The Love of Hades

Chapter 3

Lantis feared that Hikaru's mourning was becoming destructive. He begged her to end the famine, but Hikaru repeatedly refused the request. She said she would never grant her life-giving power to the earth so long as Emeraude remained so far away in the Underworld. Finally, Lantis realized that Zagato would have to give up his bride so that the world could be healed. With a heavy heart, Lantis sent Inouva (Hermes), the official messenger of the gods, to the Underworld to deliver a message to Zagato.

When Inouva reached the Underworld, he found Zagato and his bride sitting side by side on their thrones; talking to each other. Inouva thought this was surprising, but he politely intrude their conversation by giving a small bow and gave Zagato the message from his brother. When Emeraude heard Inouva's message from Lantis, She started to feel a light pain feeling in her heart. Zagato knew that he had no choice but to obey Lantis and let Emeraude go home to her mother. He begged his wife not to think of him harshly. Zagato said, "My beloved wife, remember that here you are the queen, the most powerful woman of all. As the queen of the Underworld, you even have power over the living, because you have control over what happens to people when they die. Because of this, you have the power to be merciful, which is the greatest gift of all. Do not think ill of me or this kingdom when you are far away from here."

But Emeraude shook her head, and said "I won't think of no such negative things about you, for that in my heart it pains me now to leave you and that I truly love you and that I wish to stay longer with you, but I also still miss my mother and that she may not agree with me on staying here with you." Zagato nodded his head for understanding and gave her a little kiss on her forehead.

Reluctantly, Zagato prepared to let Emeraude go, but before she left, he gave her six pomegranate seeds to eat. Zagato knew, although his wife did not, that if she ate anything from the world of the dead, she would have to return to his kingdom someday.

Having eaten the seeds, Emeraude rode happily and sadly out of the Underworld with Inouva. When their chariot finally reached Eleusis, Emeraude joyfully embraced her mother. The mother and daughter laughed and cried, and talked as they had before. Finally, Hikaru asked her daughter if she had eaten anything during her stay in the Underworld. Emeraude replied, "Mother, what a strange question. All I ate was six pomegranate seeds. Why should that matter?"

Hikaru became so upset by this news that she took her daughter directly to Lantis to discuss what could be done. On the way to Mount Cephiro, Hikaru explained to Emeraude that because she had eaten food from the Underworld (the seeds of the pomegranate) she would have to return there. That rule was unbreakable.

Lantis had witnessed the happiness of mother and daughter when they were reunited, and now he could see the unbearable sadness in their eyes at the thought of having to part again. Nevertheless, Lantis had to respect the rules of the universe. Therefore, to follow the rules, the king of the gods decreed that Emeraude must return to the Underworld. However, Lantis offered a compromise: instead of returning permanently to live in the Underworld, Emeraude need only live there for two seasons out of the year, one month for each pomegranate seed she had eaten. Appeased by Lantis's compromise, Hikaru allowed the crops on earth to grow again.

From that time on, mother and daughter spent the spring and summer months together. During their time together, the earth bloomed and the crops flourished. But when Emeraude returned each year to spend the fall and winter months with Zagato in the Underworld, the earth became as cold as ice while Hikaru mourned for her daughter's lost company. Before Emeraude left, she told her mother that she was in love with Zagato and that don't think of him as being evil and that he only wanted someone to be by his side. Hikaru wanted to protest, but thought as long Zagato doesn't hurt her in any kind of way she would grant him her respect. Emeraude simply smile and hugged her mother.

Then, every spring, when Emeraude returned to her mother, the world would become green again in celebration of their joyous reunion.

So, with Emeraude she was happy with the both worlds that she lives in and has no regrets.