Part 3: Chapter 8

Dionysus

She was clearly very different now than when I had last seen her. Now, she had de-aged a few years, going from being a full-grown woman to a younger one who still had innocent expressions but with a body that was already mature as womanhood occurred.

However, she was just as beautiful as always – there are none who would be considered beautiful in my eyes except Ariadne. I cherished the realization that the way she looked now was how she had been when I had met her for the first time at the beach of Naxos, and that gave me the absolute certainty that she was indeed the woman who was, and forever will be, my wife.

I held her in my arms, my hold on her gentle but strong. As we knelt in front of each other on the lush green grass of the Elysian Fields, with her crying joyfully into the curve of my neck while her arms hugged me firmly around the neck, I pressed kisses into her soft blonde hair that was still the exact pale shade that I remembered, glowing radiantly in the soft shine of the 'Sun' in this realm.

We stayed that way for a while, not minding about anything that went on around us except for the presence of each other. But of course, it was only a matter of time before either of us started speaking again.

"You came for me…" I heard my wife whisper in a voice heavy with tears. "You came for me…"

I pulled away to look at her, and saw just how much tears had welled up in her grey-green eyes and streaming down her cheeks. She was crying even more than I was now, and it was what made me give her a comforting smile and cup her face with my hands so that my thumbs could wipe away her tears.

"Of course I did, sweet Ariadne…" I told her in a whisper that was still heavy with tears. "I would never leave you alone… Even if I was not with you, I would never leave you alone… I'll always come back for you, no matter what…"

Ariadne let out another choked sob as she hugged me tightly once again. She cried and cried and cried so very much, while I just kept silent and continued to rain kisses on her hair, silently thanking every power of the forces of the universe for allowing me the chance to reunite with my beloved wife.

It was the feeling of a hand on my shoulder that made us break away from the moment. Persephone stood – each of her hands on one of our shoulders – beside us, looking at the both of us with a gentle smile on her lips. Behind her, Hades stood a few feet away with his arms crossed, his black eyes watching with masked expressions.

"You really do not know how happy I am to witness such a heartfelt reunion," she spoke to the both of us in her sweet, warm voice. "Love truly does exist in the most purest form for the both of you, and I am utterly thankful that you can be with each other once again."

I could hear the gasp that escaped Ariadne's lips, clearly not believing what she was hearing from the Queen. I looked at her and saw how the surprise and confusion had taken over her beautiful young features; eyes gone wide as she stared at Persephone and mouth slightly agape.

"What? What do you mean?"

I took this opportunity to grasp her chin with my fingers gently and turn her head so that she was facing me and her beautiful eyes were looking right into mine once again. My fingers under her chin then moved to stroke the side of her face gently, feeling the softness of her pale skin on my fingertips.

As I felt my own pair of lips pulling into a smile, I told her, "'Tis true, my beloved wife… Our lord and lady has accepted my appeal for your release from Death… The ever-merciful Fates have weaved this time of good luck upon our respective threads… I can take you back to the world of the living, and will make you a goddess so that you will be immortal and forever by my side… Follow me back to the Aboveworld, Ariadne, so that we may be together and happy once again…"

Instantly, Ariadne broke into a new fit of sobbing, but there was a smile on her lips as the fresh wave of tears flowed. Her hands grabbed fistfuls of my long hair and she pulled my head closer so that our lips were finally pressed against each other in a sweet kiss. I did not care about the fact that Hades and Persephone were there, because the feel of her lips on mine made me suddenly forget about everything except the fact that here we were and that we were finally going to be together once again. I kissed back with every ounce of love I had for her, never wanting to part.

But when she pulled away, she looked at me and still continued to smile her beautiful smile. My hands cupped her face by her cheeks, and her own hands moved away from my neck to hold the top of mine.

In a whisper, she told me gently, "I am bound to you, my loyal husband Dionysus... Wherever you go, I will follow… And we will never be apart anymore… You will make me immortal, and I will be forever by your side…"

Ariadne

But just as I finished my vow to my husband, I heard a very familiar voice call my name from behind me.

I instantly broke my gaze away from my husband's – despite my hesitance to do so – and turned my head around to see Semele walking towards me, her hazel brown eyes looking at me and to Hades, Persephone and Dionysus in confusion.

At that moment, I started to slightly regret my vow, for I had spoken of it without having her in mind. I realized now that if I upheld that vow and did return to the world above with my husband, it would mean that I would be leaving her behind here in the Elysian Fields. I knew that I wanted nothing more than to be reunited with my husband and I was most certainly not going to let the opportunity I had now to slip away from my grasp, but I knew very well that I did not wish to leave Semele, because she had become my new mother and was now someone I held so very dear to my heart. Just the thought of being parted from her pained me and I did not want to bear with such pain at the loss of another loved one.

