Khthonios

by Roses Bride

The entire surface of the earth, was dedicated to the Unseen One because all things fall back into the earth and also arise from the earth. He is said to have married the Maiden they think that she represents the seed of grain, and fable that she was hidden away, and sought for by her mother...That is what people say... (Hades and Persephone AU)

2. Hierogamy

(WARNING: There's smut in this chapter and some talks about sexuality here, I will not warn you beyond this point.)

---

To Demeter, of celebrated name,

From whom both men and Gods immortal came;

Who widely wandering once, oppressed with grief, [...] discovering Persephone thy daughter pure in dreadful Hades, dismal and obscure.

A sacred youth while through the earth you stray.

Orphic Hymn to Demeter

Oh mighty Daimon,

Whose decision dread, the future fate determines of the dead,

With Persephone captive, through grassy plains,

Drawn in a four-yoked car with loosened reins,

Rapt over the deep, impelled by love, […]

There, in a wondrous cave obscure and deep,

The sacred maiden secure from search you keep…

Orphic Hymn to Pluton

---

That had been disappointing.

Yuzu didn't know what she had been expecting when she ate the red seed, of course it had been delicious, sweet but not too much to make her gag and she had been tempted to ask Yuri for one of them so she could plant a tree on their orchard.

But Yuri had insisted that she had to consume it whole for it work.

Had she expected a passage to the Underworld to open under her feet? Death itself to come for her confusing her for some mortal? Reiji himself appearing in the middle of the place ready to berate them for interrupting his work?

Her wayward thoughts went on a haywire before she shook her head to get rid of it, her hands instead found their way back to the black cowl on her shoulders.

.

.

.

"Are you okay?" She had asked as a reflex; it was that or landing a punch on whoever was attempting to grab her from behind.

Relief didn't begin to describe what she felt at choosing the first option.

For a full minute not only he didn't answer her, but he seemed to be looking behind his shoulder glaring at empty air for some reason, his fingers flexed over her arm and she let out a sigh at the contact, then he shot upright almost too fast and seemed to want to compose himself before facing her.

"I'm quite fine," He finally said dusting off his tunic and fixing his crown. "It appears I simply lost my balance."

"Are you drunk?" The question was meant to be completely innocent but he froze mid-motion and blinked at her as if she had lost her mind she quickly backpedaled. "I mean… obviously not, because you're still talking properly, I mean maybe just a little… tipsy?"

"…Perhaps." He said looking away and Yuzu couldn't believe there would be a day where the feared Lord of the Dead would look awkward, let alone in her presence and on their first day of meeting each other. "Did I hurt you?"

"N-no! Not at all, I was just caught off guard because I was lost in thought." She said scratching her cheek, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious of her messy hair and the nectar stain on her clothes.

"I see, is this going to become a habit then?" He said and the laughter laced within his voice made her forget about any embarrassment.

"Hey! Not fair, you already absolved me of that one and this time it was your oversight!" She said biting on her tongue to keep it from sticking out to him. "At least I'm not the one sneaking outside my party without even saying goodbye to the honored guest." She added for good measure and stood as tall as she could for emphasis.

Of course that moment there was a chilly wind blowing and she felt herself shrinking due to the cold, then there was again that same chuckle from the morning, the same gesture to hide it and the same glint in his eyes.

Yuzu could get used to that, with no problem.

"I see someone is already feeling comfortable in her new station." He started and walked the few steps separating them to stand right in front of her, "I apologize for my oversight; it must be hard for an earth goddess to be in such height as this." Then Yuzu felt herself being covered by a thick and dark cloth.

It was his cowl.

"T-thank you." She said while draping the cloth around her. "I didn't really mean the last thing though."

"Worry not, Spring Goddess," He started and the tiny smile was still on his lips. "But as you can imagine I have some matters to attend in my lands, I bid you farewell." He said and finally stepped aside leaving her some room to start breathing normally again.

"I look forward to meet you again." She said right when he turned and he stopped to look back at her and gave her a nod.

Still, she was sure the smile had not left her face for the remainder of the party.

.

.

.

It really was so soft and warm…

…And if it was up to her she wouldn't get rid of it at all, but its presence in her room was bound to unleash some disaster with her mother but she also absolutely refused to just get rid of it or throw it away.

Really the only good thing of this was that whatever the seed was for, it had sobered her up immediately, making her realize that being in the same room as Yuri – let alone his home – was not something sensible at all and she had quickly made an excuse to go and left the food basket with him – and his contented, knowing smile had been infuriating – she wasn't going to need it anyway, she wasn't even hungry…

…Why wasn't she hungry? She had eaten nothing except a cup of nectar in the morning, unless it was the wine?

Before she could think more about it the earth trembled beneath her feet.

ᴥ

There was something awe-inspiring about Reiji.

From the way he held himself, to his appearance and way of dressing, but even if he wore a simple and common tunic Yuya had the feeling he would still be just as imposing, he was just that type of god, unlike him who most of the time didn't even need to hide his godly attributes to pass as a mortal boy.

Which begged the question, why had he seen necessary to bring his carriage which left him with no choice but splitting the earth open to pass through.

It was completely unlike him to want to call attention to himself.

"Oi! Reiji, what's with the all the splendor?" He asked rushing to stand to his side, he noticed the crown of leaves too.

"Yuya I know your duties as the Psychopomp are rather recent," He said as he regarded his attire. "And I realize this is the first time you deal with this situation but try to behave accordingly."

"I get it, I get it;" Yuya said trying to copy his posture and visage for exactly one second before realizing he couldn't pull it. "I've dealt with lost souls before though." He felt the need to remind him.

"You have," Reiji said nodding. "But this is not just a lost soul… I fear it might be a restless dead, quite different, but we have no time to discuss it now." He left the sentence hanging when he caught sight of the orchards in the distance, the one in the hill in particular seemed to be awfully interesting in his eyes. "Have you talked with the people of the city?"

"Yes, and they all said the exact same thing; that their daughters had all been acting as usual until they made their respective rites to their Protector, they started to act… peculiarly." Yuya said, trying to remember their exact words. "Some of them stopped eating, some attempted to talk with animals, there were a few that had sudden and extreme mood swings, one minute they were ecstatic a the next they would succumb to a fit of rage, but the one thing they all seem to have in common is that at some point they all got to the point stared into the valley for hours on end before they…"

"… Hanged themselves." Reiji finished for him, as if there was nothing creepy about the notion of it, maybe for him it was just another of the hundreds of reasons people died, as if he had heard all of them enough times. "We need to survey the area, even if right now I'm suppressing my presence, they may have gone into hiding already."

He probably had.

"Is Masumi gonna come here?" After all this was her area of expertise.

"She is lighting the way back in the remote case they may really be just lost and trying to find their way down the Doors." The tone of his voice was laced with disbelief but better be safe than sorry he guessed.

Except... what if they already ensnared another girl?

ᴥ

"What is that?" She asked out loud, to... no one she supposed, Yuzu wasn't used to being alone for too long and she had just followed the vibrations of the soil where she could feel it came from but she still found nothing, instead she found an orchard of olive trees and looking at the one sitting atop of the hill she thought maybe it would be a way to find the source of the trembling earth.

That was when she saw the shadow.

Nothing strange about that, if this was an orchard then there was bound to be someone taking care of the trees, maybe she could ask them if they felt the small earthquake so she hurried her step.

The more she neared the shadow – a young girl she saw now – a humming reached her ears, it looked like she was concentrated in her task, she was holding the end of a rope in one hand and with the other she was trying to throw it over the lowest branch.

"Can I help you?" Yuzu said the moment the girl was in clear sight; she was wearing a simple tunic and no shoes and her hair was tied in a simple braid, a farm girl probably, when the girl froze in place, the words hurried from her mouth: "Sorry did I scare you? Seems like you need help though." She threw in a small laugh hoping to calm things down.

And it seemed to work because the girl practically beamed at her and held the rope for her.

"You listened to me?" She asked and Yuzu nodded while she went to throw the rope, it hooked on the branch without much effort and then looked back at the girl.

"It's ready!" She said, both ends of the rope still in her arms, what could anyone do with a rope in a tree anyway? It was only now that Yuzu noticed that the girl was holding a doll tight in her hands, it reminded her to her own dolls as she was growing up, except that it was far simpler in design, it clicked on her mind that maybe this was a ritual of offering.

She was not familiar with many other rites except her mother's, but she thought she remembered young boys and girls offering old toys when coming of age.

Did that involve a rope in a tree though?

"Not yet, do you know how to make a knot?" She said from behind, and Yuzu nodded again, maybe the girl wanted to put a swing on the tree, it certainly looked big enough to hold the weight of a person. "Leave one end loose, please."

"Only one..." She said focused on the task.

.

.

.

"I'm still wondering what the chariot is for." Yuya said, as they walked through the plaza of the town hidden from the sight of mortals.

"If the restless soul refuses to pass on even after I reveal myself, I will have little choice but to subjugate it and transport it myself." Reiji explained following some unseen trial. "There is a lot of miasma residuals in this town, it's impossible to tell where they went after this point."

"Now that you mention... there is an old tree on the outside of the town, people only go there during festivals because they think it's haunted."

"Yes... I noticed it was surrounded by its energy from the moment I arrived, which is why the place Masumi has covered, if they made it their home, they won't be able to move." He said invoking his staff. "But first we need to cleanse this whole town... do you happen to have temples nearby?"

.

.

.

"The opening needs to be bigger." The girl said fifth time in a row. "A little higher."

Yuzu was getting quite annoyed by now, this was for a doll right? Why did it need to be so big?

"That won't do, it needs to be higher." The little brat had even stopped to be courteous and polite and every time she talked her voice got more and more demanding.

"What difference does it make?" She asked finally having enough of it.

"It's not good enough, because you're too tall." The girl said and Yuzu felt a chill run down her back when she chuckled. "You won't hang from it properly; you won't swing."

That was the moment Yuzu turned around to face the girl only to find no one and nothing standing behind her.

But the shadow, there was clearly a shadow behind hers, and she could swear it was smiling at her.

"I cry; I cry…"

And a song, where was that song coming from?

"Your father's blood that drives you mad,"

What was this? Why did her heart burn, why did her neck ached... the air was failing her; why did she felt any of this? She was a goddess! This shouldn't...

"Great happiness in mortals never lasting…"

"Stop!" She yelled to the shadow and her hands tried to grip at it on the ground but it was only grass that she felt, nothing felt right, the plants would not answer to her calling and the pressure on her back would turn heavier and heavier.

Her hands finally grabbed onto something: the rope.

No, a noose; the sudden urge to use it in order to relieve herself of the pain was overwhelming.

But even if she heeded it, she would not die, she would never die, the pain and the grief would always be with her...

"That is enough." The voice was not hers, or the one singing, she had never heard it before and through her eyelids she saw a cohort of nymphs, all of them holding torches and wearing black.

The fire made their shadows stood tall and surrounded the hill where they both stood.

A prison, she realized.

"A necromancer?" The voice coming from the shadow behind her sounded nothing like the little girl from before, it was like a caw of a carrion bird.

"Stop this Wanderer! Release that young maiden and this land from your curse and I will show you mercy." The voice didn't seem like it came from any of the nymphs, it sounded distorted and weird, and it was hard to make out the words, because her vision was being clouded when the invisible noose tightened around her heck.

Never before had she needed to breath so badly, and any attempt to do it resulted in a fit of coughing.

"You must be a very powerful one if you are able to talk to me, but you're too late, this maiden is already grieving in my place and soon she will also swing like I did…" There was a cackle at the end of that sentence and where the shadow now took a corporeal form the grass died and the pain in her chest worsened.

Grass should not die when she was here, this was all wrong, her powers were unreachable inside her…

The wild beating of her heart deafened her ears from anything else being said…

.

.

.

The maiden's life was diminishing before her eyes.

Masumi could see that the Wanderer was hasty on finishing the job with this one even as she was surrounded, she could feel her anger cutting through the air like a sharp knife and she knew it was useless to reason with it.

A tingle of guilt was shrugged at the sight of the young girl, but her duty was first and foremost to her court and to her role and as long as it continued to use its powers on her she would be vulnerable.

Once the girl died Masumi would take care of guiding her soul towards the Gates, it was the only consolation to be provided.

She then opened her way among her torch-bearer nymphs to face the entity.

Unlike the majority of shades, it retained most of their features when alive, except for the sunken eyes and the ghastly complexion, it had a worn down tunic meant for young girls and its stringy hair – no doubt it would have been silky in life – stuck out of all sides of her head.

"Stay away necromancer! Or I'll strike you with disease!" Unlike most ghosts, she could actually deliver on this threat, the spirits of madness and disease swirled under her command attracted to its grief, eager to latch onto her body and infect it until there was nothing left.

Or they would if she wasn't one of the deathless, and she shrugged off the curse thrown at her as if it was an annoying breeze.

"That will not work Wanderer, I am no necromancer and is time for you to come hither, you've avoided the halls of the Unseen One for too long." Masumi put a sense of finality to her words and the flames of the torches grew answering to them, the spirits dispersed at the mention of their Lord.

"If you're not a Necromancer… then who… what are you?" The Wanderer visibly cowered but still refused to back off, her hands gripping on the young maiden now.

"The mortals speak of me as the Distant One or Night-Wanderer, among the immortals and in my court beneath the earth I'm the Lady of Crossroads, daughter of the Destroyer and the Falling Star." Masumi advanced uphill with each word, "Upon my torches a crossroad between the middle and lower sky is illuminated and a pathway towards the sunless lands opens and you will follow their light."

There was a wild shriek coming from the Wanderer and her shape was trapped between her human shape and a crow, wanting to flee but unwilling to leave her job unfinished; Masumi had to recognize that her will was exceptional.

The maiden laid limp at their feet, her skin pale as the moon and her colorful hair had started to diminish in intensity. It was only matter of time, but the Wanderer kept her hold on her.

"I will take her with me, and we will swim in the waters of the River of Pain together." The voice was even more distorted than before.

"No."

Masumi thoughts came to a halt hearing the weak but still very alive voice.

"Let…" The shadowy hands of the specter were struggling to keep its hold on the maiden who was awake again, just as pale and weakened as before, but her eyes blazed still with the will to live. "Let go…"

The Wanderer abandoned any pretense of theatrics and curses as her fingers closed around the girl's throat, shaking her back and forth, failing to notice the earth opening beneath her feet.

Masumi had not done that, she was unable to do such thing, she presided over crossroads and labyrinths, even with the language of magic in her power, she could not defy her duties.

Then the black fire emerged from the schism.

"LET GO!"

Even her nymphs had fled at the sight of them: the fires of the Dark Pit, capable or burning mortals and immortals alike, dead and alive, god or titan.

Wielded in the pale hands of a dying young girl.

"I beg you Mistress, I beg you for mercy!"

It was too late for mercy, and Masumi had been late too, without her nymphs the barrier fell down and the Wanderer having abandoned her target was now able to shapeshift and flee into the night sky.

The maiden fell to her knees, embers of dark fire disappeared from her hands and the earth closed again.

She was not breathing… because she didn't need to.

.

.

.

"Masumi what is the meaning of this?!"

"Keep your composure Psychopomp, we are dealing with official matters."

"But…Yuzu-"

"Where is the Lord?"

"H-he's instructing a priest of mine for cleansing rituals…"

"I will go ahead then; the Spring Goddess needs to come with me… the surface cannot longer sustain her."

ᴥ

From inside his cottage Yuri smiled as the small crow landed on his window, and he retrieved more food for it, for a moment it seemed wary of approaching him until he showed her the luscious grapes.

"Poor thing, your wings are burned." He said, looking at the smoking feathers and patches of skin. "There, there, you did a good job." Yuri left the bird to eat and it was only then that he remembered the food basket left behind by Yuzu.

How considerate, unlike the person grabbing a piece of bread from it.

"Don't look at me like that, I get to claim the right to hospitality right?" He said without stopping his munching.

"As far as I know Gate Keeper, you need to ask first and then you I get to decide if I share my roof and food with the likes of you." Yuri said, allowing his teeth to show into his smile.

"Fair enough, but from my perspective, the entrances and exits are all the same remember?" Dennis stood and removed his two-faced mask.

In its place the face of a young boy with freckles and red hair stood instead; it was hilarious looking at him, a dweller of the lower sky being idle and normal, he could pass as a random minor god any day, only his green eyes and its unnatural glow in the dark spoke of his true heritage.

"More like you invited yourself along with Yuzu."

"Ah-ha, wording Yuri, wording is always important and you offered your home to me as much as to her." He walked toward the door and stopped. "But you are right, I mustn't abuse your hospitality, just one question..." He swallowed the last of the bread before continuing. "Why didn't you warn her? You know on whose behalf I was guiding her through, I know you have plenty of hate for the Queen and I thought you said you rather liked her…" he stopped to grab an apple and then looked at him again, a chuckle left his lips before biting it, "…Or at least were enough fond of the young goddess to stop me."

Fondness? Like? Yuri's mind stopped in consideration at those words, such words evocated temperance and softness, not quite love but not quite respect either; everyone knew he was not one for such wishy-washy feelings.

As for hatred…

Yes, he hated the Beloved Queen in the past, so much that for a while hate was the only thing it allowed him to live on, and he cursed her name many times during his mortal life; during his ascension ceremony he had every intention to spite her peace offering – 'allowing' his marriage, as if he cared – and break havoc in her court, made her suffer for each one of her little tortures sent his way.

Only to find out he didn't need to.

The Olympus was an intricate web of deceit, secrets and hypocrisy, a madness under the guise of order all governed by a detached King and a spiteful Queen. A sad and bitter Queen at that, Yuri could not pin point the exact moment where his feelings changed, but it was hard to keep hating on such a pitiful person.

"Because it was fun, and I didn't feel like cooking tonight" And it was also none of Dennis' business so he simply waved goodbye at him and grabbed the scented herbs from the basket. "…also these would make my wine exquisite."

He smiled at him disappearing into the pathways of the ether a gift possessed only by the children of the old Night.

~•~

Seemed like his work would end early today.

At first, he had thought that maybe the winds were fooling around with the clouds, but as more and more gathered in the sky, and the darker they looked and humid the air smelt he knew the King was not pleased.

An out of season downpour was never a good sign.

Yugo instructed his horses to take the chariot to Olympus when the spot where he usually met with Yuzu came into view and he shapeshifted into a raven and landed on the nearest tree.

And now he had to wait, sometimes it was her mother who accompanied her to this spot, sometimes a wood nymph, either way he had to hid until her was sure they were alone, maybe he could take a nap.

"I know you're here, Sun God." A chirpy voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I wouldn't be here if you weren't." He remained in his raven shape and peaked at the newcomer; the golden wings reflecting every possible color was what caught his eyes first. Then it was the garish-looking pink tunic with excessive ornaments and the blond hair pulled up in weird shapes, this time she has chosen a butterfly it seemed.

"Not going to come out? It's all the same, you know why I'm here; she waits for you all in her throne of gold."

The Goddess of the Rainbow, and more importantly: The Queen's handmaiden, personal herald and messenger.

So, that was what the rain was for.

He was being summoned by the Queen of Heaven, they all were.

ᴥ

It had not been the best of envoys.

Reiji had convinced himself that one day of putting aside his daily duties would hardly make a difference, that a restless dead was a much more pressing manner to attend to, that the sooner he dealt with it, the more time he would have to deduce which one of the gods had been guilty this time.

Not only had the Wanderer escaped once again, but now he found himself fighting the urge to pace around his halls, while Masumi and Yuya tended and fussed respectively over the Spring Goddess.

How had it come to this? A very good question that he planned to muse about in another time.

"How is she? Is she okay? Why doesn't she wake up? Masumi you said-"

"Stop yelling in my ear!"

…Which was giving mixed results at best and on the process of causing him a major headache. This was all wayward, a fertility goddess was not fit to be in the Underworld for extended periods of time; as a stranger to his lands the miasma of this place would slowly seep into her being and drain her vitality.

It was not like she had a lot of it right now, he thought, stealing another look at her pale skin, her sunken cheeks and the dwindling color of her hair, a mockery of her intensity at the party, the sight didn't suit her at all, his chest felt hollow at the wrongness of it, and he definitely was not willing to push such bounders even more.

"I have done everything in my hands." Masumi said as she took steps aside for him to survey her work.

"She has not awakened." He said, his tongue clicking, noticing her semblance didn't look any better either.

