Many know the story of Persephone. Demeter's daughter, Hades wife. Goddess of spring, and Queen of the Underworld.
Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, her mother adored her. To the point where she wanted to protect her from everything. From all manner of pain, even the risk of pain. Demeter would not let her leave their home without the nymphs to guide her, Demeter would not allow any god to court her.
Persephone was beautiful, holding a beauty that could rival even Aphrodite, but because of her mother, Persephone was an unattained beauty. That is, until Hades laid eyes on her.
Just like many of the other gods, the King of the Underworld fell in love with the spring goddess; but unlike the other gods, Hades was cleverer and more ambitious than Persephone's would-be suitors.
One day while Persephone was in a field gathering flowers. Hades had lured her nymph's away with harpies. When Persephone was completely alone in the field, Hades suddenly appeared on his chariot, and stole the young goddess away from the surface, to his domain.
However, Persephone had nothing to fear. Hades had beautiful gardens grown for her. Magnificent gowns and robes made for her. And allowed her free reign in the Underworld, something her mother would never allow. Hades shown a side to Persephone that he showed to no other deity.
However, while Hades was still a king, there were certain things he still didn't know. Persephone was the first goddess he fell in love with. Therefore, he didn't how to love someone properly. So, in his selfishness, his desperation to keep her close, he tricked Persephone into eating six pomegranate seeds. Which tied her to the Underworld for six months.
Soon, they were married. Persephone was made Queen of the Underworld, where she ruled by Hades side.
Still, without Persephone on the surface, spring never came, no fruit was bare. The mortals began to die out. So, reluctantly Hades allowed his wife to return to the surface, for half a year, to be with her mother.
You have heard that legend, but you never heard what happened after, or what Persephone ever thought or felt.
An evil snake, desired Hades' power. To obtain it, he targeted the one Hades loved most, his wife.
Persephone, was torn between two world. The surface with her mother, and the Underworld with her husband. On the surface Persephone, played the obedient daughter for her mother. In the Underworld, she was Hades' wife.
Persephone loved both her mother and Husband. Despite his trickery, Hades was the only god who wanted to share his domain, who granted her freedom in his realm. She was his equal.
One day, during her time on the surface, the snake appeared before her, and began his twisted plan. He asked her Persephone if she was truly herself, or was she what everyone wanted her to be? And if Hades was truly as faithful and devoted to her as she was to him?
Persephone yelled at the snake. Telling him that she was free, and that Hades truly loved her.
Then the snake asked her why didn't he free her from the pomegranate's effects? If he truly loved her, why did he have to trick her to stay with him? That question did deter her for a minute, before saying it didn't matter, it couldn't be undone.
However, the snake begged to differ. He told her, there was a way to free herself of the pomegranate seeds that remained in her. When he offered to tell her, she refused… at first.
As her time on the surface continued. The snake's questions began to raise doubts. Why did Hades want to trap her? How was it different than what her mother did to her on the surface? Despite being married, despite being queen, Demeter refused Persephone any freedom.
The night before Persephone was to return to the Underworld, the snake appeared again. This time Persephone did ask, how she could be free of the pomegranate seeds? With a twisted smile, the snake gave her a peach.
The peach came from a tree that grew in the garden of Zeus. It was a fruit from the Underworld that bound her, a fruit from Olympus would set her free. The nectar of the peach would undo the roots that the seeds embedded within her, but the peach was simply half the equation. Once she ate the peach, she had to take her husbands sword and slit her belly open. That was the only way to extract the seeds.
As the snake left, he left one final question that left another doubt in Persephone's mind. Hades spent half the year without her. What made her believe he spent in alone?
The snake left nothing to chance. He sent a nymph to Hades. When Persephone arrived at her husband's palace, she saw a nymph upon him.
Hades never saw this nymph. She appeared from no where and started to shower him with affections, before he had the chance to deny her.
Imagine his horror, when his wife appeared as well, seeing what appeared to be an act of adultery. Heartbroken and angry, Persephone's wrath began with the nymph. She turned her into an herb. It did not end there.
Persephone began to scream at Hades, accusing him of being unfaithful. Instead of explaining himself, Hades was angered by Persephone's lack of fate, and the two began to argue. Their angered screams filled the palace. Soon the argument turned towards how Hades forced Persephone to come to the underworld. How he tricked her into eating the pomegranate seeds. Why did he force her, why didn't ask?
But proud Hades would not admit his mistakes. Saying that it didn't matter, she belonged there with him that the seeds were permanent. That was when Persephone told him she knew the seeds weren't permanent, that there was a way.
Hades demanded to know where she heard that, but instead of explaining, Persephone was more shocked to hear Hades lack of denial. There was a way; a way to give her an option. And he kept it from her.
After one last fit of screaming, Persephone ran to her room in tears and locked the door. Hades, seeing his wife in tears kept him from pursuing her. He felt guilty, he had unintentionally hurt his wife, over his pride. Something he promised he wouldn't allow to hurt her. Hades decided to let her sleep alone that night. The next day, he planned to apologize, and explain to her why he never took the pomegranate seeds from her… he would soon come to regret that decision.
That night Persephone's mind was made. She was tired of others deciding things for her. Tired of being smothered, being a decoration. She was tired of being loved by selfish people. She decided to run away.
Later after her husband fell asleep, Persephone snuck into his room and took his sword. She ate the peach the snake granted her. The nectar loosening the seeds. Then before she could change her mind, plunged her husband's sword into her stomach.
One by one, the six see fell onto the floor, with her blood. Persephone was free at last. She left the seeds, the sword, and her crown on the ground with her blood. Then left the Underworld, unaware of the true consequences that were to befall her.
As she went to the surface, her wound did not heal. She grew weaker and weaker. Until she collapsed. Then her body vanished leaving only her dress and jewelry.
When Hades awoke the next morning. He was horrified to find the seeds and his wife's blood staining the ground, next to his sword. Without another word he ran to the surface, desperate to find her, but it was too late. He found her dress, laying in a field.
Hades despaired, he roared into the sky, demanding to know who did this to the love of his life. That was when the snake appeared.
He laughed at the God's grief. Hades wrath was beyond words. The snake withheld the truth behind Hades' sword. If a god were to be mortally wounded, they would die and be reborn as mortal. They would become part of a reincarnation cycle that would last until the end of time. Which was why Hades didn't remove the seeds from Persephone.
The snake attacked the god. The two fought a gruesome battle that shook the earth. In the end Hades prevailed. He dragged the snake to Tartarus and threw him into the pit of eternal suffering himself.
Hades made a vow, to find Persephone to restore her godhood and memories. A search that took him millennia… until now.
I love the story of Hades and Persephone. It's my favorite love story. So I decided to add another spin to it.
AngeLHearteD has an amazing Hades and Persephone Naruto fic, it made me one to try one of my own.