Hi, welcome to my Persona 5 take on Greek mythology. My history with it is long and I love researching mythology in general but… Greek mythology holds a special place in my heart as my gateway to the wider world of ancient deities and I knew that I would probably do a Persona 5 story using it as a base eventually… anyway! This is based off my personal favorite myth—which you have most likely heard in some capacity and has an amazing webcomic based off of it. Also, fair warning: my mythology-based stories tend to run a little long so I hope that's okay.

Enjoy!

In every culture where seasons change, there is a story as to why.

Most commonly, it is a tale of a goddess taken from the earth to the underworld in some way and returning each spring. Perhaps she goes willingly, or maybe she is bound to go down there each year by some force beyond her control. Still she returns each and every year and the people celebrate for it means the planting season has begun and things have gotten warm again. As such, her reasoning for leaving is often vilified in the eyes of the mortals over which she has dominion. In particular, if she is bound in marriage to the god of the underworld, her husband is considered a horrible and cruel being who tricked her into marrying him.

However, this is not one of those stories. This is a tale of star-crossed lovers divided by the very surface of the earth, of cruel and selfish gods who punished humanity for no reason other than their own greed and spite, of a goddess who found the strength within her to strike back against those who thought they could strip her of her power without consequence. It is a tale of life and death, of blessings and curses, and of how children will always follow their own path no matter how hard you try to control their lives…

From the time she was a child, Haru had been a worthless goddess.

Time and time again by some of the gods of Shibuya she'd been considered nothing more than a slightly more durable flower nymph. She was weak and nobody worshipped her, at least nowhere near like they worshipped her father. Even the nymphs who were meant to be her companions loathed her. Why would they ever want to be close to a goddess whose very birth had killed the most powerful of them? Nobody wanted her around save for a very small and select group of gods and goddesses and even they couldn't help her with her problems.

Her main one, at the moment, was her impending marriage to a god of politics. His name was Sugimura and she hated him with a burning passion. By marrying him, however, perhaps she would gain something other than scorn from her fellow gods. She longed to ask the goddess of fate about whether this would truly give her what she wanted, but Chihaya didn't reside with the other gods in Shibuya and Haru had no clue how to find her. Nobody would answer her questions. It was so frustrating and it made her want to tear her fluffy light-brown hair out.

Nobody listens to a nothing goddess…

Well, one person had listened to her, other than the group that was powerless to help her. But he was far away and couldn't do anything either, no matter how much she knew he wanted to. After all he was in Mementos, the underworld, land of the dead. He wasn't dead, though; he was the ruler of the dead, having supplanted the previous ruler by way of having the support of the Shadows that made up the populous of Mementos. Ren was powerful and feared by mortals who simply seemed to be afraid of their own lives coming to an end.

To Haru, though, there was another side to Ren. While most saw him as a cruel and vindictive being since he was a god of death, none of those who assumed so ever got to know him. She'd had many a talk with the interesting (and rather handsome) ruler of the underworld. He didn't see her as a low-class minor goddess or a nuisance. Instead he treated her as if she were his equal, and that was really what made the difference between him and Sugimura. As much as her 'betrothed' claimed to love her, she knew he was only after her for unsavory purposes. Sugimura was the kind to be all talk and very little action. Ren was nothing but action and she knew he cared about her.

She also knew she loved him.

Why can't I marry him instead?

Her father would make excuses—you are a goddess of life, you'd waste away down there, it's not safe, he's an evil bastard who isn't worthy of you… she could already hear him saying every single word. But she didn't care. After what Sugimura tried to do to her, after she'd had her future signed away without a single consideration to what she wanted, she was done. She couldn't stay here.

"Please…" she whispered, burying her face in her knees as she sat with her back against a tree. "I don't want to be here."

In her grief, she slapped her hands against the ground twice.

Suddenly, a great crack split the air and she snapped her head up to see Ren standing over her.

"What's wrong?" he asked in his quiet voice upon seeing her tear-stained face.