"And she's still pale!" Of course Yuya saw appropriate to point out that now. "We can't take her back like that! Reiji, her mother is gonna to kill us." Technically impossible, but Reiji fully believed Ray would search a way of retaliation just as brutal.

"My Lord," She started throwing a glare at Yuya. "After looking into her essence I have reached to a single conclusion: She must remain in the Underworld for the time being."

The Underworld was already cold and quiet, but in that moment there was a shift in the air, a colder atmosphere, Reiji allowed himself to take one deep breath in an attempt to control his thoughts.

"You're joking right? Tell me you're joking…" Yuya's comment came almost in a whisper and Reiji noticed a tremble inside it.

"Explain yourself." Was the only reasonable thing he could muster to ask.

"I already had some suspicions when she repealed – albeit unsuccessfully – to the Wanderer's curse, now that I've gotten a closer look there is no doubt in my mind: She has consumed the food of the Underworld."

For a moment Reiji watched how Yuya tilted his head with no immediate understanding of the gravity in the matter, until his eyes caught sight of the orchard outside the palace.

Then he just stood quiet… it was quite unnerving.

Reiji should have known it wouldn't be that simple.

ᴥ

Everything was in disarray.

Chariots kept arriving and while the servants did their best to attend each one of them, but it was no use as many of them were indisposed after last night party.

Rin kept pacing next to the thrones of heaven, waiting for each attendee to present themselves properly, she had ordered the whispers of the nymphs to be shut out from the hall, they didn't allow her to dwell in her thoughts, and right now this was her most valuable asset.

The hearth in the center of the room looked ominous and its Keeper had a frown for the first time since the last serious matter treated by the Olympians.

Her fire kept cracking and throwing embers to the marble floors.

The Doors opened to reveal the Warrior, sauntering over full armor and scowl set in place, he removed his helmet to reveal his blonde hair with an odd combination of green locks at the top of his head, Rin was not surprised to see he was the first to arrive, any whiff of conflict was first and foremost detected by him.

If not outright instigated…

No, she abandoned the thought before it was fully formed, he was not one crafty or even patient enough to instigate anything, that was the domain of the Discord, the Warrior only thrived on the fruits of the seeds planted by her.

On the other hand if the Children of the Night were behind this matter…

No, what reasons would they have to be involved when they were infamous for their apathy towards everyone but their lower sky? They were too unpredictable, too primal and set in their ways to even be bribed or threatened into such machinations or even ordered around.

The only domain that had active members of them in their court was the Underworld.

Rin's eyes shot open at the realization.

Except…

No, it couldn't be; the Underworld had nothing to gain from holding a ransom over the Earth Mother, and its Lord was not narrow-minded enough to let his continued feud with his sister to provoke such upheaval. When her musings were stuck on a dead-end her attention was brought back to the room, already brimming with attendance. Except two main seats: The Underworld and of course the Spring Growth… no, the Messenger was amiss too, but Yuya was always late, she couldn't pin any significance to this just yet…

She stopped when she caught sight breeze surrounding the hall, it was not the usual made by her Father, this one felt humid and it brought with it the smell of the sea.

The ocean.

From the stormy clouds gathered around Olympus whirlpool was emerging and given shape in between rainbow colors and dew, the salty smell I brought was almost refreshing when just outside of the hall small particles of water, air and specs of colors where all given shape in the form of an animal that looked like a horse, except this one had scales of every color found in the sea, long fins and its tails were an elongation of its body curling into a spiral.

The magnificent creatures were pulling a chariot with the color of the Aegean Sea and two people were riding it.

First was a god, wearing a tunic with several hues of blue melting into green which put it at odds with his orange and spiky hair, he was helping down the carriage to the accompanying lady, she was beautiful in the same strange and off-putting way that all the Daughters the Ocean were, her dark hair floated around her head resembling fins or perhaps eels and there was a bluish tone in her skin that was only amplified by her dress made of shining scales, its colors resembling their mounting animals.

All the other gods and goddesses stared unabashedly at them, for some of them it was no doubt the first time they set sights on the Earth Shaker and the Dark Eyed, the Rulers of the Sea.

This was sure meant to be interesting.

ᴥ

It's all warm here.

Warm as only a spring morning can be, the grass tickles on her skin and the snakes are slithering nearby, the closest one enclosed around her ankle keeping her safe.

...Snakes?!

Yuzu shot up faster than she could understand her situation, where was she? She was in the middle of a field, surrounded by flowers, there is no one around, not her mother, not her nymphs, not even mortals around, it's only then that she realizes why: night has fallen.

She's completely alone, and it was wrong, her mother would never have left her completely alone, much less where she could see and hear the snakes all around her, she can feel some of them staring at her, ready to act at the slightest movement, what if they bite her or...

"Maiden? I told you not to run off again..." Yuzu doesn't care who said that, the voice sounds gentle if a bit annoyed but it's better than anything.

"Help me! The snakes!"

"The snakes? Yes, they are good guardians..."

...What? WHAT?! He was crazy, these creatures could not be up to any good! Her mother would never tolerate her near them!

He?...

This person, is a male, he wasn't much taller than herself, and by the sounds of his voice he was merely a boy…

...What was happening? Snakes a-and... A boy? Yuzu wasn't sure which one was the worst offense, everything around her was turning too bright to look at except for the boy now holding her arms.

"Calm down Maiden, they led me to you, thanks to them I found you."

.

.

.

It's cold.

'…I found you'

Beneath her is nothing but a cold and hard surface, it makes her feel stiff and chills run down her back while she tried to find support from it, instead it just made her aware that she can't be in her home, not in her soft bed under the watchful eye of her mother and no light coming through the window, instead she needed to blink again and again to check if she was really awake because all she saw was dark.

Then she became aware of the music, a soft melody that seemed to envelop her with each of its notes, it needed no words to convey the feelings of nostalgia, she could almost make out in her head a story of a musician mourning the dead of his lover, a heart wrenching feeling that brought every mortal, creature and even god to tears when they listened.

Yuzu realized too late that warm crystalline tears fell from her eyes.

Her head hurt, all of her body hurt, specially her chest.

"Stop." The voice coming out of her didn't sound like hers at all, it was rough like the frogs on the ponds, the memory of it made her recoil and it was like the music was purposefully touching the place that ached inside her. "Stop! You're making it worse!"

Her chest heaved, and she realized it was because it was demanding her to take deep breaths. She finally realized that in the same… room – please don't let it be a cage or a dungeon – as her was a man.

At least he looked like a man, something about him and his presence spoke about divine heritage but his complexion was muted, not to the point of looking sick but it felt wrong to watch him in that state, he was tanned – or he would look tanned in a normal light –, his hair was wild and even in the dark his orange hair stood out, he had multiple markings on his face and some more on his body.

"My apologies Maiden," He spoke and didn't bother to show any deference in her presence, instead he smiled at her as if she was just another girl passing by. "I'm glad to see you up, well and good."

"Who are you? What is happening? Where am I?" There were more questions rushing to her mind but he stood up from where he was sitting and walked to her, she forced her body to lift from the surface she had been resting, she did not feel like having him look down on her.

"In that order? Down here you can call me Crow, pleasure to meet you Mistress. Among the living I used to be known as the Divine Musician…" He paused and gave her a look that meant he was expecting a reaction, she only looked down to his lyre under his arm, noticing it for the first time, unlike himself its golden color seemed unaffected by the lack of light around them, the raised eyebrow when he caught her watching it meant that apparently she ought to recognize him? Though luck, she was more interested in what he meant with 'down here' and 'among the living' as if he was no longer in that category…

"I'm sorry, but the only divine musician I know it's Yug- I mean, The Sun God." At the mention of Yugo, there was a glint on this man's eyes and he smiled at her, wide and toothy grin.

"It's been so long since I've spoken to him, time is murky down here, I lose track of it." If he was known as 'divine' maybe, he was one of the people Yugo granted with talent? "Last time I talked to him it was maybe a hundred years more or less...You must be a young goddess; he never mentioned his new paramour and I'm certain I've never heard of you before."

"Not exactly, no..." She and Yugo did not have such relationship and if he was a mortal he probably heard of her, but only in relation to her mother... wait hundred years?

"It can't be helped I suppose, as for your next question, I don't know the full extent of it and I can't lie to you, I was only ordered by my lord to tend after you until you were awake and try to use my music on you, I think we can both agree it didn't work."

"I can't be sick, I'm an immortal…" She said through gritted teeth "…and an Olympian. My body just hurts, but I'm sure it will pass."

Yuzu didn't like the look he gave her, as if he...pitied her?

"My Lady, I'm sure you must realize that as an immortal you shouldn't be hurting at all, I'm not a medic like some of my other siblings or my own father but I know immortal bodies and of course you feel everything around you; hunger, cold, warm and yes pain, but that acts as a response to the outer world, and as you already stated, you can't be sick, nothing inside you should hurt."

Yuzu knew this, of course she did but she also knows there's is a reason for her to feel this way, but no matter how hard she tries to think about the moments before passing out she can only remember torches, a bird flying away and... A tree?

Everything after the crossroad to the beach seemed out of place and made her head hurt.

"…as for where you are, that's simple: this is the Underworld."

ᴥ

"It is with grief in my heart that I must announce the disappearance of the Spring Growth goddess from the face of earth."

There was a silence in the room as soon as those words left the Queen's lips, no one dared to make a sound, they all looked at each other in confusion, suspicion and even accusation, everyone but the Earth Mother of course, who currently looked in the worse shape Yugo had seen in centuries, her hair looked lifeless, her eyes were hidden under her bangs…it was as if all color had drained from her and the vines in her throne were all acting out: moving around her with thorns and he betted even poison too.

'Yuzu…' He couldn't believe was he was listening; he wouldn't believe it.

"This is ridiculous; how can Yuzu be missing?!" He shouted gripping his seat in an effort to no stand up and demand more answers from everyone, he did not give a damn that everyone was throwing daggers at him in response, even the Queen.

"Brother, you must keep your bearings." Selena fixed him with a glare as she spoke but he knew she was just as shaken; this was not the something that she could let slide. "My Queen while I don't approve my brother hastiness, I must share his opinion; how is this possible?"

"How indeed," Yugo did not like the little smile the woman made. "Is the reason all of you were summoned to begin with Lady of the Wild Beasts, according to the Revered Earth Mother, her beloved daughter left their home to meet with you."

'Damn her!' He didn't care who she was, no one accused Selena of something like this! But he remained quiet for her sake, he still had enough sense to know his outburst would do her no favors.

"Actually Mother," The voice that spoke up came from the only throne without any decorations other than their symbol of power, the Crafter did not look directly at the Queen when he spoke and his tone was as flat as ever. "I can assure everyone in this room that the Spring Goddess was nowhere near the forests, I spoke briefly to her in the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea."

Yugo allowed himself to feel amusement at the quick flash of anger from the Queen and how easy the Crafter shrugged it off.

"Can we trust your words on this Crafter?" It was The Counsellor who talked this time, her presence shined in the absence of the King.

"There were other witnesses." He did not flinch under the scrutiny of the Counsellor either but before she could continue questioning him, three thuds were given on the marble floors.

It was the trident of the Earth Shaker.

He looked the same as Yugo remembered him, like all Second Borns he chose an older and more mature look to them, of course he knew most of the time he wasn't all that strict or a bummer, but his ability to change his disposition was kind of scary.

The Sea can be calm or lively but you never know what you can find deep within, where the rays of the Sun can't reach.

"If the Queen allows this outsider to speak on her court." Yugo almost winced at his remark, but what could have been done? Parental lineage always took precedence than those of extended family.

"My brother does not need my permission to speak, as I assume you are here to represent the Court of the Sea." Of course the Queen made a great show of sounding apologetic about it.

"I am, and because at the request of the Old King of the Sea, I've come to give credence that the Goddess was indeed at the shore today, I also feel the need to dispel any possible rumors that my court hold any grudge against the Spring Growth Goddess, or the earth and heavenly gods for that matter."

"Can you really speak for all your subjects?" The Queen started and shifted in her seat, holding her staff in a way that was very obviously meant to mirror the trident of the Earth Shaker. "I have no doubts of my own ichor and flesh but we must consider that the ocean is home to many of the creatures born from the Mother of Monsters and even from the Earth's Womb itself."

The laughter coming from him was something Yugo did not see coming, it resounded all over the hall, it didn't click with Yugo until now how much less lively the meetings would be without him, it wasn't like the people left dared to stand up to the Queen.

"My apologies, dear sister, but I need to ask what exactly do you consider indiscipline? I don't lead my court the same way as my siblings lead theirs, honestly you would be surprised how well-behaved most of the sea creatures are when you just let them be." His shoulders shook a little again before adding: "But I'm a guest of Olympus so I must show deference, and I have here the daughter of the Ocean who not only witnessed the Maiden's arrival to the shore but actually exchanged a couple words with her."

From the chariot and aided by the Earth Shaker, a girl which at first sight did not look any different from any dryad whom appeared to be wearing a shining blue tunic until Yugo realized those were the scales of her body, her toes and fingers were joined together by a membrane and she had some gills on her neck, even her hair looked as if it was made of corals, shells or perhaps eels.

She also walked in tentative steps, somehow as if she was not used to walk.

"Are we supposed to believe that someone as secluded and inexperienced as the Maiden speaks the tongue of the seas?" This time it was not the Queen who spoke but Yuri, and as it usually happened, Yugo felt his teeth grind at the mere sound of his voice, of course he was here and he looked every bit the bastard he was, his position was laid back and he was picking at his nails as if they were the most interesting thing in the world, as if they weren't in the middle of a trial, and of course he took the chance to mock Yuzu.

The worse thing was that among the other gods there were a lot of nods of agreement, taking the chance to praise Yuri for his sharp observation, suck-ups all of them.

Before Yugo could tell him where he could shove his 'sharp observation' someone spoke up:

"Ivy Bearer if you excuse me, I acted as a translator between them." The Crafter said again, this time his interest in the new attendant, Yugo broke his stare at Yuri to see a meaningful look passing between them. "And I have the disposition of doing so again, if necessary."

"There is no need Crafter," The woman spoke and Yugo observed that her teeth were sharp as knives. "My Lord has briefly granted me with the ability to speak the surface's tongue, and I'm willing to swear by my eldest sister that I was indeed in contact with the Spring Goddess, although initially I mistook her by a nymph running away from a god or perhaps a mortal girl eloping, as I have found many in my travels to the shore."

There were a couple of snickers coming at her words, Yugo himself would have been angry if it wasn't at the tilt of the head the oceanic deity, clearly no malice intended behind it, simply stating a fact.

When the whispers started to grow in volume the wild swish of the vines from the Earth Mother's throne made everyone shut up, for the first time she raised from her semblance to look at all the attendants and Yugo felt a chill going from the back of his head to the pit of his stomach at the look of her eyes.

He was assaulted with the images of desert storms, lands filled with plague and drought, dying plants and animals, a human drinking and eating with desperation in his eyes until he bite into his own skin and bones, the image of a man's skin slowly turning into scales and its legs turning into limbs only crushed to death afterwards, the screams of a group of nymphs when their bodies morphed into hideous birdlike creatures, the shine of a golden blade before it slashed into the body of her enemy until there was nothing left.

It was then that he forced himself to remember that she was born still in the middle of the Titan war, that the earth can also be unforgiving and cruel, and she needed only a look to remind everyone in the room of it.

By the time he regained his focus on the situation the questioning was continuing.

"Tell us Leuce, Did the Spring Goddess revealed any information that could lead us to her whereabouts?" Asked the Earth Shaker.

She tilted her head, as if thinking twice about answering, Yugo and everyone around leaned forward, the eyes of the Earth Mother looked at her, pressing, but perhaps being from the sea, Leuce had little to fear from an earth deity.

Lucky her.

"No, she did not, she was very polite, I was appalled when the seas trembled with the news of her disappearance."

It was… odd, Yugo sensed no lies from her, but his mind went back to the shared look between her and the Crafter… it was too bad that his ability as the Seeker of Truth did not account for secrecy or untold lies, a loophole that was too easy to avoid, especially for immortals, but maybe if he pried further…

"Did anything else ha-"

"Sorry to be late!" ...as usual with flawless timing, there he was, he tried to fix his clothes before landing on the hall – emphasis on trying – which made Yuya land next to Rin rather than his seat and at the sight she fixed him with an admonishing glare and he was wise enough to retreat two steps summoning his staff. "Counsellor, I-I apologize for my haste, but I-I comeherenotjustastheMessengerbutalsoasaHeraldofthe-"

As it usually happened when he was anxious, Yuya was talking too fast and was not putting space between words, oh boy, did he made for a great patron of languages and communication, then again, it wasn't like Yugo could always think of himself as lawful or elegant either.

"Yuya," She spoke and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Calm down," Rin seemed to stare into his eyes while saying so.

He was probably the only god whom Rin touched outside the battlefield, as usual Yuya was recipient of deference from everyone.

Even the Queen.

.

.

.

"Thank you Rin" Yuya had enough sense to keep his voice quiet, and Rin was kind enough for him to pretend they didn't hear him. "I get a little dizzy when two of my aspects act like together…like… overlap?" He knew his hands trying to make a demonstration by clasping together was not helping, but he lacked the words to explain. "Anyway… I'm sure you know what that's like."

"I wouldn't," She crossed her arms. "My duty as Counsellor to the King always comes first, regardless of my everyday activities."

"R-Right, never mind…" Yugo thought that if Yuya's hand wasn't busy holding his staff he would be scratching his hair.

"You are the Herald, Son of the King and the Nursing Mother, gather your bearings, if you must fulfil your duty as Herald then in the absence of the King you must request permission from the Queen to speak first." At the very least Yuya had the sense to look bashful.

"I know, but I also have a message from-" He stopped when he finally noticed the Earth Shaker in the middle of the hall along with his queen and a sea nymph. "O-kay, never mind the message, I was way too late."

The fact that Shuzo had not laughed at his mishap made him realize he really had stormed in the wrong moment, which in turn made him hyper aware of the glares everyone was throwing at him, he bit his lip to stop himself from saying something dumb to try and clear the tension.

Knowing himself it would have made things way worse.

"Save us time and tell whatever you were going to say." And Yuya almost apologized until he noticed it was Yuri, lounging in his throne as if nothing of importance was happening. "You see? We´re in the middle of something very interesting."

"Interesting? Yuzu is missing and you think this is all 'very interesting'?! You little-"

"Such uncouthness as usual..." Yuri made a tsk sound before adding. "I mean aren't you the All-Seeing God?" At this sentence he lounged even more in his seat and smiled, that cruel and lopsided smile that would give mortals a nightmare.

Yuya realized too late exactly what he meant.

"What does that have to do with anything?!"... And now he wanted to face palm at Yugo for taking the bait.

"Oh, I didn't realize I had to explain one of your many jobs to you, but looking as you have the attention span of a mosquito, so let me walk you through it: How come you didn't see anything out of place?"

For a moment it seemed that Yugo was going to burst again, but he closed his mouth and went very quiet; it was unnerving to say the least, on top of it the other gods seemed to have taken a lot of consideration to what Yuri said and some of them were now looking at him expectantly whereas others where whispering among themselves.

'He is the Sun God isn't he?'

'Do you think he's hiding something?'

'Maybe she rejected his advances...'

'Is that's why the Spring Goddess ran away?'

'How foolish! Does he want to see a drought on the land?'

'He has retaliated worse before...'

"I... should have." It seemed to Yuya that if Yugo was torn between shrinking in his seat or that he would storm out and search for Yuzu.

The Warrior seemed to have lost all interest in the idle chat among and he turned his eyes to the Lady of Foam whispering something in his ear while Selena looked ready to punch the lights out of Yugo or Yuri, or both; but considering at how the Earth Mother's vines stopped its movements and seemed to focus on the pair, she would probably beat them to it the Earth Shaker and the Dark-Eyed Queen seemed to be removed completely from the discussion as they seemed to be giving the sea nymph a command making her disappear in a current of sea breeze.

Even Yuya knew better than to check on Reira who just as he thought was simply sitting lopsided on his too-big-for-him throne, observing with his own eyes everything without making a comment or taking a side.

The Hearth Keeper by design couldn't interfere, but the fire kept cracking and throwing embers everywhere, even so she took s second to wave and smile at Yuya when she caught his eye, always welcoming as usual.

