Epilogue

Another three months had come and gone. Slowly, oh so slowly, but they were over at last. The dark figure paced in front of the opening of the Underworld. Hades was scarcely unable to hold himself back from leaving the Underworld to find her and bring her back himself.

Apollo had almost completed his daily journey from East to West in the sky. Now the sun shone with a fierce red light directly towards where Hades stood. The bright light didn't prevent him from scanning the area over and over again with a restless, squinting gaze.

At long last, a figure appeared on a distant hill. It was almost too indistinct for Hades to positively identify, but he could feel his heart quicken in response to it. He knew without a doubt that it was her. Straightaway, he left the confines of the Underworld and strode with ever increasing strides towards her until he was almost running. She, in return, flew along the ground and reached out to him.

In a moment, she was again in his arms. He held her carefully, not wanting to disturb the small bundle in her arms.

"Persephone," Hades murmured into her hair, tightening his hold slightly.

"I'm so glad to see you, Hades," she answered into his chest.

"Is this him?" Hades asked, looking down at the child in Persephone's arms.

"Her, actually." She smiled at her husband and handed him her daughter for the first time.

He gazed down at the girl in wonder. "Persephone! She-"

"I know."

The duality of her parents' natures was manifested in her. Half of her hair was the same golden color that her mother's had been. The other half was as black as Hades's own hair. The small girl opened her eyes, showing to the world one blue and one black eye.

"I haven't named her yet," Persephone said quietly. "I thought it was too unfair that you couldn't be there for her birth, so I wouldn't allow my mother to choose her name. I thought it should be your choice."

"Melinoe," Hades responded after a moment's thought. "The world will know her as the child of Spring and Death."

And he smiled, more content than if he had been the king of all the earth.

Finis