Aidoneus

Dawn

Death. As much as Hades knew about it he had never thought what his own would be like. The last thing he remembered was Sisyphus standing over him. Claiming the underworld. And the poison feeling like it was ripping his body apart from the inside. Then...darkness. Nothing. No pain. No stress. No fear. Occasionally he would dream of Persephone. Her charging in to protect the Underworld. Her soft kiss. Her encouraging words. Those were the dreams he tried to hang on to but they were fleeting. As quickly as he had them they disappeared. Then the silence returned. Was this the god's Asphodel Meadows? Whatever it was it was peaceful, most of the time.

Sometimes, however, it was unbearable. The lonely claustrophobic space reminded him of being trapped in Kronos' stomach. His father was convinced that one of his heirs would kill him and take his throne the way he had overthrown his own father, Uranus. So one by one Kronos ate his children. Hades had been the first. He remembered his Mother Rhea screaming as his father's teeth sank into his flesh. Then the years of silence before Hestia was consumed. Followed but Demeter, Hera, Poseidon, and Chiron. It was another two decades before Zeus, the only offspring Cronus was unable to consume, freed his siblings and helped imprison their father in Tartarus. Only this time Zeus would not be coming to aid him. In fact it was his dear brother who helped put him here. These thoughts were unpleasant so he tried to think of something else. Someone else, Persephone. 

"Please come back to me" he heard her sweet voice. Ahhh another dream. Peace again surrounded him and he relaxed into the darkness. "You damned fool, I swear on the fates you better wake up! If you make this girl inherit the Underworld on her own I swear I will go to the depths of Tartarus, or wherever you are, and punch you in the face myself." Wait...that was not Persephone's voice, but one just as familiar. Hecate! Was this a dream as well? No, it couldn't be. It felt...real. If that really was Hecate's voice then this wasn't death. Was this part of the poison? He heard stories of gods that either expended too much power or who were badly wounded sometimes when into a deep hibernation sleep. Was that this? It didn't matter, he had to try to wake up. 

Silence. No more voices. He tried to feel for his body but everything was hazy. Like a dream during a drunken stupor. He didn't know how long he existed there. Caught in between two worlds. Or so he surmised. Over time he started feeling less hazy and more cognizant. But still unable to wake up. 

"Hades please" he heard a chocked sob. Persephone. "I love you" she softly whispered before he felt her. Somehow, he could feel her. Her signature dark energy. He latched onto it and let it pull him. He didn't know where or what would happen, but he couldn't continue to simply exist. Not when there was a chance she was waiting for him. It was disorienting and he couldn't tell if he was falling or being dragged towards something but he fought to hang onto her. Her soft and alluring aura. He had no concept of time but at a certain point noticed the hazy feeling dissipate. The world around him seem to before more firm...more tangible. Then, like the string of a bow, something snapped him back into place. 

He groaned and fought his body to move again. I'm here! he thought to Persephone. Finally light, he felt his eyes open but they were unfocused. Slowly a figure appeared. A female, with long dark hair. Hecate. She laughed and tears welled in her eyes as she looked down at him. He grumbled trying to clear his throat to talk. While he was thrilled to see his friend, he wanted to ask about Persephone. Before he could mumble a word Hecate held her finger to her lips in a silencing motion before looking over to her left. He forced his screaming neck muscles to turn and focus his eyes. There, laying curled up asleep in a chair was Persephone. She had been talking to him. It wasn't a dream. She...she professed her love for him. 

He struggled to roll over and to go her but Hecate stopped him with a soft hand. "Hades, I can't tell you what a relief it is to see you awake. Much has transpired since Sisyphus attacked the underworld." He looked at Hecate for a moment before his eyes returned to Persephone's sleeping form. His voice was hard and raspy as he grumbled out the first two syllables of her name. "She's fine. Exhausted." Hecate interrupted him quietly. "She's stood watch over you ever since she killed Sisyphus." He couldn't stop of the smile that appeared. She stilled cared. She...wait, were those 'dreams' real then? Did Persephone fight for the underworld? 

"What happened" he finally rasped out to Hecate. He saw some of the light dim from her expression. "It would be easier to just show you but please know that everything that happened was done with the Underworld's best intentions in mind". Oh no...worry started consuming his mind but he nodded as Hecate placed her hands against his temples. 

Instantly the witches' memories started playing across his mind. Her walking in on Minthe and Sisyphus in his office. The fight that ensued and her succumbing to the poison. Her waking up in the depths of Tartarus. Caged next to the other Titan, Cronos. Her fears and hopelessness. Then salvation. Persephone pulling her from the depths. Cerberus being injured and Persephone chasing down the tyrant King with...Ares sword! Her returning to help the Spartan mortal fights off the reaming Ephyan soldiers. Freeing Charon. Finding him unconscious in Persephone's arms after she rescued him and killed Sisyphus. Then frantically sending for a healer. Persephone never leaving his bedside. Poseidon's envoy. Then...Persephone dressed in black. The most stunning Chthonic god he had ever seen. She radiated power and darkness. A ferocious crown of spikes radiating atop her rich brown locks. Even through Hecate's memories he can feel how much emotion this moment portrayed. Then Persephone addressing Poseidon's envoy. Rage flowed through him at the way that sea nymphs' eyes scanned over her elegantly dressed body. Then her addressing him as... Queen of Tartarus?! 

He tried to pulled away from Hecate's hands but she held him in place. Speeding up the rest of the events. The son of Apollo. Persephone's deathly vow of retribution against those to sought to harm the underworld. The hope in Persephone's eyes when the healer was working. The despair when he hadn't immediately woken up. 

Finally Hecate released his head. He rubbed his eyes as he was trying to process all that had transpired. "How long was I out?" he asked as he finally looked at her. A weak smile spread across her face, "two days." All that had happened in only two days? "Persephone, led a mortal Spartan army into the Underworld, became Queen of the Tartarus, killed Sisyphus, and saved me...in two days?" Hecate finally laughed, "indeed. Your fated one is quite the remarkable Queen." He frowned, "even after the way things ended. When I tried to keep her here and said those horrible things. She still came." His eyes drifted over to her still sleeping form. 

Hecate squeezed him arm. "She did. Thanatos tells me that when he told her that the underworld was in danger, she didn't hesitate to act. You're not upset are you? About Tartarus and her representing the underworld in your absence?" Upset, how could he be upset. "No, of course not. But how? How did she even get into Tartarus?" Hecate seemed to be pondering something as she cast her gaze again to Persephone. "I don't know. Part of me was surprised but then part of me thought it..." she trailed off as she seemed to look guilty. "What?" he prodded. "If felt right. As if it was fated to be." She looked backed to Hades and her smile returned, "I don't have all your answers but your new fellow Sovereign does."