Yuya turned quickly between the two authorities present, but Rin was thinking, retreated into herself and the Queen only sat back on her throne, as if she was enjoying the scene, and by the looks of it, it had all the chances of Yugo pulling out his bow and shooting an arrow through Yuri's head, eventually turning into a dispute between two Olympian gods.

Which tended to span for decades, if not hundreds of years.

"She is not missing." He whispered, almost too quiet that he thought the attendance would not hear him over their chatter, but Rin and the Queen heard him and that's what mattered because the latter called to silence with three thumps of her staff.

"First, I'm appalled that my court is displaying such behavior in the presence of our visitors…" Her jeweled hand gestures toward the Rulers of the Sea who quite honestly didn't look like they cared. "… but on top of everything, you won't let Yuya to do his job."

He fought a wince wat the use of his name by the Queen, she always did that even in public affairs, with the same tone as if he was still a child; and too many people thought this meant he had her favor; but actually it was quite embarrassing.

Like too many of them, she didn't take him seriously, and of course now everyone was staring at him.

"Um, right…" He swallowed a knot before continuing, "As you all know I recently got a new duty as the Psychopomp thus becoming more or less part of the court residing beneath the earth, and I'm here as Messenger of the Olympians, but also in representation of them…" If he didn't have everyone's attention before, he certainly had it now.

"And why didn't the King of the Dead consider this matter important enough to attend?" The voice of the Earth Mother was full of poison, and Yuya almost lost focus worrying that at any point he would find himself trapped within her plants.

"With… with due respect Earth Mother, he did plan to attend but the reason I'm a here as a Herald to the Lord of the Dead, The Wealthy One, the Unseen One, Ruler and Host of Many-"

"Yuya" Rin whispered giving him a nudge… right, better hurry, it would be like a throwing a discord apple either way.

"…To speak on his behalf on the presumed disappearance of the Goddess of Spring Growth!" His staff shone and his voice augmented in volume with each word until her was sure he had everyone's attention. "I hereby vouch for His Grace that the Goddess is safe and sound in the Underworld, and as per his request to the Sky King she must remain in his lands starting the following new moon, during four lunar cycles!"

ᴥ

"The what?!" Yuzu was aware that her yells echoed inside the chamber she was, but didn't care at all, she wanted answers and she would get them. The original plan was to stand-up and ran past this 'Crow' until she found someone – preferably Reiji – and demand to be let out of this place.

Instead what happened was that the moment her feet touched the cold, cold ground, a sharp pain made her fall into the ground and she had to use her hands to prop herself up one more time, to see how Crow was kneeling besides her offering his hand.

Yuzu had half a mind to swat it off.

Instead she accepted his help – not surprised to learn his hand was also cold, but a bit weirded out that it felt like touching parchment rather than skin – which eventually meant to hang onto his arm for full support.

"Careful Mistress, I'm gonna get an earful if I let any harm come down to you." He said when he walked her back to the rock that he seemed to think doubled as bed and then produced a cup full of ambrosia from somewhere within his clothes. "Here, if this doesn't work, nothing will."

It sounded like he wasn't eager to find other solution if this one didn't pan out and she shared the feeling.

And she was hungry.

"Thank you." The sweet warmth of ambrosia filled her and she smiled remembering the warmth of her mother's arms when she was smaller and snuggled up to her for sleeping; the fact that Crow was there staring at her like some spectacle diminished the comfort a but though.

"Well, that seemed to do the trick in indeed." He sighed in relief. "You even seem to have recovered some of your color, Mistress."

"Stop calling me that." She spat out without thinking much, raising her eyes to meet his, feeling much better now. "I'm not your 'mistress' or anything."

"No, but you are as you said an Olympian and His Grace's honored guest, it's simple etiquette." At the indubitable mention of Reiji, Yuzu felt a vein in her forehead pulse and shoved the now empty cup back on Crow's hands.

"And where is my gracious host?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Ah, well he busy, down a couple halls," Yuzu noticed that the direction where he pointed was indeed a hall. "discussing the matter of your staying here with his father-" Crow didn't even finish the sentence, she didn't care at all to listen to the rest of it, all she heard was that somewhere in these halls these two were discussing her…. her what?

Vacation? Entrapment? Punishment?

She had pushed Crow with such force that he fell into the ground along with the coup which shattered into tiny pieces, and Yuzu simply walked around him; he didn't look hurt and she knew he couldn't be passed out, instead he just laid there on the floor, and despite his wince she couldn't shale the thought that he would crack a smile the moment she turned her back.

'He really is a lot like Yugo' And it hit her exactly what their relationship was. It made her torn between checking if he was really unharmed or slap him around a little for trying to mock her.

Later, right now she had other matters to attend to.

Running through the path; she hoped wouldn't get her lost; she couldn't help noticing how different this place was to Olympus, not just because of the dark walls and musky air, but because up there you're never really alone; here? It was eerie how silent and vacant everything felt.

Unless until she noticed the whisper, no, not whisper, it was just a regular voice, just faraway and muted.

The King's voice.

"You realize what this could cause?"

"I already weighted all other alternatives, father."

"She's a fertility goddess, we don't know how the miasma will affect her."

"The Spring Goddess consumed our sacred food, being on the surface will not do her any good either."

"Ray will never agree to this."

"Which is why I came to you, the King;" She heard an exasperated sigh before continuing. "She might be the Earth Mother, but she doesn't get to dictate how I run my court and she shouldn't have any say in yours either."

"She is her mother; do I need to remind you where you would be if it wasn't for your own-" Then there was the sound of something being slammed down.

"Do not bring that up now, it's inconsequential." Yuzu thought she could feel the tension, between them, even if she couldn't see them just yet, her steps became slower, more subdued, she wanted to hear more. "Unless you want to claim your lineage rights, you don't get to bring family matters onto this discussion."

"… I suppose it was foolish of me to think I deceived you." Yuzu felt goosebumps at the chuckle he gave, it made her remember the uneasiness of being under his stare and she hurried her step only to hide behind a nearby sculpture immediately as soon as they came into sight, it was a throne room from what she could tell, just as dark as the rest of the place, it was not shining and lavish like the one in Olympus but it was still opulent.

But right now she didn't feel like appreciating the decoration.

In the middle of this place there were to gods, one dressed in black and the other dressed in purple, both of them wielding crowns but no weapons; it seemed she had walked in the middle of an official matter.

"I would be immensely surprised and disappointed in my peers if I happen to be the only one with suspicions; after all you vanquished the Lord of the Seas, you own brother, for an amateur fertility goddess."

Yuzu knew she was an amateur goddess, she had felt that way in Olympus and hadn't woken up feeling any different this morning, of course the great and mighty Lord of the Dead would also think that as well, she had suspected as much before didn't she?

'Liar, hope is always cruel isn't?'

Still, she wasn't sure how grateful she was for the clarification.

"But you won't, you know that after the last fiasco involving the other newest addition to the Council, you won't risk to provoke mother's ire more than you have already, at least not where Ray is concerned."

"She belongs with her mother."

It was always because of her mother right? After all she was the Earth Mother and she was the Maiden, she had gotten a throne because of her and now the King was interceding for her release because of her mother.

"I might be an amateur goddess," The words left her mouth in an even voice that surprised even herself as she walked from behind her hiding site and faced the two gods, her hands fisted at her sides, but it was not from fear. "But I still have a name and I belong to no one, except myself."

To their credit, Yuzu didn't get much in the matter of reaction from the almost literal kings of stoicism, but the change in the air was palpable; she steeled herself to face the stare of the Sky King, but he was not doing such thing, instead he kept his glare on Reiji who seemed to be set on returning it, but also seemed to be watching her from the corner of his eye.

"She looks quite healthy, a little pale perhaps but nothing some ambrosia shouldn't fix." The King spoke to her then, "You can leave the House of Woe and return to the surface with me."

He reached out his hand to her in what he probably assumed looked like a generous gesture, but to her it looked more like he simply expected her to comply and follow him without question.

'It angers you, because it's just like your mother…'

And Yuzu was just tired of it.

"The Spring Goddess is a guest in my court, and it's up to me to show her the way out" Reiji finally spoke, was it because he was worried or because he didn't want her listening to his real intentions concerning her? "You should not be up yet."

'Does it matter? He's your way out of your unfulfilling life...'

"Host of Many? Is this how you uphold your title? By leaving your so-called guest at the care of a stranger without any means to leave on her own?" She scrunched up her nose to show her disgust. "Then again, I don't remember ever requesting your hospitality my lord."

Still no reaction, other than raising his eyebrow.

"The custom when finding a wounded stranger is to provide shelter until one can nurse them back to health."

"And once the deed is done, to inform them of their whereabouts and not locking them up." She completed the rule, surely he thought she was some uncultured and sheltered goddess unaware of such customs, an amateur didn't he say? "I believe holding someone against their will is called abduction."

"You are clearly upset and it's understandable, but for your own good you need to listen-" No, Yuzu would have none of that non-sense, not anymore.

"No you listen my lord, I'm here because I fooled myself into thinking that maybe, just maybe you had shown kindness to me and I sought to return it, and how do I find my efforts rewarded? By being knocked down by one of your subjects and brought to your lands without showing any respect or consideration for my status or my well-being, and I am not the one with the obligation to obey your commands, not when you have failed to fulfil one of the most basic necessities for the one you call guest!"

Yuzu had not even realized that she had been walking up to him, when she finished her tirade she was now a mere three steps from him and noticed now up close that regardless of his outward façade, his narrowed eyes, tightened jaw and fisted hands gave away his turmoil

"A subject of yours infringed damage to a goddess? Why was I not aware of this, Reiji?" …It was embarrassing to admit that in her anger she had forgotten about his presence, the feeling seemed mutual as she saw Reiji blinking quickly before addressing his father again.

"I was not aware I had to inform you of the matters inside my lands." His curt tone surprised her, and couldn't help but think that this was Reiji's version of impertinence. "You renounced the matters of the Underworld long before I was born."

"When the surface habitants are affected it becomes my matter." He didn't seem fazed by Reiji's disrespect, if anything he seemed almost amused. "Does this means you are having troubles keeping the shadows of the undead under control? Is this why you requested the Messenger's aid?"

Reiji said nothing, and with one look at his eyes flashing in anger made Yuzu realize it was because the Sky King was onto something, and he knew it too, because his amusement turned into a smile.

Did that mean…

"You dare to gloat over your own son's mistake?! Are you pretending to be any better than him?" She practically yelled stepping in between him and Reiji; a part of Yuzu was surprised by her scathing words, but she was past the point of caring. "Because all of this happened right under your nose, almost literally and yet it took me telling you to realize that one of your subjects was attacked? Was my mother the one who commanded you as Reiji suggested? Your son may have had a mishap over a wayward shadow or ghost whatever they're called, but he was there to handle the aftermath and the consequences of his failing! Whereas I have yet to see the same sense of responsibility exhibited by you! But I guess shouldn't be surprised, Yugo loves to tell me about all the ridiculous hijinks that happen in Olympus; but I suppose you are not at fault here, it's me who was foolish for wanting to give you the benefit of the doubt."

By the time she had finished, Yuzu's chest was heaving from the effort; she could feel Reiji's eyes boring into the back of her head, she wished to turn and see his reaction but she was intent on keep glaring at the Sky King; the emptiness in those eyes had not changed in the slightest and she reminded herself why she hated when he looked at her: because of the detached and shallow interest in them, as if she was a phenomenon of nature or an exotic animal.

His simply blinked and his eyes moved past her to stare behind her to Reiji.

"This is an interesting turn of events, I almost wish to sit back and see how it will unfold, after all, aren't we all subjects of Fate?" For a moment Yuzu wasn't sure she was hearing right, she could only gape. "So, how you will handle your unwilling guest Reiji? From one king to another here is my compromise: Four months, you have four months to return her."

"Father-" He didn't allow him to talk as his eyes posed in her again.

"As for you, have it your way; I hope your little tantrum is worth it, young Maiden, but don't expect me to intercede on your favor when this matter gets out of your hands."

Yuzu was not given a chance to react before she was blinded by an intense light, when she opened her eyes the Sky King was gone; bittersweet as it was she was relieved by it.

At least until she was faced with Reiji's frown.

ᴥ

"The Underworld!? Is this your idea of a joke?!" Of course the annoying and loud Sun God to protest.

Seems like his plan of finding Yuzu is thwarted, after all the sun rays don't reach below the earth.

Too bad for both of them.

"It's no joke! You know that as The Herald I tell no lies!" She felt the slightest bit of pity for poor Yuya, but swept it off quickly.

"Then go back and retrieve her! Aren't you flaunting your position as psycho- whatever it was, the point is you can travel down there!" At this moment Yugo has sprinted from his seat as if to grab Yuya and hurl him down.

Now, that would be a sight.

She was almost disappointed when both the Counsellor stepped in front of Yuya and The Huntress held her brother by both arms.

"It was still a decision made by both kings! I can't override it lest I be marked as traitor!" He looked as if he wanted to cry; tender little thing.

"That shit-eater of Reiji, just because he is an heir, thinks he can do whatever he wants!"

"W-wait, I can assure you that he only has the best intentions! There was no other choice!" To this Himika paid attention, interested on what the Gate Keeper had pulled to do the deed.

Rather than calming down it just seemed like the Sun God struggled even more against her sister's hold on him.

In seconds she had slammed him down on the floor, causing quite a few cracks.

Really, no respect at all in these young gods.

"Selena! What the hell was that for?!"

She ignored him, still holding him with his arms twisted behind his back.

"Tell us, Messenger, if your Lord has his reasons, we will listen to them" Selena's voice sounded in edge, not because of effort, but because of her status as Protector of young girls, she took two guesses that she was holding back too.

Yuya bit his lower lip, clearly he wanted to say it, to clear things up and stop the fighting, but he was bound.

"I…I can't,"

Everyone in the Council wore disbelieving looks, except for Ray who had gone very quiet from the moment Yuya gave news of Yuzu's whereabouts.

But from her seat Himika saw the clouds swirling together around the hall and knew he was back.

Maybe Leo had been back since before she or anyone noticed, after all heaven was his domain.

How much had he heard?

"Nor will he be forced to disclose it! As the Messenger and Herald he has fulfilled his duties to the best of his capacity." His voice was still disembodied as he emerged in full regalia from a cumulus of dark clouds.

"Father!" Himika's fist gripped tight on her throne at Ray's informality. "Is this true? Did you allowed this to happen?!"

The nerve of her! Questioning the King in front of the Council, but more infuriating was seeing Leo brushing off such disrespect.

He only reacted when Ray walked up to him and he lifted a hand in a wordless command.

But Himika also knew it was a silent plea for his favored daughter to keep quiet and listen in private.

"Earth Mother, you ought to know that The Messenger tells no lies, what all of you have heard is the agreement I've reached with my son. You must not fear for the Spring Goddess wellbeing in the Sunless Lands, she will be well taken care of and return sound and safe at the end of the fourth lunar cycle," he searched with his eyes around for someone and stopped in the Huntress, not taken aback by the spectacle of her holding down her brother. "Selena, as the Moon Goddess you are welcome to watch over the accorded time and see that the date is met."

"Yes, Father." She said, finally releasing her brother.

"But-" He stared to protest but was shut down by the same gesture of Leo as before.

"I order you to not attempt to interfere in this matter during the duration of these months."

There were murmurs in the Council at his words, much more subdued now that their King was commanding them.

Then he turned to address Shuzo and his queen.

"Brother, I do not command you any longer but can I count on your cooperation?" He asked, after all legends said that the edge of the sea, adjacent to the Underworld.

"As stated before my court has no wishes to start conflicts with the heavens; and your kid still has my favor as he has taken good care of the sea nymphs and creatures who lose their way to his lands." Himika smiled to him in deference; reminded of why she would miss her brother in court.

"NO!"

Rather than agitating, there was a heavy silence after Ray's yell. "I will not stand by this; I want my daughter back! I won't wait for a single day while she withers away in his wretched hands!"

Himika had had enough and rose from her seat.

"The Sky King has spoken Earth Mother! I do not take kindly to your suggestion that my son would violate the sacred hospitality and harm your daughter!"

"Don't speak of what he is capable of, you know nothing!"

"You dare…"

"Ray! I won't have you disrespect my wife and son in my palace."

At last she stopped, livid and wide-eyed, for a moment Himika feared the wrath in her semblance, and was reminded of her own father in those eyes burning with pure hatred. Then, without a word, she shapeshifted into a crane - and flew away.

Himika had sworn to bring suffering to her and her offspring… and she had now done it.

Then, why was she afraid?

.

.

.

The earth shuddered when night fell as a yell crossed the plains and fields,

Reached the top of the mountains, it shook the depths of the seas.

And the heaven darkened with ominous dark clouds.

The very air dripped with grief and despair…

ᴥ

"I hope you are indeed happy with this." He said to her and when she tried to put some space between them he grabbed her arm none too gently. "You don't know what you've done."

"Then why don't you enlighten me My Lord?" She said yanking her arm back.

One second and two passed before he averted his eyes from her, he sighed, deep frustration leaking through that simple action and he appeared to be rubbing his temples before speaking again.

"Reiji?" She said, if he wasn't going to abide by custom, then she could drop formalities.

"I was not present, I only have the account on the Lady of Crossroads," Yuzu felt her eyes widen at the mention of that goddess, she was told that she was one of the few Titans who sided with the Sky King during the war, and she was highly honored because of her services.

Her awe only grew when he told her what the witchcraft goddess witnessed, that she had been cursed by someone Reiji called 'The Wanderer', followed by a brief explanation of what a restless dead was – basically what the mortals usually called ghosts – then how the Lady had believed her to be mortal right until the point when she somehow summoned black fire from the Dark Pit and promptly collapsed? Yuzu had staggered back, and had been looking at her hands almost expecting to see them caught in flames when she was told that apparently Yuya had joined the party and was absent because he was delivering the message of her location to the Council who believed her disappeared.

Oh jolly! Her mother was aware of where she was? Yuzu was more surprised that she had not already broke into the place to take her back than she was to learn that the King had been her to 'negotiate' her release under the assumption that Reiji had abducted her with – and for some reason he struggled with this part – ulterior motives.

Which was his 'nice' way of reminding her that she had completely blew it.

But most of all why didn't she remember most if any of this?

"So, you remember." He stated, and at her shifting eyes he added: "Before with my father, you mentioned the attack from the Wanderer, the restless dead on the hill."

Right, she had spat out as much before without giving much thought; she didn't remember all that clearly, mostly swirling images, and pain, she definitely remembered the pain.

"Some of it I do, but it's all very confusing." She tried to think back at what had happened before she found the hill, but attempting so brought her a headache and now the dull throb in her chest was back. "So… this is your palace, in the Underworld."

Yuzu hated the way he raised his eyebrow, because she knew it was obvious; but still a confirmation would be nice dammit! Maybe for him this was just his domain, his home, but she was the one awakening in a strange place, a place where someone like her should never set foot into.

"Yes," He said nodding, at her expectant look he continued. "I brought you here at the insistence of the Lady of Crossroads to heal you; it was supposed to be quick; purify you from the curse of the Wanderer and send you back to the surface without much consequence." When he stopped he crossed his arms, thinking.

"But?" She pressed him, Yuzu would be dammed if she got nothing but more questions at last.

"Before I tell you anything else, I need an account of what happened to you during the day."

"I already told you I don't remember much, the last thing I can recall after leaving my home is wanting to go the beach…" and there she met someone.

He seemed to understand she couldn't finish that sentence, and he pointed behind her.

Somehow, someone – she hoped It was 'someone' – had managed to not only bring a huge table, but two seats and a couple of cutlery, two cups, and a jar the middle of it.

"Sit down, I can imagine you are still tired and sore." Confirming her suspicion, the chair drew back to allow her to seat.

It was his power? Or some type of invisible servant? Maybe like the air nymphs in Olympus, or her mother's nymphs always silently watching over her? But what type of spirit would dwell the Underworld other than the souls of the dead?

She went through the types of nymphs she knew about; air, rain, clouds, winds, stars, forest, trees, mountains, groves, flowers, rivers, lakes, shores, seas, oceans, air, winds… okay, now she was repeating; she remembered the frenzied entourage of Yuri, the hunters of Selena…

The sound if trickling water pulled her out of her thoughts.

Reiji had taken a hold of the cup in front of her and was serving her water, or at least what looked like water.

She eyed it with narrowed eyes.

"Please, drink." He asked placing the cup in front of her again, but as usual it sounded more like an order.

