenly dizzy and unstable. The hand reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. Persephone quickly turned her face away from the presence she now sensed next to her and she squeezed her eyes shut. Hot tears seeped through her tightly closed lids and her entire body trembled in dread.

The god of the Underworld had taken her?

Why?

How had he even found her secluded hiding place? Demeter had taken such great lengths to hide her from the world, to protect her from any danger that might come her way. What use had it all been, now that the most feared god of them all had found her and stolen her from home? What did he intend to do with her? Persephone had grown up in a haven of safety and peace, but she was not ignorant to the tales of what the gods could do to those they desired. Her own mother was a testament to that fact…

Hades released his grip on her arm but Persephone was frozen to the spot, too frightened to flee. A few agonizing seconds passed before he was touching her again. His fingers grasped her chin. She let out a startled gasp at this sudden touch, but still refused to open her eyes. Gently, he turned her face towards him. His presence was overwhelming now.

"Look at me," his deep voice calmly commanded. Persephone did not pull away. The tone of his voice and the way he held her face were both calming, oddly setting her at ease. Even though he had just taken her against her will, she did not feel threatened by him in any way. Her beating heart slowed and she let out a steadying breath to ease her panic.

"Will you look at me?" He spoke again. Despite her hesitation and distress, Persephone could not help but be curious. Before, when she had spotted him in his hiding place, his face was in shadow and she had not seen him clearly. Never in her life had she seen a man in the flesh; she knew them from paintings and sculptures and drawings, but this would be the first time she would lay eyes on one. Now as she slowly opened her eyes, Persephone braced herself to face the man before her. And not just any man. This was the god of the Underworld.

She had expected something monstrous when she finally allowed herself to look, but what greeted her was the face of a man who could be from one of the paintings that hung in her mother's manor.

A pair of dark eyes met her hazel ones. His irises were a rich brown and his dark gaze met her with such intensity, Persephone felt a blush creep into her cheeks. That heat in his expression was spellbinding. Persephone could not look away from him. So she sat there as her fear melted away, transfixed by the god, studying his features in a daze where time stood still.

A heavy brow sat above those intense brown eyes. His hair was black as night, falling to his shoulders and matching the thick beard that grew across his chin and cheeks. From what Persephone could see, he had a sharp jawline that complimented his strong features. Everything about Hades seemed to be that way; from his impossibly broad shoulders to those commanding arms that had held her close to him. For the god who ruled the Underworld, his skin was not the deathly white she would have imaged it to be. Rather, his skin was like the warm olive tone of someone who had spent time beneath the sun. Even her own skin was paler than his.

She was ashamed to find him handsome.

His hand still held her chin as Persephone continued to study him. What did he think of her, staring at him shamelessly? As she looked on, Hades changed. Something unfamiliar flashed in those dark eyes and Hades all of a sudden closed the gap between them. He leaned closer to her. Persephone was still frozen like a statue, unsure of what to do or think or feel. His face was inches from her now. His breath was warm on her skin. Her heart began to pound an unrelenting rhythm once again. Surely he could hear it inside her chest. He was so close.

Persephone wanted to be afraid. Shouldn't she have felt anger instead of fascination? She knew that she should have been a storm of emotions rather than being in this numb haze. A voice in the back of her mind faintly screamed at her to run, but she could not make her muscles obey. All she could do was match his gaze. Hades parted his lips slightly, as if he had something to say but instead, lost his valor and stayed silent.

Then Persephone felt him move from her chin and gently placed his hand on her cheek, his fingers nearly tangling into her hair. That heat in his expression turned into a blaze. He grazed his thumb slowly over her lips and something in Persephone's soul erupted. Her skin was on fire. She could not move. This surely had to be a dream. Her stomach felt full of butterflies and her heart skipped a beat. She sharply inhaled as a rush of blood coursed through her.

Something about this reaction to his touch awakened her.

Fear suddenly flooded her senses. Why had she let him touch her like that? He was her abductor!

