Hecate was marching down the hallway with-Persephone? The goddess had flowing hair and blood red eyes, staring down the other pink form.
"You." The new Persephone raised one shaking hand, vines crawling around her. "You step away from my King."
The barely controlled wrath made her words simmer with power. Hades looked down at the old Persephone. She was twitching, cowed back, and starting to flush a dark magenta. Hades looked wildly between the two identical goddesses. Almost identical.
The one next to Hecate was truly, for lack of a more accurate term, a vengeful Queen. Her hair hung well past her shoulders, moving in unseen currents with red, thorny vines snapping out towards the other. By comparison, the short pink being next to Hades was turning a darker red and growing taller by the second.
"Minthe?" Hades asked in disbelief. She whirled to face him, pointed ears turned low and looking more like her true self.
"You always were shit at illusions." Hecate said, before putting her phone to her ear and issuing several commands. Minthe looked back over her shoulder at the maelstrom of vines swirling over Persephone and threw herself at Hades, babbling.
"Please, baby, you don't understand. I had to, you wouldn't see me otherwise and really its your fault more than anything because you know we're meant for each other and this pink bimbo had to come between us-ow!" Her voice was rising in volume and pitch. She glanced down at a thin vine cutting into her ankle and clutched Hades' arm, nails dragging his sleeve. "Please! She'll kill me, you have to save me! You owe me, you pathetic bastard!" She was starting to be enveloped in the vines, each one scoring a new line in her skin before starting to pull her back. Hades was too shocked to move, but felt gentle hands moving him away from the doomed nymph. He looked around to see the Furies, eyes sympathetic but unyielding. He let them pull him aside before looking back at Minthe. She was sob-screaming at him, begging him to save her while calling him every name she could think of. Alecto broke the the red hand's death grip on his sleeve and immediately she was engulfed in the vines, cocooned until the only thing left of Minthe was a reedy whine. The Furies surrounded the thorny bundle, raising their arms and disappearing with a sizzle.
Hades stood in a daze, vaguely aware of the wind blowing his hair around his cheeks. It took him a moment to realize Hecate was talking.
"Hades? Are you alright?" She asked again, brushing her hand down his shoulder.
"F-fine. I'm fine. Why did she-?" He looked at his old friend, tears finally spilling. She shook her had and sighed.
"I wish I knew, but some things are out of our understanding. She's cruel and lonely and wants to hurt you. My question is how she managed to sneak in here as Persephone. I'll follow up with Security." She pulled out her phone and started making a note. Hades cleared his throat.
"I, I can help with that. I just need a minute."
Hecate looked sharply at him.
"No. No, absolutely not. You are going home. That was seriously traumatic event and you deserve time to process and start to heal."
Hades tried to protest, but no good excuse would materialize. He nodded and looked back down the hallway. The real Persephone was standing stock still, with only her heaving shoulders to show she was not frozen. Hecate eyed them both and made another note.
"On second thought, you both are excused for the day. I'll call you a car." She softly propelled Hades down the hall before turning to make some calls. Hades took a few steps forward before hesitating.
"Persephone?"
She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Hades, I"m so sorry. I can't imagine what she said to you, how she hurt you." Her voice was a hoarse whisper. He was struck by how similar Minthe had looked, but how their words were so opposite.
"Kore, no. Its not, that is, I'm not." He stumbled over his words, feeling worse than before as her face fell. He dropped his own face into his hands, feeling his burning hot tears dripping through his fingers. "I'm sorry I'm such a failure." His voice was directly from the small boy who grew up all alone in the dark.
The hall was deathly quiet, with only the wind moaning. Then Hades felt his hands being pried away from his face. Persephone was standing closer, holding his hands.
"Hades, my love. You are not a failure. I was saying I'm sorry for what she put you through and I'm furious she used my face to hurt you. But please," His eyes had shifted away and she guided him back with a feather light touch on his cheek. "You are my world and my heart. You have been strong through all the years she tried to break you down. You were stronger than her. You beat her. Listen." She said fiercely as his gaze dropped. "She wanted to take away your happiness. Your light. And you didn't let her. You are my joy and my love." She rubbed her thumb over a tear track, holding his eyes with hers. Hades wrapped his hand around her wrist, openly crying. She pressed a little firmer. "You are mine. She tried to take you away from me, so I"ll take care of her later. But please, my love. Let's go home."
Her eyes implored him as she released his face and reached out one hand. Hades ignored the hand in favor of wrapping himself entirely around her, pressing his face into her long, wild hair. She stroked the back of his neck and held him there until he pulled back, wiping his face.
"Yeah, let's go home." His words were shaky, but his hand was solid as he took hers. She offered a tentative smile.
"Car's here." Hecate said from the doorway. Persephone pulled Hades towards the door before glancing over his shoulder.
"Also, sorry about the windows." She said, with a slight grimace. Hades turned to look at them. Every single one had been blown out, allowing the wind to howl in.
"I think we can find it in the budget to replace t-them." He almost sounded playful, until his breath hitched at the end. Persephone gave him a look that said she knew exactly what was happening, but understood now was not the time. She wrapped her arm around his waist and kept towing him towards the door.
"In my defense, I was a little upset." She said, and Hades could feel her optimistic grin before he looked down to see it.