"What is this?" The jar in question depicted a woman with a severe expression holding a piece of parchment and appeared to be reciting something from it.

She had to be a goddess then, remembering that most mortal women were not allowed to be orators.

"It's water…" He seemed amused at her skeptical look. "…from the Spring of Memory."

Yuzu went through all of what she knew of other gods, but it was useless, nothing ringed a bell.

"This will help me remember." She wanted to ask, but he was the one who told her not to admit faults in front of others.

"How perceptive." He said smiling for the first time since she got here; a knowing smile that made her wonder how to wipe the smile by hurling the water into his face; it didn't look weird or murky, if anything it looked clear and almost pristine.

'Heh, crystal clear,' another terrible pun for Yugo, unfortunately she couldn't contain the giggle, his head tilted as if trying to understand the joke in her head.

"I'm not going to drink this." She said moving the cup away from her, she waited to see the signs of him losing patience again, and was not disappointed when his fingers drummed on the table and shifted his sitting position. "Unless…you drink from it too."

"Excuse me?" He asked and this time the way he looked at her as if he expected a bunch of snakes to grow from her hair.

"It's simple courtesy right? If the water is harmless then you can take a drink from it too." She played with her hair saying this, attempting to look nonchalant, whereas her other hand was twisting the fabric of her tunic under the table "After all you look thirsty too, how long were you 'negotiating' I'm sure you could use the refreshment."

For the longest moment she was sure he wouldn't do it, he looked at her and at the jug; her patience was running short, so she stood up, took his cup and poured him the water.

Then she picked her own cup and motioned for a toast.

"To your health my Lord." She stared down at him; waiting.

"To your health, Mistress." Her jaw almost dropped, one thing was that other guy calling her that; Reiji was the lord of these lands, did he even knew what he was implying?

Then he smiled and realized he was messing with her! Before she could protest, he downed his drink on one go.

Yuzu tried very hard to pretend her lips were not trembling when the cup touched them and downed her water too.

And… nothing.

Nothing felt different, the water tasted like… well, water and she didn't get any memories flashing before her eyes like she sort of expected.

"You were saying you went to the beach?" He asked.

"…Yes, when I went there I coincidentally met with Reir- I mean, The Crafter, I don't think he told he what he was doing there though…"

'…Uh?' Suddenly Yuzu realized all the blanks in her head had been filled, she remembered everything that had happened as if she had never forgotten in the first place.

"Mmm, he was most likely visiting the Daughters of the Sea; he always does after he requests a surplus in precious metals and stones."

Right, he is also god of wealth, she always forgot that.

"Oh right! We found one of them! One of those sea nymphs…"

"The Nurturer?" He asked. "I'm surprised; she usually doesn't show herself to anyone but Reira."

"…No, she told me her name was Leuce." She frowned thinking of what happened later. "And then..."

"Hush, keep quiet little one…"

"She um…" Her tongue was stuck in place; the image of the majestic First Born burned in her memory, and it suddenly felt like the memento she clutched to her chest was too heavy.

"What's the matter Maiden? Did you just realize the true weight of an oath?"

"Yes?" Her head whipped to see his questioning eyes, what to say, what to say?

"…She asked me if I wanted to drown my…um…lover." She hoped in the middle of the darkness her blush was not too noticeable, the way he stared at her with wide eyes and his mouth forming a thin line was not helping at all.

"…So, you were eloping." He said, rather than ask, he said averting his eyes from here, did she imagined it or did he look… embarrassed?

"No! Damn it, that's just something she came up with! Why does everyone think that?!"

"Well, you are a maiden." Reiji voice sounded the same but there was a strain under his words…something had touched a nerve, a very awkward nerve by the sound of his voice… was he nervous now? She was the one dying of embarrassment not him! "By definition, a girl of marriageable age, and because most girls have no say in such arrangements; running away with their…lover." This just kept getting worse and worse, Yuzu knew what a maiden was, she didn't need reminder. "Look, elopements are a common enough occurrence; as your host I assure you these words will not be repeated outside this walls."

"For the last time, I WAS NOT ELOPING!" she yelled and slammed her hand over the table. "And just so you know I'm not engaged either! In fact, the reason I was at the beach was because I wanted to avoid the forests; because my mother wants me to become 'close' with the all the virgin goddesses and earn an entrance into their exclusive club!"

Silence, the type of silence that you could feel prickling at your skin and even taste and smell.

"I see." He said after once again, shifting his position in his seat. "In either case…"

'Please change the subject, please change the subject…' She practically begged in her mind.

"…After you left the beach, what happened?" He asked again, and at this point Yuzu was tired of feeling… examined by him.

"Is there a point to this? Do I really need to give you an account of all my day? Don't you feel is a little invasive?"

"I apologize, but-"

"But what? What is going on? And don't try telling me is nothing, I already know all the 'deflecting conversation' tricks from my mother." Obviously, Reiji was trying to pry after all since he was not anything to her, she could call him on it.

She almost thought that Reiji had no intentions of explaining himself, until he sighed, long and hard this time.

"…Fine, it appears at some point you were given food of the Underworld," It was like a spell, any lightheartedness was gone with those words and she saw his hand balling into a fist again.

She remembered hearing similar words from him before.

However, he had to be wrong, because she had not eaten much other than…

Yuri.

His lopsided and wide smile showing almost all of his teeth when he offered the seeds flashed before her eyes.

'Beware of offered food' The Fates told her as much, and she had not listened.

"…this food… does by any chance look like red seeds?" Her hands made an approximate of their size, still trying to sound nonchalant because the alternative was freaking out.

"Pomegranate seeds." Reiji said, his nails digging into the wooden table, hard. "Who?"

"The Ivy Bearer… he, he received me in his house, I couldn't refuse…" Wave after wave of mortification crashed through her, cursing herself for her naiveté, he was a mad god after all.

"It makes no sense." Reiji spoke at last.

"I tell the truth! It was him!"

"No… I apologize, again; I believe you, what I meant that I can't figure out his goal."

"He's crazy isn't he? Why does he do anything other than to spread madness and chaos?"

"Yuri has certainly had brushes with insanity, however he also has a flare for dramatics, his madness is not nearly as chaotic and scattered as he makes it look… he loves to make people believe as much, as a result most gods give him little credit and he likes it that way because it gives him more freedom; but he never acts just for the sake of it..."

Yuzu could not focus much on what Reiji was saying; she could only think of what it would happen afterwards; hell, maybe it was already happening, the King and Reiji mentioned Yuya functioning as Messenger and Herald right? That meant a summit of the Olympians had been convoked… a summit that would need a messenger to be convoked in the first place, but Yuya was tending to her, Reiji said as much, and if she remembered right, there was only another messenger in Olympus.

"The Queen." The word slipped from her mouth almost without her permission, but it made her realize how much sense it made.

Too bad Reiji looked very displeased at the mention of his mother.

"I mean, how come this just so happened after the day I was declared an Olympian something that she didn't agree and told me as much?"

"My mother has no reason to hold a grudge against you."

"Oh please! You think I am stupid, or did you forget I was still here when you yourself rebutted your father on my parentage? Do you think even an ignorant goddess like me doesn't know what she does to all the King's illegitimate children, mortal and immortal alike?"

"... Even if your claim has foundation, as my father did not officially acknowledge you, she has no actual stand to go after you."

"She was raised by the ocean gods didn't she? My seat vanquished their own, not to mention that the Lord of the Seas is her brother!"

"... The Earth Shaker and my parents are all Second Borns, and in order to become the Queen of Heaven my mother had to sever her ties with the ocean."

"Can you tell me That she truly has not delivered worse for fewer reasons? You really believe that it's a wild coincidence that the one day my mother sends me off on an errand by myself, on a path that I know like the palm of my hand leads me to a crossroad I never seen before? Right into the hands of the sea gods whom she definitely has an allegiance to regardless of formalities? Perhaps in hopes they would drag me down to the sea?"

"..." Yuzu was too angry to enjoy the fact that she left him speechless.

"Of course she must be pleased with herself now, even if the sea gods turned out to be surprisingly pleasant, I just happened to find Yuri on my way back right?"

"The Ivy Bearer and the Queen do not get along; what reasons would he have to do her a favor?"

"I don't know! You are her son, and you received Yuri in your lands, obviously you know them better than me." She grumbled. "I bet she must be cackling to herself on where I ended up landing, that wretched and manipulative harpy!"

"Quiet." His eyes narrowed at her choice of words. "When Mother decides to act gracefully and willing to forgive my father's grievances against all of what her domain stands for – marriage, family, the household – she is mocked and called a doormat, and when she does stand up to them and wants to restore her honor she is called a harpy."

"Really? Does that justify when she forbid Yugo's mother from giving birth? What about when she transformed one of Selena's hunters into a bear? Or when she orchestrated the death of Yuri's mortal mother? Or perhaps when she threw your own brother from Olympus because he was not perfect? Do I really need to remind you of all the ill fates who's brought on mortal woman whose only mistake was catching your father's eye and falling into for his tricks?" She could not believe he was defending her and it angered her even more that he looked so angry with her for telling nothing but the truth.

"…You have a lot of nerve to bring up matters than don't concern you and have only heard from others." He was leaning forward in his seat now. "Nobody will speak ill of the Queen in my lands, much less on in my presence."

"How do I know you are not acting on her commands?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You seem awfully indifferent about all of this and very eager to defend her actions, what am I supposed to think?" Yes, maybe he was just acting, in front of her and her father; maybe he was the one who gave the seeds to Yuri too.

"You are supposed to think rationally and see that your presence here is nothing but an inconvenience at best and a disaster at worse; you may be my guest but I will not tolerate your accusations."

In that moment, Yuzu grabbed the jar still on the table, and threw its contents to his face.

"Then I renounce your hospitality!"

He took a moment to silently wipe the water from his eyes before talking again.

"If you renounce my hospitality, you are also renouncing safety; you have no idea of the creatures dwelling in the Underworld and even deeper than that."

"Then let me go now! I don't care whatever agreement you reached, let me go!" At some point, the table had gone off flying into the wall turning into pieces of wood and she was landing her fists on his chest one after the other.

Is this really her?

"Of course you are, your wrath is really as delicious as hers, young Maiden."

"I can't." He said his semblance had become hard like stone; but it did not seem like her assault hurt him in the slightest and with surprising ease he grabbed both of her wrists to stop her assault. "Long before the Sky King, the Supreme King or even the Heavenly Father existed, there was only Time, Chaos and Necessity that encircled the egg containing the cosmos. When she created the ancient rules of a world that had not been formed yet, because all things arise from the earth an fall back into it, the red seeds of the pomegranate were meant become the sacred food of the underworld; and whoever consumes them would forget their old lives be forever bound to these lands."

Yuzu retreated a step from him, taking in his words.

"What would happen if I tried to leave?" Would he try to stop her? He was King here after all; he had to uphold its laws, even if he said he did not want her here.

"I would not stop you; no offense as I said but your presence here is very troublesome, but you already know what would happen."

Yes, she did; she remembered the dead grass under her palms, the need to breath that she had never felt before, the acute pain in her chest, the helplessness.

"No…" Her voice came out as a whisper. "I have to stay here... forever?" She would never step outside or never see the sun again? Feel the grass in her feet, her cottage shared with… would she never see her mother again, or Yugo? What about Yuya? She felt tears prickling in her eyes…

She didn't' want to cry now, specially not in front of him but she knew she was unsuccessful when she felt a single tear rolling down her cheeks and then it was useless to keep resisting as more of them spilled. Yuzu had not noticed he had gotten closer until she looked up attempting to wipe her tears with her hands.

Reiji had one hand suspended in the air to her eye level, as if he could not decide if it was appropriate to offer comfort, all traces of anger had disappeared.

"Please," Reiji started his voice sounded almost soothing, even if he was not really looking at her. "Don't cry, I apologize for my outburst, you won't have to stay forever."

"I know! You have to 'give me back' in four months!" It was hard to sound angry when you had just cried, but she made a run for it anyway. "I'm not stupid, but that pain... I can't even describe it properly, I'm immortal, maybe you can promise not to open the earth to claim me again, but I just know that it will never go away," She understood now that the effects of the ambrosia were temporal, even now she could already feel the pain extending from her chest to the rest of her body, maybe the food instantly killed mortals but she couldn't die.

Yuzu couldn't hold herself for much longer, she needed to lay somewhere, preferably her mother's arms.

"Are you in pain?" She felt something warm against her face and leaned into it, craving more.

"We will find a solution; Masumi and I will read extensively on…"

Before she could hear more, everything went black.

ᴥ

It was night again, despite the chilly wind she felt warm, very warm.

It was all because of the arms that encircled her almost completely, with hands settling on her waist; it was not her mother, no, these arms and hands were bigger and rougher to the touch.

It little difficult to settle in her seat, because her tunic kept getting in the way; then her 'seat' moved and squirmed.

The yell that she wanted to release was stuck inside her; if anything she felt he own body becoming pliant to the one beneath hers until the one of her companion settled in the treet trunk behind them, with her legs on each side of his.

Rather than questions, when she opened her mouth she only giggled.

"You're her daughter, as a guest I must behave…" His protests were quieter every time he opened his mouth, and she had to keep herself from laughing at his flushed face and the trembling in his eyes, it made him look even younger than her like this.

Even so, he still was the most beautiful boy she had set her eyes onto.

Even in her state of daze and mild panic, she realizes that if he was truly being unwilling, he could throw all of her inconsiderable weight from atop his and end the deal. But even as his eyes shifted as if expecting to be caught any minute now; his hands kept a strong hold on her hips; if he truly wanted to...

However, he did not, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

ᴥ

The cave was ancient, that much he could tell, perhaps even from before the Golden Age, why did she chose such place to dwell when she claimed to hate anything beneath the earth, it was beyond him.

"Go away." She looked awful, even if he could see her under the mortal disguise of an old woman; her true form was not in much better form, her hair was no longer the vibrant shade of red, instead a washed out shade of it, her skin looked ghastly and pale.

"When it was the last time you tended to your fields? Or your temples?" He paused before adding: "When it was the last time you drank ambrosia?"

"Does it matter? How can I be the Earth Mother when my daughter is gone?" She hugged the grey cloth around herself tighter.

"You earned that title before she was born." He insisted.

"..." Ray did not say anything for a long moment, when she stood up, Leo allowed himself to feel hopeful for a moment. "You lied to me."

No he had not, she was the only one who he had not dared to deceive; and he couldn't be completely sure she returned the favor.

"I have lied to everyone, my subjects, my family," He withstood the force of the disappointment and anger in those eyes. "My wife and son."

And in doing so, he had lost them already; he was no different than his father in that regard.

"You said that it would work, that you had outwitted Fate before and that you could do it again; now she is there..."

"Where Fate decreed she would." Leo withheld a sigh. "It was you who went against custom and consulted the oracle at the grove; against my consul and your own judgement. And now Fate has found itself allies, both as old as itself and new ones, there was never any chance to outwit all of them."

"I want her back." He almost winced at the distressed look in her eyes. "I can't let her there, where he is..."

"He will not harm her, he can't." When was she going to let that go? He had done everything in his power to please her, and it still was not enough.

"It appears we have different stands on the ways one can hurt another." The gleam of a golden blade shone for a few seconds in her hands.

"Are you going to revolt?" He said, more confident that he felt. "There's no heir, except for him; and you will not sway him to your side, not after what you did." Maybe that is why Ray did not like him at all? He was one of the few who could see behind her smile.

"No, I may be distraught but I'm not foolish." She smiled wide and cruel then. "But I have other ways of retaliation; ones where I do not need to form an army.

ᴥ

"I'm sorry my Lord but our guest keeps refusing us entrance and the food we leave for her remains uneaten every time."

Well, at least she stopped making a mess of her chambers or throwing stuff at the spirits when they attempted to tend to her.

Reiji reluctantly counted this as a small victory.

"It's quite fine, go on with the rest of your duties and try again tomorrow." The spirit simply bowed to him and disappeared from his sight, literally.

"And well?" He asked to Masumi standing next to him, wearing a white tunic, as it was the time of the full moon in the surface; at his question she simply raised her eyebrow to him. "You're my counselor, which is why I'm requesting counsel."

"Mmmh, I don't know what do you expect me to accomplish without having access to your alleged guest. I have read every scroll detailing the underworld before the age of the Olympians, the Titans and even the Primordial Gods, I have asked every other entity in all three skies and no one has given me more than simple rumors and tales." She stopped to glare at the ground. "I had hopes that her body would end up rejecting the power of the seeds or simply assimilate it, after all she summoned the dark fire and unlike Yuri who was still not an immortal, and he died after eating the fruit and then was brought back as god; with her... I sense the usual natural process of the seeds was incomplete by the ichor in her veins"

Which was likely, what had been causing her pain; of course, it could be alleviated – albeit temporarily. – If she just ate the damn ambrosia, but stubborn as ever she continues to reject his hospitality.

"We have yet to try with the previous King."

"You mean The Crooked One? Sure, I'll let the Dark Pit know we have a business meeting with its most prominent prisoner, maybe it will throw us a piece to interrogate."

Reiji said nothing at her impertinence, after all the Supreme King had been cut to pieces and thrown into the Dark Pit, perhaps no longer self—aware or even conscious or capable of coherent thoughts and yet he was still alive, he had never really stopped to think how he knew, he just knew.

Whether it was the result of ruling near his prison or the perks of being a descendant, he preferred not to assume.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"If only we could find the Great Mother." Masumi said, although it sounded more like she was thinking out loud, until she noticed his stare. "Don't look at me like that, she used to be the Queen of Immortals before your mother, without mentioning the fact that you obviously inherited your chthonic powers from her, not to mention that Ray – even if she would never admit it – has to have something from that too, given her current… stand on the matter."

Ah yes, the revered Mother of the Gods, her dominion had been so vast that even Ray had not been able to pick up after her vacuum of power; instead, a lot of minor deities had taken upon different aspects of it.

"There's no point on bringing it up, no one has ever seen her after the Titan War was declared, not even her siblings; it's said that she retreated back to her mountains when the Olympians came to rule." Reiji himself had never seen her, except on highly idealized depictions on art or her temples. "There are many who suspect she… faded."

"Impossible, the last time I visited her oracle at Dodona it's still functioning."

Before any of them could discuss it further someone stormed into the throne room.

"Reiji!" Of course It was Yuya, he had not seen him in almost a month; behind him, Gongenzaka was trailing behind.

"I, the humble servant of the Unseen One, apologizes for the disruption and failure of my duties!" As usual his voice resonated in the halls, even as he was throwing a glare at Yuya, obviously he had not corrected his habit of walking past the boundary he kept.

He could practically hear Masumi wanting to bend over in laughter at the display, so he simply made a sign for them to get over with it.

"We have news from the surface!"

ᴥ

Bored.

If there was a word that described how she felt, it would be that.

There was nothing to do here, the room assigned to her had nothing but the essentials, there were no plants – of course not, how could they down here? –, there no decoration or furniture other than a table and a chair – which given the papyrus and ink blocks on top, it was meant to write, but who to write? – there were no books, only rolls and tablets that had registries of some type.

But worst of all, there was no one to talk to.

'I'm hurt Maiden, am I not a good enough company?'

Oh right, she also thought that she may be going mad; that or a ghost was haunting her, she didn't know which one was worst if she was honest.

Yuzu had no idea that her body could have accustomed to the pain; of course she still hurt like hell, but most of the time she could will her mind to ignore it into a dull throb; but the hunger… fates, the hunger was the worse by far.

Who knew how hungry you could get when you couldn't die? More than once she had stopped herself from taking the food left outside the door.

Her pride stopped her every time, reminding her of the grievances he put her through.

'Pffft, you sure are young, pride becomes stubbornness when it serves for no purpose other than feed grudges, little one…'

Oh, whatever; maybe talking to this… thing would offer some distraction.

"You sure have a mouth for someone dead!" Or someone her lonely head had imagined, she was still not sure which one it was.

Rather than words, only an ugly and arrogant laughter echoed around her.

'…Oh dear, has your mother never thought you anything? Or is she happy with her own personal gardener?'

"Don't talk about mother like that! What do you know about her anyway?!" She yelled at the walls, forgetting for a moment how dumb she must look and much to her annoyance there was a snort before she got another answer.

'I know that she doesn't teach you all of what she knows, or even what she knows you can do, I know her secrets that even her siblings and father ignore, your mother is a fascinating creature, and so are you…'

Yuzu felt her anger give away o curiosity, at his voice; she knew she ought to not trust a disembodied voice – it could very well be the first rule in a survival guide – but the strained words and the seething anger inside them made her wonder.