"I can't… don't leave me here." He offered her a hand and helped her to her feet, pulling her into an embrace that felt so much more gentle and protective than any Sugimura had given her.

"I won't. Where do you want me to take you?"

"With you. To Mementos."

He blinked in surprise.

"A-are you sure?"

"Yes. Please. They don't need me here and hardly anyone would miss me."

He took a deep breath.

"All right. Let's go, then. But I'll be sending a message to your father to let him know where you are."

"Let me send it. If you do it, he'll think you kidnapped me."

Ren smirked in his typical mischievous way and she couldn't help but smile back.

Kunikazu knew the instant his daughter left the surface.

As soon as she did so he felt a connection sever. And he was angry. How dare she leave without his permission? She belonged to him and her betrothed. She had no right to do this sort of thing. Haru was nothing but a simple flower goddess… but that was just what he'd told Shibuya. In truth, his power as god of the harvest and grain—it really belonged to her. When she'd been born he'd cast a spell that siphoned most of her magic for his own use. He'd left her with just enough to be a goddess in her own right but not much more than that. She was the child of a flower nymph and a god; how could she possibly be more powerful than her full-blooded god of a father?

I have to be careful. I can't use too much of my power.

So he cut it off. The world began to die and for a while, nobody noticed while Kunikazu and Sugimura searched for the missing goddess. They accused Ren, god of the underworld, of kidnapping her. Kunikazu's explanation for why the world was dying was simply because he was so distraught over her disappearance. A small subset of gods—Ryuji, Ann, Makoto, and Yusuke—all gave him looks of contempt as they seemed to know that he hadn't really cared about his daughter. They searched, too, but their efforts seemed less useful to him. Almost as if they already knew exactly where she was and had a vested interest in keeping him away from her.

It was around that time that a nymph came to him and confirmed his suspicions—that his daughter was in the underworld and Ren had indeed brought her there. However, it appeared that she'd gone willingly and hadn't been kidnapped. Still, this meant the connection between them that allowed him to take his daughter's powers as his own was severed for as long as she was down there. He covered his own ass by telling the other gods that he just wanted his daughter back safe and sound as he didn't want her in Mementos. After all, nobody but him knew about the spell. It was undoubtedly in records somewhere (every spell was recorded) but it had been cast before the goddess in charge of them was born.

In other words, he was stuck.

She'd been in Mementos for two weeks and she was loving it.

Sure, there wasn't any sunshine. But she was still able to grow things in the garden Ren set up for her within hours of her arrival. The Shadows greeted her with warmth for providing them a little taste of the life they missed. The other gods who were either bound to Mementos or chose to live there were just as welcoming. Haru rapidly found herself striking up a friendship with the goddess of magic, Futaba, as well as the feline god of hope named Morgana. For once she wasn't regarded with scorn and ridicule; instead she was treated with respect and kindness that she'd never felt back on Shibuya.

It was more than that, though. Away from her father she felt freer than ever. She and Ren made small talk about figuring out their situation once she sent the message to Shibuya. Obviously her father still held power over her (she was a servant goddess to him) but as long as she was in Mementos he couldn't do anything. That also meant she couldn't return to the surface for any amount of time or he'd have her again.

But that wasn't even the most bizarre thing about being down there. No, it was her powers. Ever since she'd arrived down there they'd started growing. At first it was little things like overgrowing a pomegranate tree, but then it became grass growing in the Field of Souls when she walked past it or even moss growing on the sides of the various buildings. It was scaring her a little and she wasn't sure what to do about it. So she decided to talk to Futaba about why her powers would be growing out of control like that in Mementos.

"Hm. Honestly, it is a little weird. You're saying you have more powers than before and yet… this feels right. Like you're supposed to be like this."

"Can you look into it for me?"

"Yes. I have a suspicion… for now, you just go about your day."

Haru wandered off and into where Ren was judging Shadows. He was good at his job, as a very good judge of character, and the fact that he decided what happened to people when they passed on made him very intimidating to most beings. Most. But not her.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" she asked.

"It's almost time to take a break, anyway. Did you talk to Futaba?"

