Green Eyes and Blue Flames

The Ball Begins

Up on Mt. Olympus, numerous guests had already started to pile into the Pantheon; it was decorated with black banners and royal blue streamers hanging from above and blue flame torches clinging to the cloud pillars, there was a huge buffet table covered with all sorts of food and drink, there was even a table that had an array of gifts for Hades, and the band consisting of the Muses, their sons, and Nyx and her own musical group were getting themselves ready on the stage. The Gods, Goddesses, and even the nymphs and demigods who were already in attendance casually mingled amongst themselves waiting for the ball to officially begin; Zeus, Hera, Hercules, and Megara were standing at the very front of the room, all dressed in their best garments. But Hades was nowhere in sight; Rhea insisted that her son should have a proper introduction, with a grand unveiling and additional fanfare. Hades initially rejected the idea and claimed that it was silly, but his mother was very adamant and refused to take no for an answer. So he reluctantly agreed.

Rhea soon made her way onto the stage, cleared her throat, grabbed a megaphone, and said, "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. May I have your attention please?" The guests all turned their heads towards the stage to face her. "Thank you. Now first of all, I would just like to thank each and every one of you for coming to this grand little get together tonight. And I myself am ever so excited to be here, especially since this ball is to celebrate the youngest of my children, my precious little hothead."

Some other deities grimaced at the mention of Hades while some giggled under their breath. While his mother was talking, Hades stood behind a set of black curtains near the front of the Pantheon and waited for his introduction, but he couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

"Oh boy." He said, taking off his cloak and tossing it to the side; he started to fan himself with his hand. "I don't know if it's just nerves or if I ate some weird grubs earlier, but something is making my stomach squirm. Okay, okay. Cool it, Hades. Take a deep breath, relax." He took a few deep breaths and ran a hand through his hair to calm down. "You can do this."

"And now to officially kick off this little party, allow me to introduce the birthday boy himself." Rhea said. "It is my greatest honor to present to you the Lord of the Dead, the God of the Underworld, and my youngest son, Hades!"

And with that, the curtains concealing Hades pulled away and he stepped out as a spotlight shined down on him. The Gods and Goddesses reluctantly clapped for him, but they also started staring at him and whispering to one another about what he was wearing. He wore an ashen gray long-sleeve shirt underneath a navy blue tunic, dark gray pants, black leather boots, and even a black and blue cape that was held in place with a silvery blue chain hanging across his chest. He gave a quick bow and made his way over to Zeus, Hera, Herc, and Meg, who all gaped at him in surprise.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, Gods and Goddesses, and other assorted deities of our grand Pantheon, let our ball commence!" Rhea declared before the audience clapped their hands in applause; she made her way off the stage and strode over to her sons just as the band started to play.

Hades quickly noticed the looks on his family's faces and he cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Hera replied. "It's just... what in the world are you wearing?"

"Yeah, that outfit is kinda... severe, isn't it?" Meg asked.

"Hey! This is the fashion of the current century; it's in. Nyx designed it for me, to which I am very grateful, thank you very much." Hades argued before he sat down in a throne of dark clouds which formed below him.

Then he heard Zeus clear his throat behind him; he rolled his eyes and turned to face his brother. "What?"

"Do you remember your last birthday present from me, little brother?" Zeus asked.