'…Her fate is owned by too many.'

'I know you wonder… the black fire you wielded, you remember now right? Don't you wonder about it… Do you want to learn about it?'

"…Yes," The moment she said it, she felt the eagerness and anticipation surround the very air around her; it was infectious. "…But before anything… tell me your price."

'…Mph, I guess you aren't that stupid, but I have no need for an oath, you have nothing of interest to me… the Unseen One on the other hand…'

Reiji? What did this thing want with him? And how did it expect her to do anything about it?

'When the night falls in the surface, your door will open and you will find an offering, free to consume without owning anything to the Unseen One…'

Not to Reiji, but yes to this… entity, of that she was didn't answer, but really what else did she have to lose?

Fates… she was so hungry.

.

.

.

She is excited, more than excited, she ecstatic.

"Mom! When are they arriving?! You said it was today right?" Yuzu had been practically jumping around their cottage, watching the door like a falcon.

"It's only one, my dear, the Golden-Winged Messenger said that in the following 2 or 3 days." Her mother had been preparing the fire and the special big cauldron to receive visits though. "They said that the boy shows promise as a fertility deity."

Yuzu froze in place. 'A boy?' Tye thought made her giddy, usually her mother warned her against getting too close to the mortal boys of the town, but this one was immortal, and she was going to be assisting in teaching this time, so she would be allowed to be close right?

"Yuzu? Something wrong?"

"No, no, no… I was just thinking." She showed her best smile.

"If you have time to think, then go the river and ask the nymphs for some fresh water."

"But…what if they get here while I'm not?!" Not good, she had to make a good impression, and she wasn't going to give it carrying a jug of water all tired and sweaty.

"He's going to stay here, Yuzu." Her mother stopped working on the food and gave her a 'do what I tell you look'.

"…Fine." Of course when she went to grab the jug, it was the biggest one that was set aside for picking.

While she dragged the thing all over the clearing she couldn't help noticing that the snakes were hidden under the earth and on trunks, as if something had scared them.

Then, when the river bank was seen from the distance, she found it.

It was a chariot, golden and exquisitely carved images of gods and goddesses fighting, not too far away she saw a couple of the most beautiful horses, white as marble and the closer she got, she noticed the crystalline eyes staring at her.

Immortal horses, steeds of the gods.

She was wondering if she could touch them without angering them when she heard a splash, several solashes.

"…What is this?" Yuzu turned around and saw a figure crouching by the river; he was wet from head to toe.

She laughed, realizing that he had just wanted some water and the nymphs were feeling naughty today.

"Who's there?"

"You know? You have to ask them nicely for the water."

.

.

.

She awoke to a clicking sound… which it shouldn't have happened, because since sleep have proven to be the less tedious and painful way to spend the time; she now spent a lot of her time sleeping.

Too much, her mother would say.

When she walked closer to the door and was convinced that no one was there, she used her hand to search for something, anything but the trays that Reiji sent her way.

And found her hand found a branch; she simply slipped inside and closed the door before anyone noticed, she still gave herself a moment to breathe before seeing what she was clutching tightly to her chest:

A branch indeed, one with pointy evergreen leaves and tiny red fruits in the middle, a quick checklist in her head reminded her, these were holly berries.

Which were toxic to consume.

"…Is this your idea of a sick joke?" She almost wanted to laugh, but instead she felt like crying, or maybe doing both, it didn't matter!

'…Many people once remarked upon my crooked sense of humor, little one, but this is no joke; these will not hurt you, that's my offering.'

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" After all she had already consumed innocent-looking food before and see where that landed her.

'…Yes? That's what a proof of faith is about… or leap of faith was it? In any case, if you want me to trust you with my secrets, you're going to have to trust me.'

'…Beware of offered food, beware of offered food, beware of offered food…' Yuzu repeated on her mind over and over, but the red and shiny fruit made her stomach hurt…

After a couple minutes, the branches were naked of fruit, and when she let them fall into the floor they withered and disappeared into smoke.

Yuzu didn't care, for the first time in fates-know-how-long she was satisfied, better than she had felt since coming down here.

ᴥ

"Where is your Lord?" She had demanded his presence, not the one of the wretched witch; did Reiji expected her to bewitch her into compliance?

"You mean your brother?" The tsk sound of her voice sounded too much like impertinence to her.

"…He… no the entire Olympus are no family of mine until I have her back. And I'm not a 'inconvenience' he can send a mere servant to deal with.". Ray hissed but suddenly she felt the shadows around her grow in density.

She could no longer see the outlines of the cave she had made her temporary home or even her own hands.

"You are not the only goddess who was born and saw the consequences of war firsthand, you would do well to remember that." Yes of course she remembered, there was a reason her fa- the Sky King showered her with honor and allowed her influence on the three skies of cosmos.

"If you are here to negotiate my siege on the land, then you are wasting your precious time, Necromancer." She turned her back on her, not paying attention to the damn shades she convoked.

"I am not here to negotiate or to interrupt your grief Earth Mother, I am here to warn you that if you continue down this path, the same humanity your nurtured and educated will abandon you." For a brief moment, Ray allows herself to feel warmth in her chest, amidst the aftermath of fighting and in search of a new purpose, the creatures of the Fore-Thinker had given her one.

But then her thoughts focused on the exact moment when she had found herself heavy with child, with Yuzu.

And her anger was now anew and fresh.

"I care little of what happens to them, they are many and I only have one daughter." She finally turned around to face the witch.

"Ah, yes, they appear and disappear as leaves you say?" It was infuriating that she did not look intimidated in the least, if anything she looked almost mocking… then it was gone and regret was shown in her eyes. "I was hoping to reason with you, after all without your teachings I would have never been declared the patron of witchcraft; but heed my warning: they may be trying to appease you now, but when their prayers are left unanswered, they will simply move to kinder gods."

The witch left in a whisk of smoke and incense, leaving behind the smell of belladonna and aconite.

ᴥ

"Yuzu!" He stormed through the gates the moment Reiji had filled him in on what she had been doing, he expected the worse when she surveyed the room, and while it was indeed messy and dark; seated in the bed there was Yuzu.

For a moment he stopped, she looked good, compared to when he brought her here at least, her hair had recovered vibrancy and her cheeks had a healthy glow to her that had not been there before.

Yuya thought that she was maybe asleep or something because she did not react in the slightest, in fact her eyes looked glazed over and she was looking past him to some unspecific point on the wall.

"Yuzu?" He neared her and shook her shoulder a bit; she blinked several times before any recognition finally appeared in her eyes.

"Yuya?... What…what are you doing here?" Even her voice sounded a bit… breathy? Then he felt himself being gripped into an iron hold, so tight that if he was mortal he might struggle to breath. "It worked?! Are you here to take me home?"

He felt his lips tremble when he noticed the tear stains in his tunic and how earnestly she held to it.

"…No." Instantly she fell back into the bed and her eyes hidden. "Yuzu… I'm sorry, I'm just here as Messenger and Psychopomp…" Would it be okay to tell her there was a little too many lost dead up in the surface? Would she connect the dots? "But also because I wanted to see how you were doing… And because Reiji told me you locked yourself without eating anything."

At the mention of him, her face looked angry.

"You know why I'm here right?" He nodded and his gut twisted in knots at her sinking shoulders. "And the others?" He knew what she was asking: Was someone coming for her? Did they all knew? Was anyone doing anything to help her?

"There was a meeting and... well, the King... he ordered all of us not to interfere."

"Is that all?" He saw her hands grabbing at the sheets tightly.

"Is not that some were not eager to storm down here... you know how the King is, he hardly explains himself, but afterwards Kaito suggested to bring in an army to the Doors of Death, but Rin said it would not be wise and reminded him that the dead outnumber the living by far." She also reminded him, all of them that mobilizing armies for one person was not viable and mortals would be busy storing food.

"Why? I will get out eventually… right?" She frowned at him, suspicious.

"Of course you will! It's just…Your mother…" He hesitated in speaking, but it worked on making her snap out of her rage, she looked at him again, he was suddenly aware that what he said now would be turning point… maybe. "…She didn't take it well either." That had to be the understatement of the millennium.

"Mother? What did she do?" And there is was, the one question he dreaded to answer.

"...She abandoned her seat at Olympus; she... said that she wouldn't be back until you were returned." Just because mortals considered him, the Father of Lies it did not meant he liked to do it outside his duty.

Some would say omissions counted as lies though.

"Yuzu, I want to help you, I do, you believe me right?" He took both of her hands between hers, his mother used to do that a long time ago.

"Of course I do Yuya." She said, squeezing back his hands, it relieved some of the hurt, that her tone was so sure of herself that he would never deceive her.

"Then, please, trust Reiji." He acted quick when he felt her hands slip from his hold, a shadow growing in her eyes.

"…no, I can't stand this place Yuya, I can't feel anything here, just emptiness, I never realized before how much life there was around me until now and I miss it- no I need it." Yuzu looked like she wanted to cry again, she jerked away from him and gripped onto the bed again. "And then there is him! He refused to listen to me and then just left me here to wither!" She was punching the bed as she said this and Yuya winced at sight, knowing how much she really wanted to punch Reiji.

It hurt to see her like this, desperate and consumed by anger.

"I know; I know he can be very…" At least she stopped at the sound of his voice, but he was unable to find a good word, instead just attempted to make gesture with his hands, imitating him. "…like this."

Yuzu looked at him and was frozen for a whole minute, long enough to start thinking it had not been funny.

Then she smiled, and then giggled.

"Yeah, that's him." Yuzu said between laughter, too bad it didn't last. "But Yuya… you don't know how insensitive he was!" Yes, he knew, Reiji rarely had anything but the best intentions, but he also had the tact of a Cretan Bull.

"Well… from what someone told me, you also said things to him too, and threw water to his face." Why was there water in the story? Yuya didn't know, he had been too busy laughing to ask.

"He deserved it." Yuzu grumbled crossing her arms and mumbling some very creative words for Reiji.

"I'm sure he did." As much as he wanted to ask, it was better not to make Yuzu remember why she was mad again. "Yuzu, I know he already fill you in on why we brought you here, but do you know why of all gods and creatures it was me and Masumi who found you?"

For a moment it looked like she wanted to say something but, she just opened and closed her mouth and shook her head.

"The restless dead that attacked you," He felt his fist balling in just remembering. "You weren't its first victim, when I first came to that town out of rumors of ghost haunting it; what we found was even worse: dozens of young girls who had lost their minds and eventually killed themselves for no reason."

Her eyes shot open and widened in horror.

"I knew about curses, but I never thought they were so… brutal." Her eyes looked like saucers now and she trembled, probably remembering her own experience with it. "It was the most terrible feeling in the world, as if I was being swallowed by my own thoughts, I can't begin to imagine how it was to those poor girls."

"That's exactly why we were all there; dying such a violent death and so young, they were unfitted to drink from the River of Forgetfulness and sent to rest properly; Reiji was very troubled by the whole thing; he went there himself not just to face the entity but also to help purify the place from the miasma caused by the curse, even if the mortals of the town did not really pray to him – almost no one does – he still went there to take care of it."

"I guess… that's very…um, thoughtful of him." Yuya tried and failed not to laugh at the incredibly reluctant compliment. "I mean… if he apologizes, then …."

"That's great, because dinner is ready!" Yuya didn't give her any time to protest when he grabbed her arm and speed up.

ᴥ

"Are we going to eat soon?" Gloria asked, clearly impatient, whereas Grace next to her was occupying herself causing Sora to fall in and out of sleep.

"Where are your manners Deathly One? We are receiving a guest after all." Gongenzaka said in the same deep grumble as usual.

"Hmph! And where are this guest's manners? Tardiness is not tolerated among my soldiers." To drive her point across, she buried her fork on the table.

"Well, lucky for you she isn't one of them." Masumi spoke now, clearly annoyed. "Grace are you done playing around? Do I need to have a talk with the Old Night about your behavior again?"

"I didn't do it mom!" Sora shot up and seemed surprised of being in a dinner table rather than his bed.

Reiji had to repress the urge face palm in front of them.

"Yuya! Slow down!"

Ah, the perfect distraction; in a gush of wind, there in the middle of the hall stood Yuya always with his perfectly tousled hair and tunic just slightly out of place standing next to Yuzu who was desperately trying to fix her entire appearance; her hair was all over her face and her tunic, he only realized now that she was still using the same short tunic of a month ago, completely out of place for a formal dinner.

She couldn't have stuck out more if she tried; and he had to use his hand to hide the smile on his lips.

Instead he cleared his throat and fortunately Yuya took the cue.

"Hey guys! Sorry for being late I was retrieving our especial guest!" Yuya of course shoved Yuzu in front of everyone before talking. "Daughter of the Earth Mother, formerly known as the Maiden, recently appointed as the Spring Goddess, Yuzu."

A perfectly formal introduction, which of course meant a completely awkward girl being scrutinized by his court.

"We are honored to have you Spring Goddess, please take a seat." He motioned Yuya to do the same, taking the empty seat in between Sora and Gongenzaka.

Yuzu of course was to be seat right across of him.

"Thank you Unseen One," She said, and of course her voice still held an edge. "I am most pleased to meet your court, uh…, sorry I only know Yuya," Then she looked at Masumi seating to his right, "And I remember you, from the hill, but I've definitely heard from you since long before, The Night Wanderer, daughter of the Stars and Destruction."

"Lady of Crossroads will suffice." Masumi nodded, she was about to say something else, but of course Sora was skipping on his seat now.

"Hey aren't you going to introduce us?" He asked, which only got a sigh from Masumi.

"…These other lovely characters who keep staring at you like creepy stalkers, are all some of the youngest Children of the Old Night; on our Lord's left side it's Gloria, the Deathly One, you have probably heard her referred as the one who reaps the souls of mortals, she is also lieutenant of the undead armies; next to her it's her twin sister, Grace the Sleepy One, don't let the name fool you, if she wanted, she could curse you to sleep forever or to cause you madness from insomnia-"

"And I'm Sora, the Shaper, Lord of dreams and nightmares!"

"Sora! It's rude to interrupt!"

"Well, now you interrupted them too Gon-chan!"

"Stop calling I, the man, Gongenzaka by that nonsensical name!"

"Ehem, the big guy is the Boundary Keeper and Ferryman of the dead, he keeps the shores of the River of Hatred guarded and manages the new arrivals, he also tends to Cerberus."

"Bleh, because he's the only one big enough to play with him."

"What did you say?!"

The arguing continued, making Masumi throw her hands at the air, Gloria ignoring them all, and Grace cheering on both of them somehow, whereas Yuya attempted to calm both of them to no avail.

Reiji saw Yuzu observing the whole deal with some interest, but then she slammed her hands on the table – not that it was heard above the yelling – and walked around it to stand behind both Gongenzaka and Sora.

Faster than any of them could register, she pulled a hand fan and smacked both of them with it, in one clean and swift move; both of the culprits were nursing their heads in obvious pain.

"Hurts, hurts, hurts…" Sora was by far the loudest one and even appeared to be crying, but Reiji knew better, when Yuzu looked at his tears her expression seemed to soften… until she grabbed his ear. "You're so mean! I thought fertility gods were like nymphs, all playful and fun."

He probably meant foolish and naïve, Reiji thought, somewhat relieved that Yuzu did not fit into these categories; and she laughed at his remark.

That was when he noticed; her eyes had recovered their vibrancy – the same he had allowed himself to admire before –, true she still looked a tad thin, but her skin had a healthy shine to her, which had been missing before.

But she had not drank or eaten anything he sent her, of that he was sure.

"I gotta say Yuzu, you look much better than when I left before." Reiji almost groaned at Yuya bringing it up – she would be on alert now – but he knew he was trying to make him a favor too.

It was for her to say out loud and in front of his court that he had taken good care of her, as promised; or to orchestrate another scene.

Part of Reiji still feared for the later.

"That's great, and what do you think about the Underworld? Pretty cool huh? I never thought a place like that existed below the earth." Yuya said, obviously looking for a conversation starter.

Too bad Yuzu had not bothered to get out of her room.

"Actually, she spent some time recovering so there was little time for me to show her around." If she had been gracious to him, then he could return the favor.

"Yes, I'm sorry Yuya I hadn't had a chance to do any sightseeing." Yuzu said catching up to his lie.

"Then let me show you my favorite part! The City of Dreams!"

ᴥ

This was not something she imagined she would find in the Underworld, for starters there was a sky, a sky under the earth, how? True it was not the same as the real thing, but there were clouds and light that looked like fireflies which illuminated the whole city.

Going around their own business, there were a lot of immortals, somewhere strolling, other where carrying stuff, there were street performers, and even merchants selling different objects, all of them looked different.

Despite the fact that Yuya and Grace had said that he would show her around, they both got sidetracked by… something, a lot of things really, which left her walking side to side with Reiji, all the people around moved to make way for them as he walked, and people offered him gifts and discount deals on their products.

"They are all oneiros, or dream daemons whose duty is to carry dreams to all the living creatures, because they mostly work at night, their time is reversed from the surface."

Wait… Sora, the cheeky kid from before was the leader of these people? Yuzu could feel her jaw drop.

"Sora is not the leader, mostly he is called the Lord Shaper because he was the first one born from Grace dreams.

"Wow, wait a minute, you said that they were all children of the Night, and now you're telling me Grace," She pointed at how Grace was currently laughing at Yuya goofing around with a pair of dolls. "Is Sora's mother?"

"…Don't try to make sense of it, Grace will simply tell you that Sora was born from a dream the Night sent to her, and she simply... pulled him out of it, already in the same shape and age you saw him, with him thousands of them came too, I had to allow them to have this town, for they were very restless."

"I… my mother says that when someone attempts to have a child without one of the progenitors, the results are usually infructuous or defective." Yuzu very narrowly averted to mention Reira.

"For us, the descendants of the Earth and Heaven? Yes, because of their union, they set the path for the rest of us, but Old Night has never been subjected to those limitations, if she wishes to have a child, she simply does."

"Oh," This was a very awkward conversation to have with him, and her wandering and capricious thoughts thinking on how they were both descendants of the same progenitors… ugh, what was wrong with her? She never felt this way when talking with Yugo or Yuya!

"A jewelry for the pretty young lady?" A voice said behind them, this one daemon had apparently been 'born' in the form of an old lady, she was carrying a tray with lots of different jewels, elaborate rings and necklaces that she didn't really fancy, but in the corner there was a bracelet made of two bands and a very simple rose-like design with a pink jewel in the center.

She liked it, a lot, but had no idea what type of money or currency these beings used.

"I will have this one please." Reiji said to the vendor, and paid him with a golden coin which the old lady looked curiously before simply nodding and handing over the bracelet.

Reiji took her hand and arranged the bracelet into two crossed bands, as if there were two orbits.

"Consider it a gift for reconciliation." He said, and Yuzu was afraid of opening her mouth for fear of saying nothing but nonsense.

Right, she knew now why she felt different with him.

ᴥ

The soul of the girl looked almost as an alive person, except her form was translucent and her colors had washed off; her eyes looked sunken and tired and everything around her spoke of how afraid she was of judgement, all in all, the dead were not scary as Yuzu thought, they simply were… sad.

This time Reiji was seated in the throne, his best-looking tunic – even more than the one he wore at her ascension – and a crown of golden leaves atop his head; he looked every bit the King of the Dead he was.

To his right, Gloria stood upright, with her wings unfolded and a black tunic.

"Tell me, why did you choose to take your own life?" His voice also sounded different, commanding, but also not imposing, he was simply establishing his authority.

"I… do not know… all I can remember is the pain… and The Wanderer." The girl said, in a weird breathy voice that should have been too low for her to hear; Yuzu realized that she was speaking the tongue of the dead, she realized that Reiji had been speaking it too. "She chose me, and she is very angry…"

And that she had understood all of it.

"I see." Reiji sighed, but quickly composed himself.

"I know I must have enraged you by not allowing Death to take me as it was your design, you who Hosts and Rules over Many, please tell me, what shall be my punishment." The poor girl had dropped in a prayer stance.

"No punishment waits for you, girl, your place is in the Asphodel Meadow with all the other dead for eternal rest." He said with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, my Lord, thank you, you are most wise and merciful." The girl said lifting her eyes, Yuzu got the impression that if she wasn't dead, she would be crying.