Persephone flinched beneath Hades' hand and she pulled herself away from his touch. His gaze cooled like water being thrown on a flame and Persephone watched as he hastily withdrew his hand from her. The way he pulled himself from her, so willingly and so quickly, caught her off guard. For a breath of a second, Persephone hesitated and allowed herself to question that action.

But she did not question it for long. This was madness! She had to escape.

Persephone jumped to her feet and without a second glance, turned her back on Hades and ran as fast as her feet could carry her. His voice calling out her name echoed through the pine trees as she sprinted away, tripping over the hem of her dress. A thousand thoughts raced through her head, but the only one she could grasp was the thought of escaping. Thankfully, the forest of pine trees was thinning and Persephone could see a gloomy glow in the distance. She slowed her pace as she broke through the line of trees. Persephone came to a halt as soon as the forest was behind her.

A vast open field of dead, yellow grass and dust was before her, stretching endlessly onwards as far as the eye could see. A dusky sky hung above the wasteland, boasting of stormy clouds that swirled around even though there was not a breath of air to be felt. A river cut through the landscape, the silver waters flowing along slowly without a ripple interrupting the smooth surface.

Thousands of haggard looking people meandered aimlessly about with glazed eyes and blank expressions. These were, unmistakably, the souls of the deceased. She watched with trepidation as the soul of a woman stumbled silently past her. Persephone's legs shook weakly as it dawned on her how foolish it was to go running off in the Underworld.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she sensed somebody come up behind her. Before she could move, a pair of hands grabbed her arms from behind and pulled her back into the shadowy forest. Persephone hit something - or rather someone - solid and she could not turn to face who was holding her. But she did not have to guess who it could be.

"You've found the Asphodel Fields. This is where the spirits of the dead wander." Hades whispered into her ear. His breath tickled her ear and Persephone turned away from him. "It's not wise to be alone in this place. There are things in this world that could be dangerous to even an immortal," he warned with his voice stern but calm.

For the first time since coming to the Underworld, Persephone spoke.

"W-what?" She stammered. "Why do I care what this place is called?" Her voice started off shaky and faint but as Persephone whirled around, her courage rose. Hades stood before her, tall and imposing, but she stuck out her chin and glared up at him. "H-how dare you tell me what is dangerous!?"

Hades took a step back from her, his brows raised and clearly surprised at her outburst. That reaction seemed to stoke her courage a little more.

"How can worry for my safety when you took me against my will?" Persephone angrily demanded. "What kind of a god are you to kidnap me and then try to lecture me on what isn't safe for me?"

Hades did not say a word. He only stared down at her and she saw something like regret fall over his face like a shadow. This change in expression somehow sobered her temper. She was suddenly tired and weak and emptied her of anger, leaving Persephone with only a pressing sorrow.

"Take me home. Now." Persephone had wanted to sound fierce and strong like she had before, but her words had squeaked out like a frightened mouse. Tears pooled in her eyes as Hades sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his black mane.

"You are justified in your ire. I was a fool to bring you here," he morosely admitted. Persephone perked her head up when he said this. Hope of returning home bubbled within her, but then Hades moved closer to Persephone and wrapped his hands around her arms in an attempt to comfort her. She tried to pull herself from his grasp, but he held her tightly. Persephone felt the hot tears fall onto her skin and trail down her cheeks.

"Please…" she whispered tearfully, glancing up at him through her watery vision. "Then let me go home and we will forget this ever happened. It will all just be a misunderstanding." Persephone knew that this would not be true; Demeter would not take kindly to her only child being kidnapped by Hades but Persephone would say anything to get back home and away from the Underworld.

Hades raised an eyebrow at her, silently saying that there was no chance that this act would be forgotten. He set his mouth into a grim line and his hands tightened their grip on her arm, but he did not hurt her. His eyes bored into her and he shook his head.

"It was a grave mistake to take you but…" his words trailed off into heavy silence and his gaze softened. He nearly seemed sad. That regret she had seen earlier once again surfaced, this time it was unmistakable. He loosened his grip on her until only his fingertips grazed her skin.

"But I cannot let you go."