"Yes. She says it feels right that this is happening but she's going to look into it."

He smiled and got off his official throne.

"Good to hear. How about we go for a walk and talk a bit?"

"I'd love to."

They exited the Hall of Judgement and headed into the gardens Haru had been working so hard on. Ren appeared impressed, which made her smile broadly.

"It takes a lot to be able to grow things in the land of the dead," he told her. "You're a really special goddess."

"Thank you," she giggled. "I appreciate it."

"Have you heard back from your father since you've been here?"

"Not yet. I'm a little worried that my letter got lost. Part of me wants to go up there and talk to him but then he could force me to go back to him."

"I won't let it happen. Not if he's going to treat you like a mortal or an object."

"And I'll make sure it doesn't. I promise."

Deep beneath Ren's palace, Futaba walked the catacombs that contained a record of every magic spell ever performed. She was a young goddess, born to be the keeper of knowledge when the gods began performing more and more magic. She was a sort of authority meant to keep them from going too far. But she'd only done that with spells cast after she was born. Futaba had always thought that it was because she had no right to the ones cast prior, yet she had to wonder if Haru's situation was due to a magic spell. The lamp in her hand glowed brightly as she reached Kunikazu's section. Many of his spells were agricultural, which made sense, and his section was extensive. But she wasn't looking for those. If she was right, then he'd committed a grave crime against another immortal and he'd need to be punished.

Her fingers traced the scrolls that kept the records until she found the ones from around the time Haru had been born. She grabbed all of them and returned to her chambers in order to go through them in peace. It had been centuries but they were in pristine condition still, which she was grateful for as her eyes scanned the old ink that lined the page, detailing every spell that Okumura had used. None of them were all that big or powerful… except for one. It was what she'd been looking for. Futaba read the spell over and her heart pounded.

What the… what kind of spell is this?

Futaba waved a hand over the scroll, casting a spell to see who had been on the receiving end of what Kunikazu had done. An image of Haru appeared before her and suddenly Futaba knew what had happened. Kunikazu's daughter was a powerful goddess in her own right but he was jealous. So he'd cast a spell on his infant daughter to take her magic for himself. If this really was true, then… then Haru was one of the most powerful beings in existence. Most of the things her father reigned over were hers. It didn't make sense that nobody had noticed.

Unless he was approved by a higher-up god… oh no. Oh no.

She quickly ran to her books on magic and began to leaf through them, looking for a way to permanently break Kunikazu's hold on his daughter. The only way she found that made any sort of sense (and didn't require sacrificing to the Titans) was if Haru was bound to something else, something more powerful than her father. And then she grinned. She knew that Ren had a massive soft spot for the goddess of spring, and that Haru had an equal affection for him. What better way to save her than by binding her to Mementos and having her become its queen?

Of course, she'd have to discuss this with them first. Ren had been busy lately, thanks to either Kunikazu conserving his magic or grief over losing his daughter (she personally believed it was the former). But this was a way to put a stop to it for good. It would be up to Haru when everything happened, of course, and Futaba was sure that she'd have no problem with it at all.

"Excuse me, Kunikazu did what."

Ren's voice was low. It scared Haru but thrilled her at the same time. She could hear the anger as he spoke to Futaba.

"It's like I said." The goddess of magic looked to Haru. "Kunikazu has been siphoning away your magic ever since you were an infant because he was jealous of your power."

"But… why is it back now?"

"Because you're out of his reach. Mementos isn't affected by magic from the surface since it's a completely different realm."

"Is there any way to completely block it?" Ren asked.

"There's only one way I've found that doesn't involve sacrificing Kunikazu to the Titans. She has to be bound to something more powerful."

"Like… Mementos?" Haru inquired.

"Exactly. And… you can't go back to the surface until it's done."

"What? Why?"

"The particular nature of this spell… your body's grown used to having its full potential again. If you went back up there, it would be taken away from you… and the shock would end your life. Or at the very least put you in a coma for a few centuries."

"Then let's do it!"

"Haru, are you sure?" Ren whispered.