With another wave of his hand, the girl disappeared from the hall.

"What is the Asphodel Meadow?" She asked him as Gloria gave him a scroll to read.

"You understood." He said, not ask, as if he was already expecting it. "It must be because of the fruit of the dead."

"I suppose…" Yuzu wasn't sure what to say to that, she was not the expert on these topics. "Do you always do that for every single one of them?"

"No, most souls find their own way to the Meadows on their own, it's only those who died under dire circumstances or lived with the idea that anything less than a perfect life means they will be punished that I need to guide them to their place, as for your question… I can show you if you want."

.

.

.

So this was where the souls of humans spent the eternity.

Yuzu was not sure what she expected, maybe them simply wandering off in the darkness, or the evil ones being subjected to unspeakable punishments.

Instead she found them huddling into each other, moving their lips as if talking to each other, except no sounds came from their mouths, sometimes they ate a type of greyish flower that grew only in the banks of the River of Forgetfulness; she was not sure she understood what was happening, but she was also distinctively aware of the complete peace it emanated from them.

"In this place, the dead forget everything it ever worried them in their lives, here it doesn't matter how they lived or died, they part with their preconceptions of happiness and misery, of good and evil, and find true rest."

"What about the Wanderer? Will she also be sent here? Despite of what she had done? Of the other girls she killed?"

"She kills because she is unable to let go of her anger and despair; beyond their mortal lives those feelings are the same as pollution for the souls; whatever she has done in death it does not reflect what she was in life."

"But-"

"Yuzu," He seldom used her name, so it must be serious. "In life she was simply a maiden, ripe for marriage, when in their drunkenness, a couple of villagers killed her father and her brother, leaving her alone in the world, she hanged herself in the same tree you found her."

"I don't expect you, nor will I force you to understand it, but whether it's eternal bliss or endless punishment; neither of those possibilities allows their souls to die for good and purify themselves, this is the best possible outcome for them."

He was right, she did not understand at all, but as she watched the soul of the girl he just dispatched sit on the bank and drink the water, her soul lost form and features, but then she joined a group of souls and Yuzu could sense the relief.

ᴥ

It turned out Masumi did have a place of work, a type of study full of jars and many plants and scrolls that she recognized from her mother's own shelf.

It turned out witchcraft involved much less magic and more ingredients and instructions, and weird smelling substances.

"Feel free to roam around, after all I own much of my knowledge to your mother." Masumi said, pulling a particularly thick scroll spreading it, the table in the middle of the room.

"My mother thought you?" She asked a little too loud and ended up turning over a bottle full of a viscous green liquid. "Sorry, sorry, let me…"

"Don't bother, it was nothing special, just a birth control potion, always in demand." She said and then smirked when she noticed her embarrassed blush. "Surprised? You shouldn't be, there are lots of reasons women prefer to not have babies, sometimes they already have enough, sometimes they simply don't want them, many of the later ones become my priestesses."

Of course it was a normal thing, Yuzu needed to stop acting like a child.

"Okay, but how come that the fact you studied with my mother has never came up before?" Yuzu looked at the pictures of the herbs drawn in the scroll and went help Masumi gather them.

"It was a long time ago, before I was member of the Underworld court, after the war against the First Borns was over a lot of us where at loss of what to do, many of us had been born in the middle of fighting, but without any more fighting the world was ripe for the taking. It was the King who proposed I learned under Ray; who at the time had chosen to live far away from the Olympians because she just had her child."

"Wait a minute, you knew me when I was baby?" She had no idea what to feel about that, she and Masumi looked about the same age, but it unnerved her to think she knew her when she was a baby.

"To be fair, is not like I saw a lot of you, Ray was quite a ball of nerves whenever it came to you, it mostly annoyed me when a cry from you was enough for her drop whatever subject we were dealing with and see what was wrong."

Yuzu could have wished to be swallowed by the earth, but that had already happened did it?

"As for why she never mentioned it, I'm sorry to say it, but Ray started to look down on me when I picked up the knowledge she thought me to do witchcraft; she said that those dark arts were a thing of the Golden Era, and wanted nothing to do with it, her opinion only got worse when I joined the Underworld Court and became known as a Necromancer and Lady of Crossroads."

"Why did you join the Underworld?" Yuzu asked, "I mean, I do know that because of your help the King gave you influence in all the three parts of the world, so why here."

"Because one day I wandered off, and found the Underworld as it was before Reiji arrived, a land untouched, ripe and full of potential; I talked to the daemons and even the shade of the dead; to the Old Night and Darkness slumbering beneath my feet, I was enraptured by the vast knowledge and power." Masumi had a wistful look in her eyes as she was talking. "When Reiji reclaimed the land he had no choice but to deal with me, because I made it clear I was not leaving."

"I bet he gave you that look of 'have it your way'" Yuzu said and laughed at the mental image.

"Oh, you're already learning to decipher his moods, good." Masumi said chuckling too.

ᴥ

She had no words for what she was seeing right now.

Before she had thought that the fact that the Underworld was so vast that it had its actual sky and weather had been the most flabbergasting thing she learned from Masumi; now that moment was stored away to make place for this one.

A garden, but not any garden.

It was next to the orchard – with those wretched pomegranates – and rather than green grass, it was silver and it shone with the slightest movement of the light, the plants and bushes where either a golden or bronze color and when she walked towards them to see it better, the metallic plants did not scratch her or hurt her in any way, it was soft, perhaps even softer than any other actual plant in the surface.

When she reached the bushes she was even more amazed by the fact that they had flowers! Rather than made or metals, this ones were made of jewels.

"I thought you may like this place." Masumi said kneeling next to her. "The one downside of the Underworld is that it's too deep for anything other than the fruit to grow, but this one could compete in beauty with the ones from above."

"I can see now how you studied under my mother." She said touching a lily made of translucent diamond, it was amazing how the jewels were made to seem just as delicate as the ones from an actual flower, and it even had tiny hair-like decorations that looked like pollen. "These are very well-made."

Masumi laughing was not what she expected to hear.

"Yuzu, of I'm sorry, but what I learned from your mother has nothing to do with growing plants, believe me I have no hand in them, unless it's to properly select them and separate them, the crush and pulverize them to make the perfect potion or perfume."

It was kind of funny how Masumi made the most mundane of things sound ominous.

"Then who-"

"Oh here he comes, you can shower him with compliments now." She said pointing behind her, and without looked Yuzu knew who she was referring to.

"What is with the ruckus?" He said before she could even say hi, and she almost wanted to yell at him, but she managed to calm down, she was told to herself that she would try to get along with him better, and he had been nothing put polite in the last couple of weeks.

"Masumi was showing me this garden." She said feeling self-conscious under his stare. "It's beautiful, but she tells me I do not owe her the credit?" Yuzu almost felt a yelp escaping her mouth when she saw him crouching next to her, examining the same flower she was holding.

"You do not need to be kind, they are fake after all." He said, looking curiously downcast.

"What are you talking about?" She said, not believing what she heard. "It doesn't matter if they're real or not, they are beautiful and I can see each detail put into it; I'm sure you must have put a lot of care in each one of them, and you shouldn't dismiss them like that!"

"...What would your mother said if she heard you complimenting my work?" He said holding a red rose, between his fingers, which easily snapped from the bush with a pull and placed it in her hands.

Yuzu tried not to think, on how his touch warmed her from the tips of her fingers to her cheeks.

"She is not here right now, she doesn't have to know." She said, the rose was also exquisitely made to resemble a real one in full bloom. "You have to show me how you make them."

All of the sudden he got up from the ground, so suddenly that she felt a gush of wind with his movement, when she looked up at him, his eyes looked sideways, as if he was trying to look anywhere but her direction.

"I'm sure there is nothing I can teach about flower to the Spring Goddess." He said, and Yuzu knew there was an edge to his voice that wasn't there before.

"Is something wrong Reiji? The girl was only asking you a question." Masumi said this time, which reassured Yuzu that she wasn't just seeing things. "If you're going to go infecting other people with your sour mood then leave us alone."

Reiji didn't react to her tone or her jive, and simple turned on his heels and left, what had that been about?

.

.

.

"You see? Now you try it!" She said smiling at him, and giving him the newly grown flower to examine, she had come to understand now that he learned better like that.

It also gave her the chance to very indiscreetly stare at him, while he was lost in his thoughts; she had seen men before in the villages and festivals, but never a god, at least not one that fully resembled her, and it was doing wonders for her growing pains.

Of course by wonders, she means distractions.

"I think I understand now," He finally said, and she was quick to make it look as if she had been paying attention to the flower too. "The petals are kept in place by this calix-like formation on the bottom, and in turn they protect the most important and delicate parts of the flower that it need to spread its seeds and pollen right?"

Too bad he was a fast learner, at this pace, he may leave her side too soon.

It happened again.

Just when she was about to ask something to Reiji – nothing important, just something she was curious about – he cut her off saying that he had important business to attend to, and got to lock himself in his study.

At first she tried to brush it off, her time here had made her realize that the work load for managing the Underworld was truly something else, but this time it had been too obvious: She had been hanging out with Gongenzaka while he was walking Cerberus – whoever who said their pets were high maintenance got nothing on the big guy – and she had volunteered to play throw the ball with the poor dog.

Except it wasn't a ball, but a huge circular chunk of black diamond, because that was the only thing strong enough to not shatter in its jaws.

When she saw him coming towards them, a stone tablet in one hand, when she made signals for him to join them just as Cerberus heads were busy fighting over who got to chew on the diamond now.

In the most unceremonious possible way, he stopped in his tracks, looked at Gongenzaka and then at her and turned around from where he came from.

"Hmph, the nerve of him." She said in a huff. "Is he angry at me or something? I haven't broke any of his rules or said much of anything to him."

Gongenzaka, who was the most direct, honest and reliable person Yuzu ever met, looked puzzled as well.

"I do not presume to know what is in his mind, but work has been piling up for a while now, perhaps it's just stress." He said scratching his neck.

"Why?" Yuzu asked.

"Uh?"

"Why is work piling up?" She said again. "It doesn't sound like the type of job who should pile up or get delayed or anything."

This was the first time since she met him that he looked downright panicked.

"I, the man Gongenzaka does not know!" He said suddenly shooting to the top of his lungs, making Cerberus run towards them. "It must be administrative work, I'm only a ferryman, excuse me Yuzu, I must go back to my post."

Yuzu was left alone, rethinking of considering Gongenzaka completely honest.

ᴥ

"Must you leave?" She said, her voice hushed, as even if they were in the middle of the night, there still could be ears nearby until they arrived to their hiding spot where they were safe of any interference.

"There is no choice, my training has finished and they want to see my progress." He always saw the most logical answer to everything, it annoyed her sometimes; but she felt his handhold tightening around hers as they walked and knew he was just as anxious as she was.

They kept walking in silence; somehow, the way to the cave seemed endless now that she knew it was the last time they would meet in what would probably be many months, maybe years. When the entrance covered with vines was finally in sight they both ran to it, were they were both covered in shadows, barely being able to make out each other silhouettes.

Rather than hard rock as the first time, every time they came back here it appeared to become... cozier? There was grass under her feet and a couple of plants and flowers, they were little flickers of light coming from the walls, crystals he had called them before.

She felt his arms envelop her from the back, his face buried in the nook of her shoulder and she sagged against him, to try to memorize the feeling of him.

It was not enough.

When she felt his mouth kissing on his shoulder she was relieved and twisted her neck to kiss him, one of his hands went up to cup her chest, she had to break the kiss to let out a moan and her hands searched for support on a nearby wall.

.

.

.

She woke up with her heart beating wildly; the images of her... companion and herself were... Yuzu could not even finish the thought before she felt the ichor in her veins heat up, she had had dreams like this before.

However, she had just assumed that they were fantasies, while Yugo and Yuya were always respectful in her presence, some of the stories they told of themselves growing up hinted at the same situation...

"Quite a dream you were having there." A voice from behind said, and she almost jumped from her spot under one of the trees... right she had been taking a nap in the gardens. "Grace had told me of how the descendants of the Earth and Heaven reproduced but I wasn't sure I understood."

"W-what?" Reiji had said that Sora was... young, but overall, that probably meant something different for him than for her.

"Your dream... I didn't see much, but I get the gist of it." He was munching on a honey biscuit. "Seems messy."

Yuzu moved before she could tell herself and grabbed Sora's ponytail.

"Has your mother not tell you that this is an invasion of privacy?" She said, feeling herself seethe with anger and shame. "I don't care what do you Lord over, but you don't saunter around in my head understood?"

"Ah, you're so mean! Hurts, hurts, hurts..." He kept saying, but was probably bluffing, as he made no real effort to free himself from his hold.

"I'll let you go if you answer a couple questions." She said, and he stopped moving for ten full seconds, it was weird to see him as if frozen. "And I mean actual answers, none of that cryptic stuff you people like to go on and on, just plain and simple answers."

"...Yeah sure, if I can answer, then I'll tell you." He said, a big smile on his face that was not exactly reassuring, but it was as good as it would get with him.

"Alright," She said, letting go of his hair. "Can dreams show you, real things?"

"Depends on what you mean by 'real'," He said, his eyebrow lifted clearly unimpressed. "I mean, do they show you your real desires? Your real self? The real self of someone you thought you knew? Do they show you the future? You need to be more specific." He shrugged when saying this.

"I mean if they show you things that have already happened." Now, that got his attention.

"Oh, you mean memories?" His smile widened even more and she would lie if she said it didn't make her nervous, so she just nodded. "Of course, people are always preoccupied with one thing or another when awake, but in dreams the things that are well hidden are set free."

"But… I don't mean little things like entire events in your life that you don't have recollection of happening, but still feel …real." Even to her own ears it sounded weird, and to top it off, she didn't thought it was possible for him to smile even wider. "I think it started when Reiji gave me the water of the Lake of Memory."

It may have actually started earlier than that, but only until recently they had become so vivid.

"Well, both waters of memory and forgetfulness are found in the underworld," He said, pointing to the direction where the rivers where, "Yuzu, consider this: in order to remember, you have to forget first. You know when and who gave you one, but when did you drank the other?"

Yes, that was the answer she was afraid of.

ᴥ

"Hello, little one; long time no see."

Yuzu woke up from her slumber at the familiar voice in her head and groaned, she had a feeling he was going to charge for the favor now.

"Well, aren't you a party pooper? I had an ominous line and a couple of cryptic words ready for you, all that work going to waste…"

She did not know what was more disturbing; that she was in the middle of the night arguing with a voice in her head, or that whoever was behind it sounded genuinely wounded that he didn't get to say what he planned.

"Ugh, fine say what you were going to say."

"No, sorry, I'm not in the mood anymore, just grab your cloth and go past the River of Flames, remember that tiny door the twins said was unimportant? This is where you will find me."

Now, that made her shot up from her bed, would she finally meet her mysterious benefactor face to face? She was already grabbing her tunic and a warm cloth as she was thinking about this, she also grabbed a basket and filled it with some honey biscuits Sora had smuggled from the kitchens for her.

It never hurt to bring an offering.

.

.

.

The way past the Meadows and the River of flames never seemed both larger and faster as she hurried her step as much as her feet allowed her, just like it happened every time she had to talk to him, no god, daemon or shade ever interrupted, and now it was not an exception as her way was empty of distractions or witnesses.

And here she was; there was nothing noteworthy on the entrance, it was made with the same rocks of the rest of the constructions and the no odd smells or polluted presences, when she peeked inside, she saw the start of a circular staircase.

When she said, the start. Was because the bottom was so dark that after a couple of steps, it became completely dark.

Yuzu threw a pebble, and did her best to sharpen her ear and listen when it fell… except the whistle of the pebble falling only got fainter and fainter, but never seemed to reach a bottom.

From all the things she could have brought, he could have said she would need a candle.

"Don't get snippy with me young one, you already have your source of light."

Oh right, she looked straight at her palm and concentrated on the cold flame of the black fire; in the dancing flames akin to shadows.

And there she was, floating above her palm, a tiny flame.

"Here goes nothing." She said to herself and started to descend the stairs.

For the most part, the flame illuminated around three or four steps ahead of her, and at some point she was so focused on not missing them that she had forgotten she was descending in a spiral until her feet kicked yet another pebble into the dark center.

It unnerved her that she was so deep that she could not see the light at the top and yet there was still no sound of it reaching the bottom.

Then she saw it, a faint shine and cold feeling that took ahold of her bones, the bigger it got, the faster her steps became as she could see further and further ahead…

"Halt little one, or even you will burn yourself." It was the voice! The one she had to bear to listen for the past couple months! And now she could finally put a face to it.

He was beautiful, but not in the same way she found Re- other gods attractive, her was beautiful in the way he looked ethereal and untouchable by time, the weirdest thing of his appearance was how she could see resemblances from the Second Borns in him, the tan skin of the King and the Earth-Shaker, the hard angles of the king's features, despite being a different coloring his eyes, she could draw comparison with his and the Heart Keeper's eyes, in a way they seemed to share a secret with you, his hair was put upwards and contrasted with the golden of his eyes by being silver, she tried not to think that the shade of silver was all too similar to Reiji's.

She was reminded of the awe feeling she had in front of the Grand Nurturer.

"Oh my, you look so much like her." He said as a manner of greeting. "Nice to finally meet you."

"What is this place?" She asked, understanding why she never heard the pebbles fell, they both burned in the same dark fire she wielded in her palm.

"This is my… enclosure." He said, never tearing his eyes from her, it was now that she noticed her was not perched over anything, instead he was standing in the middle of the black fire, the flames did not touch him because what she was seeing was not the real thing, it was just a projection of his mind into hers.

"The Dark Pit." She said, "Who are you?"

"You already know, but if you're in too much awe for my presence, you can call me… the Harvester, yes some people called me that, also Bringer of the Seasons, but that is too long. As I can already see in your mind, you have realized this is not my real body, it's actually the same trick I've used to talk to you, but since we're so much closer, I can also project an image."

"Alright, then Harvester, what do you want from me?"

"Nothing," He said, and smirked at her. "At least nothing you can give me in your current state, so I called you here to give you a push in the right direction."

Before she could ask what he meant, she was aware that they were no longer alone, she heard a flapping of wings coming down from above, even with the light of the flames she could not really make out their forms other than the leathery wings and the red eyes, and she also heard snake hisses from them.

"Exalter of Justice, we have waited for you for too long." They said at the same time, and she was reminded of Mieru and her ability to project speech in her mind too. "We can't fulfil our duty until justice stops being denied."

"Justice for whom?" She asked, why did they call her? Exalter? She had nothing to do with laws and punishments, that was Rin's territory.

"We are the Dark Ones, we deliver revenge on unseen by gods and mortals alike, and we answer only to the sorrow of the impious deeds against the sacred laws of Necessity." They hissed. "Born from the blood of the Heavenly Father splattered in the ground by his children; we demand retribution in the name of the Greatest Hunter, who suffered undeserved and unspeakable violence from the Earth Mother!"

Yuzu was assaulted then by images of a very different face of her mother that she was used to see: she saw her vociferating her anger to a group of nymphs as they writhed in pain and morphed into hideous creatures, holding a baby in her arms and abandoning it in the wilderness without a drop of regret, her cunning eyes when that same child watched her intently from the bushes. Tempting him with sweets and pretty flowers, and once he had been lead away from sight and finally she saw her golden scythe slashing against its body, not a single slash, several ones, cutting its head, its limbs and finally cutting its chest open and using her bare hands to pull the still beating heart.

When she was back at the present, she couldn't see or feel anything other than the grief the Dark Ones had forced her to feel, she couldn't speak.

"ZARC!"

It all happened too fast: she saw Reiji appear in a burst of shadows above the black fire and with a gesture of his hands the vision of Zarc and the winged creatures was gone from her mind and he yanked her arm into his embrace, the shadows enveloping them as the Dark Pit disappeared.

ᴥ

They reappeared in his study.

"What in the Fate's name where you thinking?!" He said, not caring for once that his voice resounded all over the place, or that anyone else heard them. "I told you not to wander off without company; I told you the depths of the Underworld were no place for gods!"

Yuzu gave no response to him, the haunted look in her eyes from facing the prison of the Supreme King still remained, he felt his anger flare again, but not against her; against his damned ancestor.

Who knew what mind games he had subjected her to before he noticed it, he needed to take calm down, and so did she, he pointed to the empty chair in his study for her to seat, while he took the other.

