Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry that this is later than I expected to post it, I've been busy. In other news, I was looking for art of these two. Not much of it is in the style or coloring I like. I should probably do something about that.

Disclaimer: -Sighs-

Summary: So Hades finally allows Persephone go see her mother, but while there, she discovers Hades plan to keep her there.

"Then I am free..." Persephone's quiet, gentle voice came out through the darkness.

A gruff response, "Eh...Yes, I suppose." Now before her was Charon, who was the ferryman of Erebus. The elderly man had just told Persephone that she was to go see her mother, Demeter, in the world above, because of the torture she brought to it's people. "Tomorrow morning we cross Acheron. Be ready, the voyage will be one obolus." And with that, he left the room.

But now Persephone had a dilemma. Since she had never been away from her home, she had found this place so interesting, and wasn't sure that she wanted to leave so soon. Still I must go, if not for my own sake, then for the sake of the mortals who live under us. So she went to the divan and fell into a sleepless sleep.

In Hades opinion, morning had come far too soon. He stood at the shore of Acheron with Charon, who was getting the boat ready for the crossing, while Hades waited for his Queen to come, so that he might bid her farewell there.

And then she came. Perfectly aloof. Perfect, thought Hades.

"Well then. I suppose this is goodbye." What was left of Hades' cold heart melted away then.

"I suppose so..." Was his miserable reply.

"Don't be sad, maybe I'll come again to visit you." Her cheerful smile only made Hades feel more and more guilty.

"...Maybe..." The sad look in his eyes before he dropped them to the ground worried Persephone. If something was wrong with him, then she felt that she should stay with him.

"We're ready to leave." Charon's rough intervention came before Persephone could inquire Hades of his troubles. She took one last look at him, then went over to the boat and got in. She paid Charon for the trip, and he began steering the boat through Acheron.

Not a moment later, Hades turned silently and watched them pass over the murky waters of the river which was the only way to pass between Erebus and the world above. What Hades felt in those painstakingly long seconds as Persephone disappeared in the mist of the Underworld cannot be described in words.

Persephone, on the other hand, didn't feel much of anything, aside from her worry of Hades. Hades, she thought. Then, involuntarily, she glanced over to see him watching their departure of the Underworld. Just as their eyes met, a thick fog shrouded them from each other.

And though neither of the two heard each other, at that moment, they both let out a sigh.

Now Demeter stood at the doors of her dwelling, watching, waiting. No sooner than Hades had released her precious Kore from Erebus, had she known of it. At this her heart had spared the mortals. But at the sight of her beloved ascending the golden stairs, her heart burst with joy.

Kore watched her mother rush towards her, tears of joy running down her face. She grasped her daughter with impossible gladness. Then holding Kore at the shoulders, and still crying, she asked, "Kore, my precious, darling daughter! You have emerged from the black abyss! And you are safe? It is a miracle in itself!"

Persephone delicately embraced her mother. "Yes mother Demeter. I have returned. And you had no reason to fear for me, as Hades did me no harm." She smiled warmly. "I was showered in gifts of all sorts. Given entertainment, knowledge, food..." At the sudden fright in Demeter's face Kore ceased her speaking.

Demeter, frightened by what she had heard, began to ask her daughter, "You ate something while you were in Erebus...?"

It was Persephone's time to be afraid. "Well...Only a few pomegranate seeds..."

At this, Demeter's empty, hollow eyes suddenly turned wild and feral. She screamed to the heavens, "Why must I be deprived of my daughter yet again?!" She dropped to her knees and fell, sobbing, to the ground.

"Mother! Mother!" Kore came to her side at once, "What do you speak of, Mother?"

So Demeter looked into the lovely violet of her daughter's eyes. "My child, don't you know? Any mortal or immortal who dares to consume food or drink in Erebus must remain there for a third of each year!" After this, she dropped her head into Kore's beautiful robes and cried all the more.

Persephone's eyes filled first with fright. Then with a vile hatred. There was no doubt that she was furious in learning that Hades had tricked her, yet again.

When Demeter had calmed, Hades felt it. The tears had finally ceased. But Hades guilt had not. Nyx glanced at him for a moment, and knew this.

She exhaled her disgruntled sigh. "Don't sit around feeling depressed, Hades. It doesn't suit you." He looked at her. "Besides, your lovely little Queen shouldn't be any angrier about this than she was when you kidnapped her. And if she is, then it won't be long until she forgives you."

Now Hades was the one to let out the disgruntled sigh. Sharply turning away from Nyx, he replied, "You may be right. But I doubt it."

To Nyx, this was sheer disrespect. Her face showed thorough annoyance and she scoffed in response before leaving the room, and Hades was alone.

Demeter, though she had once more taken up her duties on Gaia, sad that once Kore left for Erebus, she would begin neglecting them once more.

Persephone didn't care about this. The only thoughts that concerned her were those of Hades trickery. And this was all that she thought of in all the time she spent on Gaia.

Before long, it was time that she returned to the Underworld. So she prepared for her leave. Without saying so much as farewell to all that she knew, Persephone found herself at the edge of Acheon, waiting for Charon's arrival.

Eventually, a boat emerged from the murky veil of fog. As soon as he saw her, Charon guided the boat towards shore.

Persephone paid him an obolus, and got inside. He handed her a package before embarking. "What is this?" She inquired.

"A gift from Nyx." Was his answer.

Since Persephone didn't know anyone by this name, she then asked, "And who is Nyx?"

"The Goddess of Night, she came to Erebus to meet you." Then Persephone remembered her. The woman who she had met in the garden. So, looking down at the package, she opened it.

Inside was a gown. Black as night with silver trim, that looked like the stars themselves. When she lifted it, the dress sparked with silver, and she saw that there were strands of silver embedded in the fabric as well.

And upon taking it out, she realized that underneath it lay a lovely silver crown containing onyx, with matching ornaments to put in her hair. Which she saw were in the shape of the Narcissus that she loved so much.

Persephone sighed happily, whilst remembering the conversation that she had with her. Nyx, she told herself.

So Persephone stayed in the trance until Charon brought her out of her reminiscing by saying, "We're almost there."

Then she remembered why she was there, but more importantly what she needed to do as soon as she could gain counsel with Hades. Filled with that fury, that hatred, she would confront Hades, asking why he had tricked her into staying in Erebus.

So the one thought Persephone had when she got out of the boat was, It won't be long now...