"I need you"

That phrase echoed in his head. His daughter needed him.

Flashback

"This place is going to need you." He spoke in a drowsy voice, unable to stand. "They're going to need you." He referred to the henchmen who were taking him away as if he were really a body about to be thrown into the Tartarus.

"I will do my duty."

His voice remained soft and sweet, as if his heart was calm like that.

"Good."

No one knew what he was feeling. It was as if his life was draining away, the heart was pounding, but that never meant life to anyone.

"Go in peace Hades."

"I always loved your sarcasm." For the first time he lifted his now dull blue eyes. "But soon I won't love anything anymore."

"I only did what my father told me to, Hades."

His voice indicated he wasn't happy either.

"I know, I just don't understand, yet I don't want to understand. I love you Persephone and if I ever feel any guilt, the only thing I ask of you is to take care of my kingdom."

He gained a new person to love, Mal was his one great love and he wouldn't let anything take that away from him again.

"Strange cat, I need you to take me somewhere."

He drew energy from where he didn't have it to speak to Rashid.

"Where?"

"I need to see someone, more specifically, the current mistress of this place."

"Come on, wait who are you talking about?"

(...)

Isle of the Lost

A rebellion. A great rebellion on the Isle of the Lost caused chaos everywhere and hurt many people. Some more than others.

"Dizzy will be fine." Evie spoke coming out of Madame Traimanne's house. "It's going to be a long recovery, but she's stable. What about Ben's parents?"

"He hasn't left there so far."

Jay warned his friend. He and Carlos had spent all the time Evie and Ben were preoccupied with their friends and family, looking after the other islanders.

"What are we going to do? That's a lot of people hurt, those people...why do normal people do that?" Carlos questioned indignant at the situation. "I don't understand."

"Should we go see Ben?"

Evie asked, because she felt her friend would need them.

"One day we'll have kids and we'll raise them here."

Belle said excited for the new life she would have by Adam's side.

"Yes, they'll play in the gardens and when it's winter they'll make snowmen."

A younger, dreamier Adam had the same wishes as his wife.

"And we can build a new library just for him."

"Do you think I'll be a good father?"

"Why is that now?"

"I haven't had a father like yours, Belle."

"I'm sure you'll be a fine father."

Ben held his father's hands wishing something would be done.

"Ben can get some rest."

Belle spoke to her son who stood beside his father.

"I can't leave here, he needs me."

He spoke with watery eyes.

"It's going to be okay."

(...)

Underworld

"I like that place a little less and less."

Mal commented.

"I just want to remind you that Maleficent is still here." Rashid warned over his fear. "Ready, Hades." He teleported the nearly dead man and his daughter to the entrance.

"Perfect." Hades helplessly told them, before giving a shout, which wasn't that loud, but given his situation it was impressive that he managed to speak at that volume. "Hi." He ran his hands over the huge dog that appeared almost immediately. "Can you take me to her?" Cerberus swiped one of the heads at Hades placing it on top of his spine.

"Should we really get on top of that?"

Rashid asked confused about what to do.

"Do you really want to stay here?"

"Not really."

Despite the situation being very uncomfortable and given the fact that the three-headed monster was being used as a camel, Hades grinned as Mal shook his hand.

"Where are we going?"

Mal asked when he realized they were heading to a darker part of the place

"What are you doing Hades? Do you know what state he's in?"

Rashid asked worriedly.

"We've arrived." One of the heads picked Hades up and put him on the ground then down came Mal and Rashid who didn't like it one bit. "Thank you." Cerberus seemed to know that this might be the last time he saw him. "Me too, boy."

"What was that?"

Rashid asked concerned upon hearing that sound.

"Help me."

Hades ordered and Mal along with Rashid went to help him stand.

"I don't like this."

Mal spoke in fear of the intense noise.

"Hades for the love what is that noise?"

Rashid asked frightened.

"It's her." He pointed forward where a beautiful woman appeared. "Good morning, flower of the garden."

"Hades."

It was apparent from her voice that she hadn't expected to see him.

"I haven't changed that much since the last time you saw me."

He joked, for when he became human, on that fateful day he was the same way he is now, close to death.

"How did you get in here?"

"Let's not pretend that this place is impossible to invade, okay?"

He spoke in agonizing pain

"Right, Persephone pleasure, I'm Rashid." He said concerned about the state of the former god of death. "And this is Mal, his daughter."

"His daughter?"

"Yeah, time passes quickly and painfully."

"Look, I don't know you, but he's about to die."

Mal asked concerned.

"It won't be long if that's what you want to know."

"I've always liked your sense of humor."

"Dad, please."

"Persephone." After she called him his countenance changed and became serious. "I swear I meant to never see you again, but I need... I need to stay alive. I've gained a new reason to live and I can't let anything take it away from me." He meant every word.

"Hades, I can't do that, even for you."

"Afraid mommy and daddy will know?"

"Please, when the time comes you must respect it."

"What if that time hasn't come? You can't set these things, it's not your job to do that."

"How old are you?"

Persephone asked Mal

"Seventeen."

"Your mother is Maleficent, isn't she?"

"How do you know?"

"I know more than I'd like."

She confessed looking at him.

"You can't let him go."

"That's not how it works, kid."

"And who dictates how it works, isn't it you?"

"It's okay to know that I've always loved you." She stepped close to him. "I didn't want to do that and I regretted it."

"Don't lie."

He spoke, as Mal and Rashid awkwardly engaged in that conversation.

"I'm risking a lot for you, Hades." She leaned her forehead against his. "After so many years." She didn't want to, but she cried.

"Our story is over."

He cried.

"Yes, there's no more Hades and Persephone versus Olympus, right?"

"No more."

He cried, as he had not done the last time.

"Take him to the river, he knows what to do."

She spoke saying goodbye to him and leaving him with an open wound.