"... I never thought it was him, I only ever heard stories about him, and of you father destroying his body, I just didn't think... and he didn't look like I thought..." she said, her voice even but her head low.

He could not believe what he was listening, never before he felt the compulsion of confronting Ray for her narrow-mind, for her belief that nothing under her precious surface was worth of mention.

"... From what I know, he didn't always look so monstrous; he used to look like any other of the offspring of the Heaven and Earth."

Which was why the Earth itself aided the Olympians by creating the only metal that could cut through him: adamantine.

Her only response was a puzzled loo tilt of her head

"I didn't mean he looked monstrous… he actually looked normal, his golden eyes were beautiful."

"He must have chosen that appearance to seem more amiable, to deceive you, why do you think he was called the Crooked-Minded King?"

A snort was most definitely not what he expected to hear.

"Oh, I don't know since I'm so ignorant why don't you try and educate me?" Her arms were crossed as she said this, a sign of her closing off.

He pinched hi nose trying to shake off the growing annoyance; she wanted answers? He would give them.

"Despite being the youngest of his siblings, he was the one who brought down the Heavenly Father and crowned because while his power was equal to all the other Titans, he was the only one who could see patterns in the happenings of the world, he used them to outsmart his father, he broke his promise to the countless creatures who aided him because he deemed them too powerful and likely to rebel in the future."

"See patterns?" Yuzu asked. "You mean like the animals who act out of habit for survival or humans who overthink everything and search meaning where there is none?" He looked at her; clearly Ray underestimated her wits, but then again, he was guilty of that too.

"Yes, animals and humans need that survive, after all, better to be wary of too many dangers that none at all, due to their inherent weakness, but gods? With our deathless existence and divine power such thought processes are unnecessary."

"Just like you said things like philosophy and science could only be invented by humans."

He nodded, and continued:

"It all started with the prophecy he received from the Fates, that one of his children would dethrone him; back then his wife was already waiting for a child and during her pregnancy, he was consumed by swirling thoughts of all the outcomes and possibilities, by the time when he was presented the child, Yoko, his entire court witnessed horrified how he absorbed her within himself."

"I thought he swallowed them, you know… ate them?" He chuckled at the motion of jaws she made with her hands.

"I suppose you heard that from humans," Unsurprising, if her curiosity was not going to be quenched by Ray, then she would look where she could. "That's how they usually explain things their minds can't comprehend; but in true according to the Heart Keeper and my mother it was more like… assimilation, they were still aware of themselves but unable to manifest their power unless he willed it, it was like he had acquired not only their innate powers but also their minds, it only made him more unstable and dangerous, until The Great Mother, decided to hide the youngest kid, my father, and schemed with him to recover her children."

"Yeah, that part I know; Yugo and Yuya have filled the gaps there." She said, almost pensive then her eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying he… wanted to consume me?"

Her hand went to her mouth to the realization, and Reiji felt his anger flare up again; not knowing where to direct it; to Zarc? What could he do that he wasn't being subjected already?

"Why me? Is not like he could have done much with my powers…" She said, and Reiji pondered whether or not tell her what he suspected the true nature of her domain.

"You can wield the black flames of the Dark Pit, perhaps he hoped to be able to control his prison and free himself, eventually he would have definitely tried to assimilate me which would have given him domain of the dead and the Underworld,"

"And an army composed of the dead and the daemons would easily outnumber and overwhelm any army of the surface, he would be King again." Yuzu said, and while he didn't like the horror in her eyes, he was relieved that she seemed to understand his reasons for his decision.

"This is why tomorrow; I will take you back to the surface." He didn't look at her when he said this, simply stood up and picked a tablet where he had already engraved a message for the Olympus.

"But… the four months are not up yet!" He did not expect her to raise her voice and cursed himself for allowing to feel hope at it.

"You are right, three months and 1 week have passed in the surface." Not that he was keeping count of the days at all times, he just needed something to focus in order to clear his thoughts. "You will return to your mother and your friends and never looking back."

"… You can't be serious." She said, barely above a whisper, and his fingers almost snapped the tablet in two.

"I am very serious Spring Goddess, your return has been long due and you have overstayed your welcome here." His voice sounded cold and uncaring even in his ears, good.

"So, you're basically kicking me out?" She had gotten up to face him too, and that was bad for many, many reasons, so he gave her his back again. "I wish to say I'm shocked by your manner, my honorable host."

"You don't get to play that card anymore after you accepted his offering without hesitation before you took mine." He didn't mean to hiss, but that's how it came out.

"That's not-" He interrupted her on purpose, he wouldn't let her argue, he couldn't.

"A disembodied voice talking sweet words to your mind was more trustworthy in your eyes than me." …Perhaps he really was a little offended. "Without mentioning that your presence here has augmented my load of work, given that Ray is in self-imposed exile from her duties."

"What?" She asked, disbelief plain in her eyes. "My mother wouldn't do that, she wouldn't…"

Showing was better than telling, so he pulled out the records of all the people who died during the famine; the testimonies of the recent dead, everything.

And Yuzu finally understood because she fell quiet.

So, he just left her there.

ᴥ

Yuzu wouldn't accept it; she had half a mind to do so and went to her chambers, but before she even opened the door, she went on the other direction to his chambers.

Honestly? She wasn't sure if she should greet him by letting him know the doors where unlocked.

Silence, utter silence was what she was met the moment he realized she was here, in his chambers, he stared hard at her as if he couldn't decide what do with her, or more like what would be the best way to get rid of her: throwing her out the balcony or physically restrain her and kick her out.

For a moment it looked like at the very least he would yell at her again but she was prepared for that too.

"What are you doing here?" His voice sounded tired rather than angry, but he was still tense and did not made any move to approach her.

"I don't accept it;" Reiji frowned and she gulped down before talking again. "I won't let you lord over me; I thought we had an agreement on you always asking for my opinion first." Yuzu watched his eyes flash and he started walking towards her, she willed herself to stay where she was; when he was a couple steps away from her he turned to the small table with two jars, he poured first the wine in one cup and then mixed it with water, although it was much less than half as it was often advised. "You promised."

He apparently ignored her and drank from the cup an almost aggressive manner in large gulps, a few drops slipped from his lips and Yuzu's eyes followed their path through his neck, his chest… and her very not wholesome thoughts were interrupted by a harsh sound of the cup slamming

"And you promised to trust me, and yet here we are after you hid such vital information from me, the deal is off." He still did not yell at her, but he was angrier now, of that she was sure. always held onto his temper but also prolonged its duration.

Unlike her mother who had an explosive wrath – and very dangerous one she now learned – and then calmed down once she had let it all out.

Yuzu felt her teeth grit at the memory of her mother; she was so angry at her; for all the things she hid from her – to protect her, she could already hear her saying – to punish innocents for not getting her way…

Why did everyone just assumed that she just went along with everything her mother did or say?

"Was I supposed to know? No one ever tells me anything, I thought that type of thing was normal here, how was I supposed to know it was him." Even now she still had problems coming to terms with having talked with the previous King, she only knew that it was refreshing to have someone who believed in her abilities and actually answered her questions. "Don't you dare to tell me about trust when you never told me about him being imprisoned in the Dark Pit, or what my own mother was doing!"

Crap, she wasn't supposed to yell at him again, she knew it never gave good results and yet here she was.

"And I'm supposed to be at fault that common knowledge apparently eludes you?" Her eyes widened at these words and everything came too fast afterwards.

The white hot anger that blinded her, the smacking sound of her hand on his face and the shattering of the cup in the hard floor.

His hands grabbing her shoulders and yanking her closer to his face, Yuzu was surprised to see that rather than anger there, there was a desperation etched in him; his eyes were peering almost too fast as if searching for an answer to a question.

"Why you…" He exhaled whatever words he had inside him. "…I've giving you a leeway, you can leave this place you find so horrid and go back to the surface to your mother; you are angry and that is good because it should make it easier but it's all for the wrong reasons; if you just leave then nothing will have to change, I am the Lord of the Underworld and you are the Goddess of Spring; and it will all end here."

Her chest wrenched at the utter pain and sadness in his words, his hand had slipped from her but she caught them with her own hands.

"You shouldn't call horrid to your land…" Because it wasn't, sure there were things not so good, but the same could be said for the surface too. "What if I want to stay a bit longer?"

"It's no place for the Goddess of Spring," He muttered looking to the side, but he did not protest to her handhold either. "Whether is now or in a week, or a month, what difference will it make? You will leave eventually; the earth needs you."

Yes, that was an undeniable fact, without spring, there was no summer, and no fall but…

"Spring only lasts for so long, I'm a joke of a goddess, my mother could handle it by herself, she did so before I was born…" She whispered almost to herself, but she knew he heard it because his eyes finally caught hers.

Yuzu almost lost herself in the weight of what she saw in them

"I'm familiar with the spring made by Ray, it focuses in functionality first and foremost; made for the earth to be worked on again, the flowers were scarce and simple, nymphs only ever came out for food… perfunctory at best." His fingers were drawing circles in her wrists and she couldn't believe such an innocuous touch was sending thrill down her spine. "…I remember the first time you brought spring back, all the thought put into every last detail, it was the most beautiful sight I ever behold."

Somewhere in the middle of his words, his hands had taken a hold of her waist and made her press her hands against his chest and their faces were so close she could practically breath into him, it made her heady.

"Reiji…" She said in a sigh and he hummed in response and her hands felt his heartbeat, she closed her eyes. "Kiss me."

No sooner than she said this, a feathery touch was against her mouth; only the slightest and gentle pressure and she already felt the heat spreading all over her body; even so, it was still not enough, her hands went up to his shoulders and she pressed a little harder which made him sigh in return and the moment their breaths mingled she realized what she wanted and dared to use the tip of her tongue and tasted the seam of his lips.

Yuzu could have turned into mush when his mouth finally captured hers, it was almost as if his lips molded together with her own and she couldn't get enough of his taste; his tongue inside slipping against every crevice and nook while she tried to keep up with it entwined with hers and her mind exploded in a hundred to unknown tendrils of sensations unknown and yet so unfamiliar.

Nothing existed outside of this kiss, Yuzu could only think of being closer to him, her hands circling his neck, fingers digging into his scalp, one of his hands taking ahold of her hair and angling her to deepen the kiss and his hold tightening to the point she felt her breasts squished almost painfully against him.

It didn't matter, she could never get enough of this feeling.

When his mouth split from hers and a last slow – and very deliberate – slide of his tongue against her own, she wanted to complain but the only thing that came out from her lips was a moan.

Yuzu didn't let go of him, only burrowed her face on his shoulder and he didn't let go either, his fingers digging into the fabric of her tunic. Only now she realized his knee was between her legs, supporting her, otherwise she may had lost her footing.

How had this happened? When had she started to feel so strongly for him that the mere thought of leaving him behind made her ache?

"Are you…? I didn't think that…" She heard him start asking but then his nose nuzzled her hair, whatever question died in his lips. "… at last."

Somewhere she knew what it was like to feel this way, only caring for it and aching at fulfilling its command…

"I wanted it too…" Behind them, the bed looked very appealing and realized that if he took her to it, she wouldn't protest in the slightest. "…I don't' know why I'm so drawn to you."

Because it had been like that since she first set eyes on him, she just didn't know the feelings much less the words to name it.

"…Don't know?" For a moment Yuzu didn't knew what he was asking, instead she wondered why she felt him stiffen against her, why his hands fell from her body and he gave two steps, facing away from her.

"Reiji?" She tried to keep the panic off her voice and knew she was failing, what had happened? What had she done wrong?

Her chest constricted in pain when he finally looked at her again, stony expression and cold eyes.

"It's still early, go back to sleep, you leave tomorrow." Her hand was clutching her own chest, she did not want to raise her eyes knowing of the tears prickling in her eyes would spill.

'Say something, say something… say something, you, idiot!' She failed, and could now feel the tears sliding down her face.

And the sight of them, he turned his back on her, making the decision for both of them.

"…You won't have to worry about pain; I will take care of sending supplies of ambrosia regularly."

Those were the only words she heard before slamming the door shut.

.

.

.

It had been impossible going to attempt sleep afterwards.

He couldn't think, he couldn't write, he couldn't even focus long enough to read the tablet in front of him; his mind was most certainly conspiring against him, rather than allow him to do his job, it kept conjuring unwanted visions – except they were very much wanted – and remembering warm touches and hot wetness.

Torturing him on images of what could have happened… Fuck this, if he his mind wasn't to cooperate then he would numb it down.

Reiji didn't even bother to mix it with water this time.

"Enjoying yourself?" The sweetly voice shouldn't have surprised him like it did, if anything her visit seemed to be long due. "Oh! Is this what mortals call 'drinking yourself to death'? I imagine your quite familiar with the concept." Her voice laced with laughter made grip the cup in his hand tighter as he drank more wine.

"Lady of Foam, surely you must be satisfied by now." He supposed that made him the idiot now, he should have known this is what she was looking forward: influence and power in his lands.

"Far from it my Lord." Asuka gave him a mocking bow before looking around his chambers. "How can I be when neither you or the lovely Maiden are satisfied at all?"

If he was a lesser god, Reiji might have smashed the cup in his hands or perhaps against the wall at such indiscretion.

"If you are done with your gloating and mockery then leave me to be Lady." Reiji directed all of his anger and, yes, frustration in a glare to her person. "Go waste your time with the horses at the stable, your so-called foam siblings."

After all, these creatures certainly shared her fascination with primal instincts.

"Mmmh, I'm actually here to pay a visit to my blood siblings but thank you for the concern." Very funny, he thought, he and Yuzu were the only ones remotely connected to her by blood here, meaning she would pester him until she got what she wanted. "All you need to do is ask nicely Reiji, and in your behalf I will make her fully compliant."

This time the cup did fly past her and shattered on the bed post.

"Don't you dare." Maybe it was the anger, or the wine, or most likely both, but the shadows answered to him and surrounded Asuka for a brief moment. "I have no use for your fleeting charms."

With a wave of her hand she made them disappear.

"Oh dear, you are so lucky that I find you so endearing, because I have made people mad with desire for lesser insults than to imply I relish on unwilling acts of love." Reiji knew this, he had seen several cases of this, and he always handled the gruesome results. "I simply meant to tell her a story, a love story obviously; young maidens love them."

"…" So obviously he was now going to be his very unwilling audience.

"Especially tragic ones: In this one, there was once a lonely girl with a watchful mother who rejected every proposal for her daughter's hand in marriage. Most of the time the girl did not care too much, romance was never one of her top priorities, that is of course, until she met this one boy; close to her in age and lack of experience but she was still enchanted with him, watched him from a distance. She thought about bringing up to her mother, maybe if she saw she was willing, she would give her blessings, but deep down the poor girl knew her mother would never allow it. For a while she thought she would be happy simply being in his presence but the ache in her heart grew stronger every day and under the cover of the night she approached him first…"

Reiji couldn't believe what he was listening, was this her idea of a joke? It probably was.

"…And was ecstatic to find the ache of her heart was very much reciprocated, that night under a tree they shared timid kisses and caresses and it quickly became their place to alleviate their inflamed desires when their ache got too strong. As you can probably imagine they got careless and were spotted by a group very amused nymphs, who in their mischief thought it would be funny to see the upcoming disaster unfold… oh Fates, Necessity and Time! It was not pretty at all, especially when they were discovered right after their amorous act under the refuge made by the Earth itself... the boy saw himself disgraced and banished would have been worse had his mother not intervened…"

"Lady." Reiji simply said, voice even but clear, Asuka should have listened, but chose to ignore him.

"… But maybe the worse tragedy was what happened to the poor girl… or maybe that neither lover was ever aware of the other's punishment? Ah maybe you wond-"

"Asuka!" At some point Reiji had grabbed her arm, harshly and threw her far away from him, when she fell to the ground, "I have grown tired of your chatter, I might be not immune to your power, but do you know why gods have no interest in dealing with the undead? Because they are pure, the have lost the ability to laugh, to cry, to lie and of love; you wanted to have sway among my lands? You are welcome to try, but disappear form my presence and hers." For a few moments, Reiji was tempted to bring some serious harm to her.

Asuka of course, simply stood up, even as she dusted herself off, her movements were full of gracefulness that made his eyes follow her and he cursed her in his mind for that.

"Oh Fates, all of you, royal family are a bunch of prudes; and to think I was doing you and your mother a favor; I swear that this is the last time, but do yourself a favor and don't be idiotic enough to lose her favor like you lost your father's."

"My mother?" His thoughts of retribution halted.

"Yes, the Queen? Ring a bell? She is currently preoccupied by tending her businesses as we speak, she only asked me to give you this." A single and perfect golden apple appeared in her hand and she dropped it to the floor.

It landed right at his feet.

"She said you would understand."

.

.

.

How was se supposed to sleep? Instead she was trying to gather herself in the gardens.

It was beautiful as always, with its golden and silver plants and jewel flowers and the little automaton birds flying here and there. Logic told her she ought to despise a forgery like this, but she didn't.

How could she when every detail was perfect to the last petal or leave? Just because it technically wasn't alive it didn't mean it was worthless.

Instead the only living thing; the orchard of pomegranate trees; had acted as the bane of her existence.

"Child, are you done moping around?"

"Ah!" Of course the perfect way to greet the Queen of Heaven was upside-down after tripping over nothing. "W-What are you doing here"

"Can't a mother visit her son?" She said instead of answering her question.

"I suppose..." Except that she had not seen her doing that in over three months, but it wouldn't be wise to say that. "But I meant why are you talking to me?"

"Well, it appears that a time away from your mother has given you a bit of impertinence." The Queen raised her eyebrow and smirked. "Or perhaps are you venting out over a heartbreak?"

Her fingers dug into shiny grass until her nails felt the earth beneath it.

"So, was this your plan? Bring me down here to fall for him, to be deceived into hoping for reciprocation only to be humiliated by him? You must be very proud of yourself."

Yuzu expected to be laughed at again, but instead she did nothing but look at her, as if considering what to do with her.

"Have some self-respect Spring goddess, get up and walk with me." She ordered her and started to walk without actually waiting for her to stand up.

Yuzu had to scramble to her, attempting to look somewhat presentable, because only now she noticed that despite her relatively simple tunic, she still wore her crown and a veil around her perfectly coifed hair.

With her short tunic, a simple tie-up hair, she never felt more like a child than when comparing herself to the Queen.

It shouldn't bother her; before being here she certainly did not care, but now she did.

What had changed?

'You already know…'

"We are here." She spoke and Yuzu was surprised to find a clearing, with a lake and all, she neared to the bank and realized it was actual water indeed, crystalline and so calm she could see her reflection inside it. "I wouldn't try to drink or touch the water if I were you, this lake is filled with water of the River of Forgetfulness."

"The place were the souls come to forget their old lives and find rest…" She remembers when Gongenzaka showed her the river, the souls wandering in its shores unwilling to let go off their earthly lives thus refusing to drink from it.

"It's true, for most at least." The Queen kneeled next to her – And even then, she did it with such elegance that she couldn't help but try to imitate her – "I take it you have met the Divine Musician and his lover? I remember when Reiji asked for my counsel because it didn't matter how often they both drank from these waters, they could never forget each other… you see, memories are a curious thing, and a sliver of reminiscence can be enough for them to be rebuilt."

"…Why are you telling me this?" Yuzu suddenly felt a knot twisting inside her, like searching for a piece of her that kept eluding her; and given the exasperated look the Queen gave her, she could see it too.

"Why indeed…" The Queen extended her hand to her, from there Yuzu saw one of those wretched seeds, before she could ask her if she was mocking her again, the seed grew into a plant, the leaves sprouted and tangled into itself and a single red flower; but then the petals fell off and from its center a single fruit started to grow into the size of her palm.

"H-how?" Yuzu had only ever seen her mother do such thing, but this was the Queen of Heaven… except, she had no problem handling Yuzu's vines.

Was this what the bright light hid from everyone's eyes?

"Before I was queen I wasn't much different from your mother, I always had a talent to make things grow; some of my earlier worshippers prayed to me for their harvests, back then I used to be able to grow whole trees from the ground… being chosen by Fate as Bride of Heaven meant he had to pluck me from the earth and bring me to his domain."

She felt the heat coming up from her belly, to her neck and finally her cheeks, when she caught up was she was getting at.

"He certainly does not want me that way." At least not enough, but she wasn't about to mention that to his mother.

"Then answer me child, why am I here?"

Yuzu wished she had something smart to say back; but her mind had been wiped out of everything except a single thought.

