Chapter 4: Hades

(*FLASHBACK TO THE REALM OF ANCIENT GREECE*)

It was a beautiful starry night. On a hill overlooking a small village was a single house. Two people were sleeping inside this house. Meanwhile, Amara, now just eighteen years old, stood outside the house and watched the night sky. She was out here trying to clear her mind. She hadn't been able to sleep all night. Her parents had come down with a dark plague, like most people in the village. It made them deathly sick. Amara's parents were asleep inside the house. She hated watching her parents go to bed because she wasn't positive they'd wake up because of their illness. There was no cure and the village doctors had no idea how to treat it. No one in the entire village knew how to use magic to help either. All Amara's hopes had been destroyed by the dark plague. Then, Amara turned around to go back inside, but suddenly saw a man standing near the door. She had no idea who he was and she hadn't heard him arrive. He looked to be about thirty years old. The man was tall and wore long black robes. He had short black hair and a long black beard. His eye color was not brown like most other people in the village. They were purely black.

"Who are you?" Amara asked. "Gets away from my house! Get away from me!"

"Relax Amara." The man said. "I didn't come here to hurt you."

He spoke in a low, yet soothing voice.

"How do you know my name?" Amara asked.

"I know everyone's name." He replied. "Sooner or later, everyone ends up in my kingdom."

This man was starting to scare Amara.

"Who are you?" She asked, fearfully.

"I am Hades." He replied.

"Hades?" Amara asked. "God of the Underworld?"

"The one and only." Hades said as he conjured a ball of fire on his palm to show proof of his power.

Amara then fell to her knees and started crying.

"What's wrong my dear?" Hades asked.

"You're here for my parents aren't you?" Amara said. "They're dying. Everyone in my village is dying. Now you've come to take them to the Underworld."

The fireball on Hades' palm then disintegrated.

"Oh no." Hades said. "You've got it all wrong. Please stand up."

Amara stood up again.

"If you aren't here for my parents then why are you here?" Amara asked.

"I've been watching you for some time." Hades said. "You are the most beautiful woman in Greece. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"

Amara was in shock. She'd never expected on this night, or any night, that a god (let alone the God of the Underworld) would show up out of the blue and propose to her.

"I don't know what to say." Amara said.

"Say yes." Hades said. "You could spend your life with me, an all powerful being."

"All powerful." Amara repeated. "I will marry you, but I have some conditions."

"Name them." Hades said.

"Please use your powers to end this dark plague on my village and save my parents' lives." Amara said.

"Of course." Hades said. "If that is what you want, it shall be done."

"So will I be living with you in the Underworld?" Amara asked. "For the rest of my life?"

"Yes." Hades said.

Amara was not excited about spending the rest of her life in the land of the dead.

"Can I at least say goodbye to my parents before we leave?" Amara asked with a tear in her eye.

"I'll make a deal with you." Hades said, noting how sad she was. "I want this to be a happy marriage for both of us. No one, not even your parents, may visit you in the Underworld. However, I will permit you to come and go from the Underworld as you please once you and I have had a child together. Does that sound fair enough?"

To Amara, it didn't sound fair at all. However, it seemed to be the best option she had if she wanted to save her parents' lives and the lives of everyone in the village below as well as see the, again.

"Yes." Amara said. "Just let me go inside and say goodbye."

"Of course." Hades said. "Then we'll start our new life in the Underworld."

(*PRESENT DAY IN THE UNDERWORLD*)

It was official. Rafi was now in the Underworld. Hades' two demon assistants, Pain and Panic, had brought him to the other side of the gate and were now leading him through a dark cave tunnel. Pain and Panic had taken human forms so that Rafi wouldn't be too freaked out. Pain wore a purple toga whole Panic wore a blue toga. All while they were walking, Rafi wondered more and more about his father, Hades. He wondered how his parents met. He wondered why his mother would choose to marry and have children with the God of the Underworld. He wondered what Hades' did to make Amara take her three sons and leave him, never uttering a word about him to them while they were growing up. Pain and Panic led Rafi through a series of twists and turns in a complicated maze of underground tunnels. Eventually they came to a large room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of black rock. At the very end of the room was a blazing fire that stretched the entire length and width of the back wall. In front of this fire was a large throne. Sitting on this thrones was Hades. He looked to be about thirty years old, even though in reality he was thousands of years old. He was tall and wore long black robes. Hades had short black hair and a long black beard. He let out a smile when he finally saw Rafi. Pain and Panic then left the room. Rafi stood motionless in the doorway. He didn't know what to do.

"Come to me my son." Hades said with a happy tone and a smile. "I haven't seen you in person since you were two years old."

Rafi then started to walk forward and address his father. "In person? Does that mean you've been watching me from down here?."

"It would be irresponsible of me not to." Hades said. "I am your father, whether your mother will admit that or not. Occasionally I like to keep tabs on my children. I know you've lived in Agrabah most of your life until you were turned into a genie. You served several masters including Jafar until you were released and went to live in Storybrooke. Now you're here again."

"Why have you asked me to come here?" Rafi asked as he stopped walking having finally reached the throne. "Why now?"

Hades stood up from his throne to look at his son face to face.

"I'm dying." Hades said.

"You're a god." Rafi said.

"Gods are not immortal." Hades said. "We are powerful and have an extensive life span. Mine will come to an end soon. When I die, the title of God of the Underworld will pass to one of my children, unless they refuse."

"What if they do refuse?" Rafi asked.

"Then my brother Zeus will claim it." Hades said. "I can't let that happen."

"You want me to assume your position when you die?" Rafi asked.

"In short yes." Hades said. "I know it's a lot to ask. I love all my children, but you're the best fit for this Rafi. Taj has hated me since he was four years old. Cyrus was just a baby when you all left the Underworld and he's happy with his wife and daughter now. I can't ask him to leave that. I also have a fourth son, but we parted ways some time ago on bad terms."

The news of a his mysterious other sibling shocked Rafi more than the thought of becoming the new Lord of the Underworld. Rafi had a million questions running around in his head.

"This is a lot to process." Rafi said.

"I understand." Hades said. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Hades then led Rafi through another door and down another dark tunnel.

"Where are we going?" Rafi asked.

"I want to introduce you to your family." Hades said. "I also want to show you why I don't want Zeus to claim the Underworld."

"That was pretty vague." Rafi said.

His father merely smiled as they kept waking. Eventually, they came to another door. Hades opened the door and walked inside followed by Rafi. Inside the room was a prisoner. He was standing up and his arms were chained to the rock wall behind him. The prisoner was sleeping.

"Wake up." Hades said to the man, who promptly awoke.

The prisoner was a tall and very well built man. He wore traditional Greek armor, except for a helmet. He had red hair, blue eyes and a chiseled face.

"I don't understand." Rafi said.

"Rafi." Hades said. "I'd like you to meet your cousin, Hercules, son of Zeus."