"Down here I have more freedom than I ever did back home. And you're here, too. You're the first god to ever treat me like I'm worth more than some trophy or a nuisance. I love you and I have for centuries."

Ren smiled and Haru felt her heart melt a little.

"I love you, too. So, Haru, will you be my queen?"

"Of course."

"Aw, cute!" squealed Futaba. "When's the wedding?"

"Whenever we can get everything set up," replied Ren.

"Wait, how exactly do I bind myself to Mementos?" Haru wondered aloud.

"It's pretty simple," Futaba replied. "You just eat the fruit. It's called a Life Bead and it will connect you to this place forever."

Haru nodded.

The ceremony was a quick one, attended by Futaba and Morgana as witnesses while Chihaya said the right words. It ended with Ren and Haru sharing a kiss and then Ren handing her the fruit. She took the icy-blue Life Bead in her hand and ate it. Almost immediately she felt like ropes were tied onto her and connecting to the rest of Mementos. In an instant she could see from the Blessed Isle to the Cave of the Damned and everywhere in between. She was to help rule over all of it and she was ready. But she needed to do one more thing.

"It's time to confront Father."

Ren and Futaba walked with her to the surface. She felt sick at seeing how dead everything was. All the beauty she'd loved about the growing world was gone. Her new husband had her hand in his and she kept on her feet before kneeling and pressing a hand to the ground. New life was breathed into the grass, the green spreading from her palm to the entire world. Flowers bloomed, trees grew new leaves, animals came out from their hiding places to see what was happening. A nymph that had once been a begrudging companion to Haru came out of the wood and her eyes widened.

"H-Haru! You're back!"

"Hello." Haru's voice was neither joyful nor angry. She felt nothing towards this girl.

"Shall I tell Kunikazu? He's been so worried!"

"I'm going to see Father now. Please tell the other nymphs and gods that I've returned."

The girl nodded and ran off. Haru began her journey to Shibuya, every step she took growing the world more and more. Mortals and immortals alike took notice as the sweet breezes and warm light returned and they praised Haru coming back to them. But she had a mission in mind. She knew where she was going.

On Shibuya, her old friends—Ryuji, Makoto, Ann, and Yusuke—greeted her warmly. She embraced them, as they had been the only thing about the surface other than the growing world that she missed. Then she was led to the room where Igor, king of the gods, held his court. Beside him was Shido, a god who had always been thought of as rather cruel, and Lavenza, the goddess of strength. Haru held her head high as she caught sight of her father and Sugimura.

"You've returned," Igor stated. "Welcome back, Haru. And Ren, Futaba, always lovely to see you both as well."

"I'm afraid this isn't a pleasant visit," Ren replied.

"I'm here to speak to my father. He committed a taboo against another immortal—me."

"You're nothing but a flower goddess," Shido sneered. "Why would he bother committing such a taboo against you?"

Igor suddenly leaned forward, his eyes wide.

"My my, young Haru, you've grown. I can feel it from here."

"That's… that's impossible!" Lavenza gasped. "How can her power have grown this much?"

"Because my father took mine when I was a baby and I got it back while I was in Mementos."

Whispers went up from the gathered gods as well as shrieks of horror and disgust. Kunikazu narrowed his eyes.

"I did no such thing. Where is the evidence?"

"Right here," Futaba spoke up, pulling a scroll from her sleeve and handing it to Lavenza. "This is the record of the spell he cast to siphon away Haru's power. In order to cast it, he had to have permission from a higher-up god."

"There are only five gods able to authorize that kind of spell," Lavenza said, her eyes narrowing. "Futaba and Ren are two. Igor, Shido, and I are the others. Which means…"

All eyes were on Shido now, and he looked deeply offended at the accusation. Yet he did not say it wasn't true.

"Her mother was nothing but a nymph. She's a just a good-for-nothing half-breed; why should she have that kind of power? I helped Kunikazu take what should've been his!"

"She's not just a half-breed," Ren snarled, stepping forwards. "She is my wife."

