I hope you will enjoy this chapter! Please let me know!
Rose1414: I actually haven't noticed that I used so many commas. I will try to use less of them.
Rating for this chapter: T
Summary: Death gained a whole new appeal the moment I became a daughter of Hades. Self-Insert
Edited on the 20th of June 2016
Chapter 3
Changes in Life
Save me, I think I'm losing my mind.
You said you'd come for me when the world swallows me whole.
Well, this is war.
Save me, 'cause the battles won but the war is still to fight.
You said you'd come for me when the world swallows me whole.
Well, this is war.
Well, this is war.
―WAR by Former Vandal
I had never been a fan of history, it had actually always been one of my least liked subjects. It may have been because of my crappy history teacher or my general dislike for it. I never learned more than I needed to learn, never did more than I needed to do. I just had to pass.
However, there were a few events about that everyone should know at least something; The French Revolution, World War I and World War II were some of them.
It was on the 1st of September 1939 that World War II broke out. I don't know what I had been expecting, maybe people running on the streets in panic, bombs exploding, just something tremendous. After all, so many people would die-died?-in this war, so many bad things would happen, yet the day began like every other one.
We slept in that day and woke up some time before noon, ate breakfast and got ready for our classes. Like for the last two years, our private teacher came some time after we finished eating. Miss Albini was a strict teacher, but she never raised a hand against us. After a year of her teaching I realized that she was a gorgon. It was no wonder that she never beat us when we misbehaved during her lessons, she knew exactly what our father would do if she did.
She mostly taught us about Greek Mythology, how to read and write in ancient Greek and the basics of English. I must say that I had been quiet surprised when I tried to read a book for the first time only to notice that I couldn't. I mean, I knew that I would have dyslexia, but it was something I hadn't truly accepted till I tried it for the first time.
Luckily, Miss Albini brought us many books written in ancient Greek. My siblings weren't as thrilled by them as I was. Well, we all had our quirks. I, an eight-years-old reincarnated girl, loved to read books in ancient Greek. Nico was obsessed with mythomagic cards. Everything the books said about those was true. Bianca liked drawing and she was quiet good at it. In the future she could become quiet the artist.
I was rambling again, wasn't I?
Miss Albini finished that day's lesson with the story about Theseus and gave us some homework. Thereafter we played a game of tag and helped mother prepare dinner.
With each hour that passed by I felt more nervous than before. I was waiting for something big to happen, even though I knew that it was irrational. My siblings, who were affected by my emotions, were quiet anxious themselves. Mother did not notice anything.
A knock on the door, just before sunset, made me almost hyperventilate. Call me paranoid or crazy, but for a few seconds I thought that someone was there to kill us. That thought dissipated quickly when father's comforting presence washed over me.
It was my mother who opened the door. Following straight behind her, I managed to glimpse her face morphing with surprise at the sight of my father.
''Hades?'' The man in question hadn't changed even a bit in all the years I had known him. He still looked as if he were in his early twenties. His dark eyes filled with wisdom and understanding way beyond our age.
''Maria.'' The god nodded his head towards his former lover and then he leveled his gaze on us. ''Little ones.''
Three identical grins split on our faces as we rushed forward into our fathers arms. "Papa.'' Our mother stumbled out of our way and Hades caught us three at the same time, enveloping us into a big hug.
The moment did not last long because only a few second later our father let us go and straightened up. His posture was stiff and his eyes as hard as steel. He kept us near him, but that wasn't hard as we were practically clinging to his legs. When he spoke it was loud and clear. ''Maria, I need you to pack the children's and your things. We will be leaving in two hours.''
Our mother looked confused, after all she had no idea what was going on. Personally, I had my suspicions. Father probably knew what began today and wanted to take us far, far away. Preferably to the other end of the world, where the war wouldn't have a too large impact.
''What do you mean?Why would I..." The god did not let her finish her sentence before he interrupted her. ''I believe you did not understand me correctly. This was not a request but a demand.''
Maria shut her mouth immediately, but I could see the anger in her eyes. I personally did not like the way he talked to her either and let my displeasure be know through our bound. Then I looked at my siblings and took their hands. ''Come. Let us help mamma.''
We walked into our room in silence, our father slowly following behind us. There I took a big, brown leather bag from under the bed. To be honest, I had no idea where the bag came from. It had just always been there.
I started to pack my books and favorite items into it. My siblings followed my example.
"Pack only the things you truly need or will miss. The rest we can buy later." Hades stood in the doorway and looked down at us.
" Of course, papa." We chorused together. While my siblings continued packing I looked at our father.