Slowly, I broke free of my husband's embrace and stood, making my way to her. My eyes were casted downwards to the ground as I wringed my hands constantly, trying to figure out what I was going to say to explain the current situation.

"Dear Semele… I… I…" I began to stutter uncertainly as I brought my gaze upwards.

But then I noticed that Semele was not actually looking at me. Her eyes were fixed on something else; something that had captured her attention completely away from me. But with her staring eyes, her eyebrows were raised in shock, and her skin seemed to have started turning pale.

In confusion, I followed her gaze, turning my head in the direction she was looking.

A complete turn-around made me discover that she was actually looking at Dionysus, and I realized then that my husband was also staring right back at her. Not staring in a confused manner, but in a manner of awe and uncertainty.

Subconsciously, I stepped back so that I was not in the way of the paths of their gazes. Neither said a word as they continued to look solely at each other, and I kept looking at each of them as I tried to figure out what was it that was making them stare at each other than that.

But all of a sudden, something in my mind struck me. The more I looked at both Semele and Dionysus one by one, I seemed to be picking up two things about the both of them that had somehow made them look… similar.

Firstly; both of them had curly hair that was a dark chestnut brown in colour.

Secondly; both of them had hazel brown eyes.

Lastly; there was something in Dionysus' facial features that made him look somewhat like Semele, if it were not for his masculine looks.

As though struck by a lightning bolt, my mind suddenly started clicking together in fast motion. I was starting to get a flicker of moving images that were my memories, and I was collecting the bits and pieces that seemed related to this very moment.

But mostly, my thoughts were centering around a certain memory of Dionysus and I. It was a memory that I had forgotten because it had been seven or so years ago, but it was coming to the front of my mind in this very moment.

It had been during the time when just a few weeks ago I had discovered that he was actually a god, and that he was not 'Dion' but Dionysus who was the Olympian God of Wine and Ecstasy. It was a time when I was still new to the revelry, still getting used to the culture of his rituals, and before we even got married after our whirlwind courtship.

At this point of time, we were already close and trusting each other enough to tell more about our life stories. After I had told him the story of my own family, Dionysus told me that he does not really know the love of parents; he had been raised by cloud nymphs on Mount Nysa, and his father had been too busy philandering and producing more offsprings whereas his mother had been deceased before he was even born. Interested by the story of him having a mortal mother, which would have rightfully made him a demigod (had it not been for the fact that Zeus had carried him to full term in the last few months of his development, which enabled him to be born a full-blooded god), I asked him about what he knew about her. Dionysus told me that he did not know much…

Other than the fact that his mother was a mortal…

She had been accidentally killed by his father due to the machinations of his vengeful wife…

He had her hair and eye colour…

And that her name was Semele.

Dionysus

I have heard plenty of tales about her, and I have always imagined how she would look like. But I have never thought of her too much, mostly because she had been gone away from my life way before my life had even started. Thus, I could not actually come to love her, because she did not carry me to full term in her womb nor did she raise me from birth.

However, it would be a lie to say that I never wished I could meet her. I had always wanted to, very much.

But never before would I think I could actually come face-to-face with my own birth mother in the Elysian Fields, as I would collect my wife from the dead.

It would sound slightly stupid to say that I knew that the woman standing across from me was my mother. I mean, I have never before met my mother and I did not know what she looked like, so how could I tell that this woman – this particular woman – was my mother?

Well, there was the fact that I had the exact same hair and eye colour as her, which was the two traits that I have been told often was the two traits I had inherited from my mother, which would be two things that made the both of us similar.

But other than those two obvious factors, it was also the inner instinct that came from deep inside me that told me I shared a connection with her. It was not just some feeling that I knew her from somewhere before or I have caught a glimpse of her in the past. The connection I felt with her was much more stronger than that. It was some sort of connection that was both emotional and spiritual, residing deep within my being that I knew it had been implemented in there from a very, very long time ago.

I could remember myself being developed inside of her, feeling her aura surrounding me and giving me the sense of comfort and security. I could feel myself being felt by her, remembering the sensation of being in near direct contact with her own skin. I could hear her voice as she talked and sang to me; despite the sound being quite foggy and unclear, it was definitely her voice. I could remember the words she told me whenever she caressed her pregnant stomach which held me inside; I could remember her telling me how much she loved me.

It was that connection I felt and had with this woman that made me realize that, despite having never met her and having never seen her, I knew that she was none other than my own mother.

Subconsciously, I stood up and started taking small and slow steps towards her. I walked past my wife who I did not pay any mind to at that moment, because I was too focused on the woman. Anyway, Ariadne did not do anything to regain my attention either, and she had voluntarily stepped back to allow me direct access to the woman.