Persephone felt as though the earth beneath her once more opened up and buried her. What little resolve she had left crumbled and she buried her face in her hands. Her back shook from uncontrolled cries that suddenly burst from her.

"No! I don't understand! That cannot be! Please!" She begged between sobs. "Please take me home!"

She did not see Hades come closer, but she felt the weight of his hand laying on her shoulder. She immediately snapped her head up and in a fit of pure rage, slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" Persephone hissed. Hades did not seem fazed by her outburst, but his face was set into a somber frown.

"Don't ever touch me again!" Persephone ordered before she abruptly pushed her way past him and darted back into the woods, willfully ignoring his warning about going off on her own.

Persephone wove through the pine trees, blinded by her tears, the shouts from Hades falling on deaf ears. She ran until she was sure that she had lost him. Eventually he would find her again, but Persephone naively hoped that she would find a way out of this hell before then.

Just as before, the trees began to thin and Persephone spotted the edge of the forest. She slowed her running to a hesitant march and made her way past the last of the pines. She came into another open space, but this one was different than the Asphodel Fields. The sky did not have the same stormy clouds, but rather looked like the most brilliant twilight she had ever seen. There were clouds that did hang low in the sky but they were illuminated by shades of red and gold and orange and pink. Above the dusky horizon, the sky cleared and turned an inky shade of indigo. There were no stars or moon, but it was the most breathtaking sight Persephone had seen.

Everything in this part of the Underworld was lit with a misty glow making the forest and clearing beyond seem like a mysterious dream. The ground sloped gently downwards before leveling off into a small, grassy field. In the middle of the field sat a Manor. From her view, Persephone could see that the structure was black but she could not tell what it was made from. It was a stunning, if not imposing, building. In the distance, far behind the Manor, Persephone could see the edge of the clearing where the forest started up again. Craggy mountains towered over the forest, their bare, rocky peaks piercing the twilight sky.

Persephone stared at the scene in awe and wondered what this part of the Underworld could be. Her fear dissipated as curiosity set in. She allowed herself to emerge from the boundary of the forest and stood at the top of the hill. The soft noise of footsteps crunching over the pine needles interrupted her musings, but Persephone did not turn around. She did not have it in her to face him again. Hades had found her again. With a sinking heart, she realized that it would be useless to try to run from him again. It was silly to even try. She was exhausted from the onslaught of emotions that rushed through her ever since she awoke. Somehow, she would have to find a smarter way of escaping.

But as those footsteps grew closer, Persephone felt that they sounded too light for a large man such as Hades. Her already frayed nerves were set on edge as those steps hastily moved right behind her. Before she could turn around, hands tangled into her hair and Persephone was roughly pulled to the ground. She cried out in terror and pain. A wild mane of red hair blocked out her view of the sky and the face of a Nymph sneered down at her.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The Nymph's voice slyly teased. "A pretty little immortal like you doesn't belong in a place like this." She knelt down beside Persephone and stuck her face right into hers, examining her like she was prey.

"Let me go!" Persephone choked out. Her throat was painfully tight from trying to hold back tears. For some reason, she did not want this woman to see her cry. Startlingly green eyes narrowed wickedly at the sight of Persephone's obvious anguish. This Nymph was not like the ones she lived with all her life. This one was different. Her mouth formed into a grin and she gave Persephone's hair a cruel tug.

"Oh no, no, I can't do that," the Nymph jeered as she rose to her feet, still holding tightly to Persephone's hair. "Let's see what we can do with you."

Persephone could not hold contain herself any longer. Her screams filled the air of the Underworld as the Nymph dragged her by the hair, down the hill and to the black Manor beyond.

AN - Okay, so...sorry to leave you guys hanging for over a year. This was originally a oneshot that kind of blew up and I was highly encouraged to continue. I had every intention of coming back to Hades & Persephone, but I wanted to finish a Legend of Zelda fic before I started up again. So here I am! I hope that you enjoyed CH2 of this story, and hopefully I will be able to crank out more chapters at a quicker pace (no year-long breaks in between!) Leave a review if you so wish, and thank you so very much for reading!