"NO!" Sugimura was screeching. "SHE'S MINE! HOW DARE YOU, YOU FILTHY GOD OF—"

"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY DAUGHTER?!" Kunikazu roared.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE HER POWER AWAY?!" Futaba yelled.

"Enough!" Igor declared, silencing the crowd. "Did Haru consent to the union?"

"I did," she replied. "Because I love him. Mementos is beautiful and I want to be his queen there."

"I can tell that you've eaten a Life Bead. You are bound to Mementos forever."

"Thank you."

"Now, as for punishment… Haru, I'll decide for Shido. You can choose for your father."

Haru smiled; she knew what she would do.

"Father, for my entire life, you've decided everything for me because you taught me I was weak. That I didn't have power. Now it's my turn. Your power comes from the growing earth while mine makes the earth grow. You need me. So your punishment is that for six months of the year, the earth won't grow. During that time I will be entirely with my husband. The other six months I will visit and make sure everyone else can live. It's only fair. I don't want the earth to die but I don't want you to have any more power from it. What you've already taken from me you can keep but believe me, Father, if you ever try anything like this again… there's a special place in the Cave of the Damned just for you."

She could feel the fear coming off the gathered gods and goddesses. This was her power. Not just the regained power that had been stolen but the power of a queen. Haru was queen of Mementos now and she was the most powerful goddess of all.

"Very well," Igor stated. "Haru, it shall be done."

"Shall we return home?" Ren asked her.

"Yes." She took him by the hand and they exited.

Shido was punished by being stripped of his godhood. It may have seemed like overkill for what he'd done to Haru, but in the investigation more things came to light that made it clear he was not fit to have immortality or the power that came with it. He lived as a mortal, never repenting his sins and instead becoming a bloodthirsty tyrant until he died in a battle. Upon his death he went to Mementos and was sent to the Cave of the Damned for the rest of eternity.

Kunikazu was shunned by the rest of the gods for his crimes against his daughter and Sugimura was ostracized for his overall garbage personality. Neither of them were allowed to be on Shibuya unless it was the yearly summit of gods, and even then neither were to approach Haru.

Futaba became good friends with Yusuke, god of storms and art, and eventually they were married. Yusuke moved to Mementos to be near his wife, citing the cavernous land of the dead as a bounty of inspiration for both his art and his storms.

Haru's punishment was kept in place. It wasn't just a punishment for her father, however; it was for every god who'd ever abused and belittled her for being beneath them. Regardless of her power it wasn't right and they deserved it. Her friends found no issue, seeing it as fair.

As for her and Ren, well, they rule Mementos side by side. Together they had two children—Hanako, goddess of the Blessed Isle, and Yoshida, god of rebirth. Their story has been twisted by time, some painting Ren as an evil bastard who kidnapped Haru away from her loving father. But others know the truth, and the truth is all that matters.

Okay, that took too long.

Like "Bittersweet", this was originally written for ShuHaru Week 2020. I didn't finish it in time and it's sat on my computer for literally months now. So I decided today that I was going to sit down and finish it for good.

The story of Hades and Persephone is my favorite Greek myth as well as the first one I ever heard. However, let's not forget that I'm twenty years old and the first time I heard the story was in a first-grade art class when my teacher showed us a stop-motion film based on the myth. Thanks to that and Disney's Hercules, I grew up believing Hades was a villain. It wasn't until a few years ago that I began to think of Hades as what he is—a cinnamon roll who loves his wife.

When I decided to do a Greek-mythology-inspired story for ShuHaru, Hades and Persephone immediately popped into my head. Ren is a somewhat darker figure and Haru is a ball of sunshine who loves her flowers so why not?

So a not-sponsored plug real quick: go read the comic Lore Olympus on Webtoon if you haven't already. It's my absolute favorite comic on the whole damn site/app and it's the story of Hades and Persephone in a light that I think many of you will appreciate. It does deal with heavy topics such as child abuse, sexual assault, relationship violence, and torture, but if you've played Persona 5 you can probably deal with it. It's just a warning.

Thanks for reading.

So long and thanks for all the fish!