She stood completely still, rooted to the ground she was standing upon. Her brown eyes had never left my brown eyes as I approached her with careful steps, her gaze only becoming more unwavering the very second I came to a stop right in front of her.

Without fully thinking, I took one of her hands in one of my mine. It was when our skins finally came into contact did the feeling of familiarity of her touch increased tenfold. My heart started racing, and I slightly affirmed my grasp. I was utterly surprised when she did the same gesture.

When I could find my voice, I asked her, "Are you… Semele?"

Instantly, she nodded her head. "Yes, I am," she answered, and the sound of her voice made me feel yet another sense of familiarity.

Exhaling another deep breath, I told her, "I know this might sound crazy… because I have never before seen or met you… But…"

I could not find the words to continue on, but I was then distracted by her suddenly taking hold of my other hand. She held my hands gently, her thumbs caressing my skin, as she continued to gaze at me with a certain particular look in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

"She is," I heard Hades say from the side.

I looked over to him in confusion as to what he was talking about, and saw that he was still looking at me neutrally as he told me knowingly, effectively ceasing any doubts I had, "Dionysus, she is indeed your mother, Semele."

"Gods above…" I heard her say in a shocked whisper that seemed to, once again, be on the brink of tears.

I was quiet and still when she released her hold on my hands and moved forward to wrap her arms around me, taking me in a gentle and loving embrace. She was shorter than I was, so she was able to press her face against the curve of my shoulder.

As she hugged me, she murmured to me, "I feel a connection to you… You are the child that I borne inside my womb… The son that I had thought I had lost forever… I cannot believe it… I truly cannot believe that here I am, standing before you… You are even more beautiful than how I dreamed you would look grown… My son…"

I did nothing but think about what I felt at this very moment. Here was a woman I have never known hugging me so lovingly that it felt quite strange. But on the other hand, I could not deny that this woman was my mother – I felt the connection and my own blood uncle affirmed the suspicion – and she had already begun to consider me her son.

With that last thought in mind, it was what made me wrap my own arms around her and affirm our embrace.

Ariadne

"So you are his mother…" I whispered in awe when I approached them after they had released their hold on each other. "I should have known… He had always talked to me about you when we had first gotten married…"

Semele looked away from Dionysus to me, and her eyes widened in shock.

"He is your husband?" she questioned in surprise. I nodded my head, and the smile on her lips broadened a lot. "This is such good news! I have reunited with my beloved son who I had always yearned to see, and now I have. I had now come to consider you a daughter. But now that I know that you are truly the wife of my dear son, that would indeed make you my daughter. Oh, praise the great gods and goddesses for giving me this blessing!"

Semele was so exuberant at this moment that she then pulled me and Dionysus into an embrace. My husband and I locked eyes on each other, utterly fazed by the spur of moments that were taking place. First, he had descended into the Underworld to retrieve me from the dead; Second, Semele was the mother Dionysus had always wished to meet and Dionysus was the son that Semele had apparently lost; Third, that would make Semele, who I had come to consider a surrogate mother, actually my mother by marriage.

But despite how shocking and surprising and absolutely confusing all of these were, I knew that all of us were glad that it happened. So, without further ado, Dionysus and I joined in Semele's embrace, forming one big group hug of our own.

It was a while until we released each other; probably because the moment seemed so good that we did not want it to end. But it was the reminder that the three of us were not alone that made us direct our attention to the Underworld rulers standing nearby.

Persephone was watching the three of us with a smile on her lips, her eyes looking slightly teary as well. Standing right behind her, Hades stood with a hand placed upon one of his wife's shoulder, still looking at all three of us with a masked expression.

Gently pulling off her husband's hands off her, Persephone then approached us and informed me gently in a happy tone, "You are free now, Ariadne."

Her words resonated through me, causing a sensation of lightening in my still heart. I wanted to laugh ecstatically and jump for joy at the thought that I was to be free of Death, and I would soon be reunited my loving Dionysus. But it was the reminder of what would happen to Semele that had cut the sensation short. And once again, I felt pained at the thought that I would have to leave her and she would be all alone her again.

My hesitation must have been clear on my expression, and a pair of warm hands came to rest upon my shoulders. Looking up, I realized that Semele was now standing in front of me, looking at me with gentle eyes and a warm smile.

Her hands moved to cup my cheeks, and her thumbs wiped away the streaks of tears that had been there. In a soothing murmur, she told me, "Go, dear Ariadne. Be with your husband once again. Do not worry about me, for I would want nothing else but your happiness. And the thought now that you are the soul mate of my lost son, I only pray with all my heart that you would have nothing in your life but blissful happiness."