There must have been something in my look because he sighted heavily. "What is it that you want to know, Nora?"
A small blush spread on my cheeks, from what I did not know. Maybe because he caught me staring. But it was good that he asked that question, there truly was something I wanted to know. "Where are we going, papa?"
Hearing my question, Nico and Bianca stopped packing. They were just as curious as I was and I was sure that our father could feel it.
"The place is called Washington and it is very far away." He answered me.
Nico's eyes seemed to brighten. "Are we going on an adventure? And where is very far away?"
Did I ever mention how adorable, yet annoying Nico could be. With his endless chatter and puppy-dog eyes I sometimes did not know wether I should strangle or cuddle him. Right now it was both.
Even without the bound I could tell that father was slightly stressed. I did not blame him for that, after all I was quiet sure that it wouldn't be easy to smuggle us out of Italy without any of the other gods noticing.
"You could say that. And you are moving to America, Nico.'' Hades ever the patient person, at least to us-I doubted he presented others with that much patience-,answered Nico's questions without a sign of irritation.
After we packed our things, father picked up our bag and lead us to the entrance. Our mother was already there waiting for us. She must have seen our father helping us pack and did not want to bother us. Sometimes I felt truly sorry for her. Because even now, with such trivial things, we were excluding her from our small 'group'.
Sadly, there wasn't anything I could do against it. Nico, Bianca and I, we all loved our mother and I believe that father, in his own way, cared about her, too. But fact was that she just did not understand. She did not share our connection, did not have any of the powers we had or would have, she was just human and because of that we could not fault her for not understanding.
''Where are we going?'' It was mother's voice that forced me to focus on the world outside my thoughts.
Father seemed to contemplate if he should answer her, but before he could refuse or do anything else, I answered for him. ''Washington, America.''
Maria looked stunned for a moment. I would have been too if someone suddenly told me that I had to move half across the world without a reason. Her gaze locked with Hades' and they seemed to have a silent conversation. Then she just sighed and ran one of her hands through her hair. "How are we going to get there?''
That was something which interested me as well. After all, I did not think that we could fly in a plain or take a ship. If we did that, we would be entering Poseidon's or Zeus' domains. As far as family love goes, I did not think that they would welcome us with open arms.
''We wont be going there together. You will go alone and take a ship, while the children accompany me through the Underworld. We will escort you now to the port, the ship will be departing in one hour.''
Maria looked crushed, as if Hades just slapped her. In some ways she was being excluded once again and she knew it. She knew that her children were drifting away from her, that she was loosing us and there was nothing she could do against it. ''What...?''
''You cannot come with us into the Underworld and neither can the children cross the sea with you. It would be too dangerous.'' The god was calm, his voice powerful, yet soothing.
Mother nodded with resignation. ''Of course.''
Hades picked up our bags and lead us onto the streets of Venice. Not many people were still out, but those who were parted before us when we passed. Even the humans could feel that there was something 'wrong' with Hades, even they felt the danger he represented.
The man provoking those reactions did not seem to notice anything or simply did not care. He walked down the streets, probably using the fastest way towards the port.
My suspicions were confirmed when only a few minutes later we arrived at our destination. On the contrary to the streets, there were many people at the docks, bustling around and entering three different ships.
Father guided us through the parting crowds to the biggest ship. A fury was there waiting for us. She bowed at the sight of my father. ''Lord Hades''
The god observed her a few moments with his piercing eyes. ''Tisiphone, I hope you know why I called you here.''
The fury nodded her head. She was obviously nervous. ''Of course, my Lord. I am to accompany Miss. di Angelo across the sea.''
''Yes. Let us hope you do not disappoint me.'' The threat was quiet obvious, even to me.''It is time, Maria.''
Said woman turned to look at us. There were tears in her eyes. Since our birth we had never truly been apart from her, she saw us at least once a day. It may sound immature, but I started to cry when her eyes fell upon me. My siblings knew that something was going to happen because they cried too.
''Oh, my sweet little children.'' She knelled in front of us and reached out with her arms, crushing us into a tight hug. ''Do not worry. We will see each other again soon.''
Mother wiped our tears with her hands and kissed each of us on the temple. Tears were streaming down her face, yet she tried to smile for us.
''We will miss you, mamma.'' It was Bianca who said what we three felt.
Nico and I confirmed it in union. ''Yes, mamma.''
If it was possible she cried even harder. ''I will miss you, too.''
Mother gave us each a last goodbye kiss, stood up and dusted off her dress. Then she turned to our father and nodded her head once. Tisiphone picked her bag up and started to lead her on the ship. Soon they disappeared out of our sight.