She could only stare as the Queen pushed the pomegranate in her hands.

"The fruit of the Underworld is said to pull nourishment from all the rivers and the ground itself of the Underworld; when the First Borns lost the war they were forced to eat from it and bound to the prison in the Dark Pit." Was this the fruit where the seeds Yuri gave her came from? It felt impossibly warm. "Because when eaten against one's will or stolen it bounds you, it steals away your vitality; but when offered and eaten willingly…"

"Accepting everything that comes with it…"

You become part of the Underworld, the thought was in her head but unsure in her lips; saying it out loud would be a confirmation she wasn't sure was ready for.

"Exactly." The Queen looked satisfied at her, dare she say… proud? "Choose wisely child… perhaps when we see each other again you will no longer be one."

.

.

.

This was nothing like he had seen before; not only did the earth felt warm with every step he gave, but every patch of ground as far as the sight reached was covered in green, red, yellow, blue, purple... all kinds of colors, some of them he couldn't even name, with the revival of nature slowly but surely all wild creatures were emerging from their hiding spots, the birds chirped, the fish splashed in the water...

"My lord? I trust that your bath is pleasant." The spirit mumbled and kept its face as they all did when in his presence.

Reiji realized that he had almost dozed off while in the water; even if he could not drown it must have worried the servant to see him so lost in his own thoughts... and it did well, after all he was not someone who often indulged in useless thoughts.

It had the nasty habit of distracting him from the present.

"Yes, thank you." He gets up, knowing that he also spent an unceremonious time inside the water, his eyes fall in the bench where the clean clothes lied ready for him, there still rested the golden fruit. His hands clutched at the souvenir his mother left behind, why did she have to do this to him? Did she finally sought amusement by playing around with his life?

"My Lord?" the spirit asked, interrupting his line of thought, and he realized now that it was because he had made no movement to get dressed yet.

The black cloth didn't feel right this one time

"Tell the others to prepare for dinner please." He said, the spirit simply nodded and went its way, before pausing and speaking up:

"And the Lady? Will she need to get ready for dinner too?" Reiji almost smiled at the consideration she had gained among the staff in the palace.

So typical for her.

"Yes," He was certain that she would sorely missed. "Leave everything ready and afterwards everyone is dismissed for the rest of the day."

"Yes my lord, thank you."

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.

.

Her attendants had changed, she realized it when they came to tell her the bath was ready. They weren't daemons anymore, with their pointy ears, cat-like eyes and sharp teeth. Instead they were nymphs, soft and beautiful as all of them were. When she was ready to untie her hair and clothes a couple of hands stopped her.

"Please, Mistress allow us." Another voice said along with the new pair of arms

"Uh?" So there were three of them now?

"Tonight is a special occasion so we need to be meticulous." The one in front of her said.

"You must be perfect for dinner by sunset." The one arranging the oils and perfumes along the bath spoke.

"Dinner?" When she got out of her bath, that was the last thing she expected to hear. There had not been any dinners since she was first introduced to Reiji's court, what was the special occasion?

'Ah, a parting gift, of course.' Yuzu felt her stomach drop at the realization.

"Yes, I apologize for the short notice." All three nymphs hurried to say and Yuzu shook her head from side to side.

"No, no, I know you got nothing to do with this, I'm just surprised, Re- your Lord doesn't seem like the spontaneous type." Yuzu said resigning to be handled by them, It had already been a bit weird to have attendants here, but these ones in particular seemed more splendorous that other nymphs she knew, didn't carry themselves as if they were serving her but as if they were fulfilling an important duty.

"Therefore why it's called an special occasion right?." The one wearing a purple tunic said as she stepped into the water, which felt much better than any other time, she let out a satisfied sigh even and sank herself to her neck.

The sounds of the nymphs shuffling around could still be heard for a minute before her mind went back to what happened last night with him.

In the warmth of the water she could indulge into those thoughts without worrying over people pointing out the color in her cheeks of her fumbling around and absentmindedness.

Under the water her own hands touched all of the placed he had touched too, not just with his hands but his whole body; her fingers ghosting over her shoulders traced lower to valley between her breasts and she shivered slightly at thought of bigger, harsher hands mirroring the same caress, of them stroking at the tender flesh while her own hand continued the path from her belly to her navel rubbing in circles small and big until she was moving her hips in synch with the motions, wanting more friction…

Yuzu opened her eyes slowly, groaning at the sudden emptiness reality brought to her.

If only things had gone better, smoother …she… they wouldn't have to be in this predicament.

"My Lady, do you need help?" She almost yelped remembering she wasn't alone and felt a blush of embarrassment at the thought that they had seen her… like that.

To their credit and her own immense gratefulness, they didn't make any comments or threw her weird looks as she stood up slowly from the now tempered water. They simply laid out for her the oils.

When she picked up the container her nose caught on the scent of flowers, and she almost dropped it; Yuzu had never used anything but odorless oils after cleaning herself, her mother wasn't particularly fond of them as she often thought them useless adornments in which valuable herbs and flowers were wasted.

But she always knew the real reason her mother didn't allow them near her.

Yuzu didn't complain nor did she asked the nymphs for a change; instead she simply focused on rubbing the oil in starting with her feet, moving up to her calves, her thighs and her waist and arms.

In the meantime, they had brought her clothes to wear.

Unlike the majority of her tunics, the piece seemed too long for a single person until she realized it probably needed to be folded; something that once again the nymphs were happy to help her with. The bottom one was long and it reached her ankles, it looked like she would need help with the folds in order for it not to fall down with the slightest step; then the remaining fabric was used to cover her chest and shoulders folding it from the inside and giving the illusion of two pieces of clothing.

Her hands perused over the fabric, its red color was very familiar right now. The final touch was using a golden belt that emphasized her waist and hips,

Before she noticed she had allowed the nymphs to continue their dexterous work, now with her hair, rather than a ponytail, she watched how a her hair was braided first and then used to hold the rest upwards in a single bun, which they later adorned with pearls and beads, and then a beautiful hairpin resembling a flower.

It didn't escape her notice when one of them cut a lock of her hair.

"It is done Mistress." The one wearing a dark tunic said, and led Yuzu outside of her chambers, only looking at them clearly, now she realized that they all had a shining gold to their presence, definitely not belonging to the Underworld, she saw the one with the pink tunic grasping something inside her hands: the pomegranate.

"We'll take care of everything." They said all together.

Before she could say thank you, the three of them – which Yuzu now noticed all resembled each other – disappeared in whisk of smoke.

.

.

.

When the doors opened, Reiji was quick to stand up, ready to receive her.

However, nothing could have prepared him for her stepping into the dining room dressed completely in red, her usually loose locks of hair now trapped into a perfectly upward hairstyle adorned with gold and silver, a few loose locks brushed against her now exposed neck which lines his eyes followed down to the faint shape of her bosom.

When she walked to stand in front of him, his nose detected the faint scent of dozens of blooming flowers.

"My Lord." She said, clearly waiting for his prompting.

"Please…" … Please what? Stay away from my person and lock yourself in your chambers until it is time to send you back or please… "… Take a seat." He said pointing to the one recliner placed on the front of the table.

This made her pause, and for a single moment, Reiji reconsidered.

"Can you help me...?" She asked. "I've never... seen those except on vases."

He tried very hard to resist it, but at the end, she heard the low chuckle in his throat and she slapped his arms softly and he made the most of it by taking her hand in his and pulling her closer to him.

"Of course." He said and led her to the seat where once she sat; he gently pushed her to lay against the padded back.

He did not fail to notice that in this position his height unnerved her, so he sat too on the edge – rather than lying against her – only enough to prompt her legs to climb as well; before her accommodated himself he allowed his eyes to travel her form, the reclining positing bringing up the shape of her body.

He swallowed and made himself seat in a way that he was facing her fully.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked leaning into her only enough to catch a sniff of her perfume once more.

"Yes, very much." Her eyes half-lidded and flush lips would be his undoing, of that he was certain. "Although ...I don't know how comfortable for eating this is." She shifted her weight to the side.

He smiled at her knowing look.

"Allow me." Reiji grabbed a bowl full of fruits and nuts and placed her before her, in the small – very small – space between them.

Her eyes shone at the sight of them and then looked at him, expectantly; he took a fig between his fingers.

"I'm starved." She said and that was enough for him, his hands moved almost on his own to place the fruit between her already parted lips, his eyes never tearing away from hers as he did so.

Reiji repeated the same action for what it appeared countless times; he was entranced by the most minimum of her expressions, her contented sighs at the taste, the way her neck moved up and down when she swallowed, there were times when the tip of his fingers brushed the slightest bit against her lips.

After biting on a particularly juicy grape, the tip of her tongue ventured out to clean her mouth.

It was too much, he swopped down to kiss her.

Or almost.

"Yuzu…" His hands had taken ahold of her chin, he could feel her tiny puffs of breath, "…Not yet." And let go of her.

He almost laughed at her whine, while his hands grabbed onto the last offering.

The hard skin cracked easily with a little pressure of his fingers. The numerous red seeds stared back at both of them, they looked impossibly luscious.

"Do you accept?" He asked, and felt himself froze in place, his heart thundered in his chest, expectant.

Her hand covered his, and she pulled the fruit to her.

It seemed impossibly slow when her lips sunk into the pomegranate, taking a good number of them to her mouth, he could see the movement in her face as if savoring each one before swallowing them.

This time the red stains of her lips were licked away by his own mouth.

When Yuzu opened herself to him, he could sense the aftertaste of every she ate.

Reiji surged himself against her body; her arms took hold of him, giving him more access to her body.

Unlike the last time, he didn't restrain himself, his hands touched every part of her body available to him, every time he found a sensitive spot she sighed into the kiss.

It was too much; he would culminate the act in a completely inappropriate place.

It pained him to stop plundering her mouth, but not as much as putting space between them

It had been too long and it had been so easy to lose himself in her again.

With a single movement, he had her cradled in his arms, she made a surprised yelp when he stood up with her still in his arms.

The shadows appeared and grew around him until the dining room disappeared and melted into his chambers.

.

.

.

It had been too long, and the opportunity of them being alone was rare enough for her to feel anxious and adventurous.

All those feeling melted into longing and lust the moment the door closed behind them.

His hands wasted no time in hoisting her up and threw her into the bed where he joined her.

Their clothes practically torn apart in their desperation.

.

.

.

Yuzu was deposited in his bed almost too gently; despite the fact she could feel the heat that radiated from him; the look on his eyes was enough to make her shiver.

She wanted to feel his hands on her again.

Every part he touched felt impossibly warm and even then it's still didn't feel like enough…

He surprised her when he kneeled in front of her; his hand grabbed one of her ankles and untied her sandals by one pull, the other hand wen into her tunic a single finger stroked from the curve of her shin to the back of her knee and it shouldn't have made her moan, but it did.

Reiji mirrored the motion in the other leg, obtaining the same result and sending thrills to her core.

To her dismay he didn't touch her where she needed it the most instead his hands settled again on her waist, where the golden belt kept the complicated fold of the cloth in place; only now she realized it fulfilled another less practical purpose: making her breasts stand out more.

He was definitely admiring the sight, and Yuzu felt trapped between embarrassment and excitement; she had not noticed when his hands undid the clasp of the belt until she saw the tunic losing form and falling first from her shoulders, then uncovering her chests and belly until her thighs were visible when the lower side fell to the floor.

His mouth kissed in the valley of her breasts and started a trail lower and lower until… a loud moan resounded in the room at the first contact of his mouth between her legs.

She sought purchase onto his shoulders, because every insistent lap made her entire body tremble and loose balance; her legs were wide open for his ministrations and she closed her eyes focusing only on every single stroke of his tongue against her.

"Ah, ah...mmmm..." She was griping at his hair now and her hips undulated into a rhythmic cadence seeking to chase more of that pleasure; Yuzu realized what was happening and she stilled, his lips sucking onto her now and a small tingle started to grow in intensity making her mouth open slack despite not making much of a noise and before long she felt it become a throb that extended from her nub to the rest of her body.

When the white faded away from her eyes the pleasure slowly diminished to spams in her hips she tried to calm down her breathing and slowly opened her eyes.

Finding Reiji now propped up looking intently at her, she could help herself and kissed him deeply, locking his body against her with legs, just the brushes against each other had her squirming again, her whole body was too sensitive.

His hand went up to her hair and took off the hairpin. The pearls spilled when his fingers passed through her hair, untangling the braid that now rested against her shoulder.

"... I dreamt of this," He said against her ear, Yuzu shuddered at the sound of his voice, breathy and deep. "Too often."

"You have me now," Her fingers played a bit with the golden brooch of his tunic, engraved with a cypress tree, it came easily off and underneath there was the very simply knot holding his own tunic together.

"You've always had me." She untied it right in synch with his words and the red tunic fell to the floor when he pushed her to lie under his body.

He propped his hands on each side of her, his hands gripped the sheets tightly as if he couldn't decide what to do to her first and his eyes looked too dark and liquid as they roved her body, Yuzu allowed herself to admire his bare body too, marveling the tautness of it, when her eyes went past the lines of his abdomen to loins she couldn't help but entwine her legs between his, desperate for some friction.

It felt so soft and hot against her thigh, just the thought of him inside of her had her trembling and his groan only made her more impatient.

Finally his hand sneaked under the small of her back while the other grabbed the back of her neck, settling the weight of his body on her.

His mouth latched onto her neck, biting and sucking then licking away the sting.

She had not thought that it was possible to feel more heat than before but now that she felt him all against her, his hands seemed to everywhere at once, the hard planes of his chest pressed against her breasts.

With every movement his groin brushed against hers, making her moan again.

From the corner of her eye she saw the shadows gathering around their bed, they danced and moved as if they were alive; then when she watched the posts of the bed growing tiny sprouts she understood.

"Reiji…" She whispered in his ear, her fingers rubbed tiny circles in his nape, he disentangled himself from her just enough to look her in the eye again, his hiss of frustration would have been almost funny in any other situation.

Of course when she moved her legs to open up around him, he sucked on his breath.

"Yuzu…" She absolutely loved how her name sounded in his voice. "…Are you sure?"

Her only response was to push her hips upwards only enough to feel him slide against her, only a bit.

Reiji waited no longer, his hips stilled while he lifted himself on his knees, and pulled hips against him, she felt the weight of him settle against her core; his fingers digging into her flash made it impossible to move, she wanted to complain at him but then in a single thrust he was finally inside of her.

Yuzu felt the air leave her, she felt so full and aware of every inch of him inside of her, so wet and hot.

On his part Reiji was panting, unmoving, his hands come upwards from below her back and moved to her belly and upwards, he brushed the side of her breasts before using him thumbs to tease the tips, making her mouth open agape.

Her hands clung to his neck and shoulders, the subtle shift of his weight made him go deeper into her.

…Around them the earth grew tender and fertile, giving birth to sprouts…

She thrashed at the onslaught of sensations forcing him to start moving, causing the sought-after friction.

It started slowly, rocking against each other, testing what they best way to bring out their pleasure was, Yuzu did not bother anymore to drawn out her moans when she saw him part his lips mouthing undecipherable words as he too lost himself into her.

It was harvest time, and as the Earth itself bestowed gifts onto mankind, they bestowed their own gifts to each other.

Yuzu didn't want to tear her eyes from his, but she had little choice when her vision blurred and she finally gave in closing her eyes, which in turn made her more sensitive to his touch.

It still wasn't enough, she wanted more of him, more of everything.

It was any wonder that her sacred abode welcomed the life he spilled into her?

Reiji understood because she could feel his thrust becoming harsher and grinding against her every time he pushed inside her again, drawing out the feeling of his flesh rubbing inside of her.

Her moans soon turned into sobs, and he became even more vocal, repeating her name over and over like a prayer.

Or a madness mantra, she didn't care.

"I love you…" Her faceless lover whispered in her ears after it was all over, the warmth inside her making her dizzy.

"So good…" His hands abandoned playing with her chest. "Reiji…" she felt him embrace her and tilting her position. "I think…" He used the new angle to push her harder against his thrusts and her legs circled around his waist, drawing him closer.

"I missed you…" She answered back. "I don't want to part ways with you again…"

Her yells and his grunts echoed in the room, and made the shadows and the earth grumble and mix, I made the sprout around the wood bloom into flowers.

"It won't be long… Mother says I will get my own kingdom soon…"

And when his face sought refuge on her shoulder, she welcomed him with her own embrace and brushed her fingers through his now sweaty and tousled hair.

"Reiji…" She said next to his earlobe, his whole body still thrummed in the aftershocks of his climax. "I found you..."

"When I become King even thy mother will have to acknowledge my proposal, she will not deny you a throne of your own."

The young Maiden could not help to laugh at how proud the young and Wealthy Prince sounded of his grand 'plan', but the hope blossomed in her chest nonetheless.

They both finally stopped moving when she felt him grow hotter and twitching making her wetter and gripping him tightly so he would not dare to move while he spilled everything inside of her.

His seed, his domain and his power.

When she accepted and received all of it, she finally became Queen.

At last the tangled threads on the Fates started spin in their nifty fingers.

---

...And here is the second chapter of this story... a full year later, almost, ugh 2018 was so not my year for writing, i was stressed all the time for personal reasons and I couldn't write much, but anyway a couple notes on this chapter:

- The gods appearing in this chapter are: Zarc - Cronus, Masumi - Hecate, Gloria - Thanatos, Grace - Hypnos, Sora - Morpheus, Gongenzaka - Charon, Mikiyo - Iris.- While I'm not going to state every single thing this is based on, in respect to mythology (the notes would be as long as the chapter... probably), there are a couple things related to ancient greek society that would be harder to find so here I tell you:

- Hospitality was a huge deal in Ancient Greece, to the point where Zeus was actually said to uphold it as Zeus Xenios, a good host had to provide it's guest with food and roof, clothes, (medical care and hygiene if necessary) and only after all of these things were met, it was appropiate to question them.

- The early greeks only had three seasons: spring, summer and autumn, and Persephone's departure was actually linked to summer rather than winter, as the dry and harsh season in Greece, Demeter was drying up the land and not allowing anything to be planted much less harvested, and thus the famine, later versions of the myth include winter because of exposure of the greeks to other parts of the world and thus to the concept of winter and chaged the myth to Perspehone spending half of the year in each place.

- Restless dead were in Ancient Greece what we basically think of ghosts, there were people who greeks thought to be more likely to become ghosts, those who died young, the ones who died violently, or those who didn't receive their proper funeral rites, and the Wanderer met ALL of them so... you can imagine.

- The song the wanderer sings is an actual ancient greek lament song called "Katolophyromai" and appears in the Oresteia, I changed the verse from mother to father, but the rest is the actual thing.

- The greeks wrote at lenght about the homoeroticism (*cough* also about what essentially amounts to pedophlilia
by modern standards *cough*) but unsurprisingly almost none about female sexuality unless it was related to the pleasure they gave to men, (with the exception of Sappho obviously) so if anything about Yuzu awake of her sexuality here, it's accurate, it's mere coincidence; also fun fact: when it came to oral sex, the one who recieved was considered the dominant one ;D, also missionary position was not popular in Ancient Greece, but not out of kinkyness, basically beds were not particularly comfy or even safe for sex back then, so I took liberties there too.

- While oils where important for hygiene in Ancient Greece, scented oils (perfumes basically) were thought to be used exclusively by women who wanted to be sexually attractive to someone.

- Compared to other events, we know very little of how marriages went in Ancient Greece, because it was primarly arranged by families, without religious intervention, there are a lot of conflicting accounts (Because Greece was much much than just Athens and Sparta) but Hades and Persephone's myth is generally agreed to be a story about marriage customs rather than 'rape' which has been long awknolodged to be a misstranslation, among things I used are: the brides (and sometimes the groom) wore red, they both took baths too 'purify' themselves, there was a banquet, and a groom fed the bride with his hands as a symbol of him providing for her, a maiden or unmarried girl was differenciated from a married woman, because girls used short tunics and simple hairstyles, whereas married women used their hair up and long tunics. (there is also the whole concept of hierogamy or hieros gamos, but that one you can search easily)

- The era we know about the most of Ancient Greece is known as the classical period, before that there was what can be basically described as a "Dark Age" which was so harsh people actually "forgot" how to write, and before that there was the Mycanean Greece which in the classical period was called the Age of the Heroes, when gods walked the earth, so for all intents and purposes, all the myths were always thought to happen in this age.