"No…No!" I cried out in a rushed outburst, bringing my hands quickly to take hers in my grasp. This caused a shock response from everyone, but I did not care as I continued to plead, "No, I don't want to leave you, Semele! I hold you dear to my heart now, and the thought of being away from you pains me as well!"

Without a single thought, I exclaimed in utmost desperation, "Come with us, Semele! Return with us to the land of the living!"

Semele – looking at me with wide eyes and an agape mouth – was absolutely speechless, and could not find any response to my answer. Then her brown eyes began to have a flicker of fleeting emotions; hesitance, uncertainty, and then hopefulness.

It was Dionysus who broke us out of this moment, stating in a low murmur of voice, "Yes. I would very much like it as well if you were to return with us to the world above. I shall make you a goddess as well, and you will have the honorary title of being my mother, just as Ariadne would have the honorary title of being my consort."

The thought of my husband actually agreeing to my plead created a new wave of excited hopefulness in me, and I wanted to think that things might really work out.

But then it was crushed when I saw him slid his gaze to Hades, looking at the Underworld King with a similar pleading expression as mine.

Dionysus

Hades was looking at us with a new look of grim contemplation. His arms were crossed, his eyebrows furrowed into a frown, his pitch black eyes piercing to our gazes, his jaw taut and tense, and his lips pursed in what might be disapproval of our plead on my mother's behalf.

"You do know that what you are asking of me is not something that I would lightly agree upon," he answered as matter-of-factly, his voice as grim as his expression. "I had allowed you to take back your wife, but I did not give you permission to take back your mother as well, nephew."

I tensed noticeably, undeniably afraid that he would reject my addition to my initial appeal. Yes, I knew what I was asking for more than what I had intended to do, such as the expression of 'biting off more than you could chew'. But I really did want to bring my mother with us. I finally had the chance to know her, talk to her, spend time with her, and maybe even love her; that chance was only one in a million. I did not want to lose it now.

I was even prepared to go on my knees and beg him to accept my new appeal. Just as I would go through the obstacles of finding a portal to the Underworld to reclaim Ariadne, I was willing to do anything to get him to give me his permission to allow me to reclaim my mother as well.

But just then, Persephone went to his side once again. Without a word, she unfolded his arms and held his hands in hers. His eyes were immediately shifted from us to focusing solely on her. His expression softened noticeably, looking at her with a questioning and uncertain gaze. Once again, Persephone said nothing as she looked into her husband's eyes.

And while I kept quiet and cast my sights away from them out of respect, it did not take me long to realize that Persephone was actually helping me in my cause, trying to get Hades to see reason to allow me this appeal.

After a while, Hades then let out a long sigh after Persephone released his hands and moved to stand by his side once again. He shut his eyes in concentration, keeping absolutely still and quiet.

"You are lucky that seeing your devotion to both your wife and your mother has made me impressed and sentimental. Never before have I seen a god perform such noble deeds before," he remarked as he opened his eyes once again to look at me. "And to see a happy family stay together would most please me, and thus I will allow you to bring both your wife Ariadne and your mother Semele back to the world above."

Author's Note:

I'm back! And officially 16 years old now! :D

So Dionysus not only had a happy reunion with Ariadne, but he also meets his birth mother for the very first time! And all thanks to Hades' compassion - and Persephone's persuasion - Dionysus can bring the both of them back to the Aboveworld!

It only goes to show that Drunk On Love has only 2 chapters left until the ending!

Anyway, let me clear some doubt that has been going on with Hades. So I have received some inquiries from readers of both Drunk On Loveand Promises about why Hades had allowed Dionysus to take back Ariadne when he had not allowed Artemis to take back Orion (even though she was his favourite niece). Well, I will answer that very special question now, for any of you who are curious as well (I had a review about this quite some time ago, if I am not wrong).

If you notice, Persephone is present in the Underworld currently on this fanfiction, and it had been her who had managed to get Hades to see reason and accept Dionysus. Off topic, like in the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, it had been Persephone who had persuaded Hades to let Orpheus try to take back Eurydice to the surface. Both times, Hades agreed to Persephone's words.

However, Persephone was not present in Promises when Artemis went to the Underworld to appeal for Orion's soul, and Hades did not accept her appeal.

Answer; Persephone can somewhat influence Hades to alter decisions, which he usually ends up agreeing to. But without her, Hades sticks to what he thinks is right with no persuasion from others. So had Persephone been in the Underworld during Promises, Hades could have accepted Artemis' appeal because his wife could have persuaded him. Unfortunately, she wasn't...

SO! Hope that clears things us a bit!

I hope you all are ready for the final two chapters! And then I can reveal my next project, that I had been dying to tell you guys!

See you on Monday!

Muse of Fanfiction