''She will be fine.'' He ruffled our hair one after another. ''Nothing will happen to her.''
I looked at him with red rimmed eyes. ''Promise?''
''Promise.'' He smiled and my world brightened because I knew that this was a promise he would keep. ''Now you three will need to hold on tight to me and do not let go no matter what.''
Hades put Bianca on his back. She clung to him with her hands around his neck. Thereafter he picked up Nico and me into his arms and held us tight.
And before I knew what was happening, the shadows swallowed us and only darkness surrounded me.
The Underworld was beautiful in its own way. Or at least what I saw of it was. Maybe it was the otherworldly sheen or the way it made me feel like I was home that made me say that, but in my eyes it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.
The darkness and the shadows which normally scared people welcomed me. I was sure that not every corner of the Underworld looked like the place we were currently residing in, there was no denying that. I was happy that there weren't any miserable souls there to greet or monsters to try to eat us. Even if that would have been the case, they wouldn't have managed to do so with our father here.
What I liked the most about this place was that I could feel my father everywhere. The whole area was filled with his aura, gently brushing against our skin.
The castle, which had been our fathers home for millennia, stood imposingly before us. Yet, I did not feel threatened or intimidated, no, I felt home.
Its massive dark walls rose from the burning fires of hell. Everything was dark, obsidian. The entrance, a giant mahogany door, opened before us, inviting us in.
Father put us down on the floor and we watched the scene with awe in our eyes. All around us everything was gigantic. It was probably made so because our father needed to fit in, in his true form.
As we walked down an grand hallway, Hades started to change. With each step he took, he got taller and taller, till he stood meters higher than us.
''Come, little ones. I will show you the chambers.'' His voice was loud and booming.
We followed him down the hallway. He stopped when we reached a staircase and picked us up again. It was so weird, we were literally standing on top of our fathers palm.
But I had to admit, the view from there was fantastic. We could see everything; paintings that hung on the walls, the rooms that we passed or the many servants scurrying around.
Said servants bowed whenever they saw our father and regarded us curiously. It was quiet clear that they did not know what to begin with our presence.
"Where have you been, husb..?" The voice came from behind us and when father turned around I immediately knew whose it was.
Persephone was a beautiful woman. I wasn't even sure if beautiful was the right word to describe her. 'Godly' would be probably more appropriate.
But right now, standing before us in a floral dress with her face scrunched up, glaring and pointing a finger at us, she looked like a monster. It did not help that she was only slightly smaller than Hades.
"What is that?" She asked with her finger still pointing in our direction. I do not know if it was instinct or just fear but Nico, Bianca and I, we cowered before her. I believe that it was only our father presence that kept us from running for the hills.
While all this happen, Hades anger seemed to rise. His eyes were narrowed into slits and the air around us seemed to get colder. Whoever said that hell was hot had no idea what he or she was talking about.
His hand, the one which was holding us, went towards his chest and shielded us from the angry goddess's view. "You should watch the way you are talking to me, wife."
The woman bristled. ''How dare you bring your...bastards into our home?!''
As the words left her lips the air around us seemed to get frigid cold. Hades glared at his wife, his eyes seemed to be burning daggers into her. ''I believe you should retire to your chambers. Now.''
Maybe it was the voice he used at the way he was looking at her, but Persephone shut her mouth before she could say anything else. She send a last glare towards our direction, turned around and left.
Our fathers straight posture relaxed when she was out of our sight. The tension left his body and he gave us a reassuring look. ''Do not worry. I wont let her hurt you. No one will ever touch you.''
We gave him slightly strained smiles. Seeing them father continued moving towards our destination.
The sleeping chambers were huge. Dark curtains were hiding the windows, which undoubtedly showed Hades domain. In the middle of the room stood a big four poster bed with red satin sheets. There were a few shelves scattered around the room, lodging items I had never seen before.
''It has been an exhausting day for you. I will send some servants to help you take a bath in the adjoining bathroom. Thereafter you should go sleep. I have planned many things for the following weeks.''
The moment we entered the bathroom everything shrunk to our height. A harpy was already there waiting for us. She helped us bath and showed us how to put on our new clothes. Each of us got a dark chiton that she helped us fasten. Bianca's and mine reached to our ankles, while Nico's was slightly shorter.
When we entered the sleeping chambers once again everything grew in size.
Walking towards the bed I almost tripped over my new garments. Bianca caught me before I could have fallen face first onto the floor. Our father seemed amused by that.
It was only a few moments later that we found ourselves laying on fathers huge chest. The satin sheets were pulled slightly over our petite bodies and before we knew what was happening sleep had already claimed us.
