Descendants 4

23

"You're early" Hades says, he's standing in the corner, his arms crossed and his face solemn. Thanatos takes off his hood and scowls at Hades. Thanatos looks like he always has yet it still unnerves hades, even though he'll never admit it to the god, he would never be able to live that down. Thanatos has skin almost as black as his robes it shines as if it were obsidian and Hades knows it's just as hard. His eyes are almost completely white, his iris is the lightest shade of grey possible giving him a blind kind of look to him. He carries a scythe with him which Hades has always told him is cliche but what never fails to unnerve him is his mouth. Thanatos' mouth is seen shut.

"I'm never early Hades" Thanatos says, he doesn't speak like normal people due to his sewn mouth so when he does speak, which is rare, it's as if he were whispering into your ear. It makes Hades want to shiver but he resists the urge.

"Nor am I late" he continues "I arrive always when I am supposed to"

"Give them some more time, they're still saying goodbye" Hades says he stares at the groups of mortals huddled in front of the two gods. They've been there since early in the morning when the man, barely more than a boy, felt his energy finally start to leave him. He watches his daughter cry on her husbands shoulder and clenches his hands to keep from going to her.

"You know that is not how this works Hades" Thanatos says almost sadly. Hades nods, still Thanatos doesn't step forward, they both gaze at the people gathered around the pale man. They've tried to cram themselves onto the bed and are dangerously balanced, just one wrong move from falling to the ground.

They're all crying as well, they have been intermittently for the past couple of hours. Hades arrived a little after that and remained concealed from their eyes as he waited for Thanatos. There's not much he can do but for his daughter he'll personally take the shade into the Underworld.

The man on the bed lies back, his energy fading fast, his friends, his family hold on to his hands and arms. Anywhere they can touch so he won't be alone when his last breath fails him. Hades can sense that he's ready and he tell his family one last thing before smiling.

Hades had been so caught up on watching them he didn't notice when Thanatos stepped forward. Thanatos is never visible to mortals yet as he approaches the man on the bed turns to look at him and gives a small nod before closing his eyes.

Thanatos holds out his hand to the body and a shade steps out. The shade is the body's essence it has all of their living memories but no real form, similar to smoke with a somewhat tangible feel to them. The shade places their hand in Thanatos' and steps away from his body. There's a thread of light that connects him to his body, it's the reason why Thanatos carries a scythe.

"What is that?" The man asks Thanatos

"Your connection to your body" Thanatos explains

"Does that mean I can go back?" There's a slight tone of hopefulness to his voice but Thanatos shakes his head and brings his scythe down, the thread snaps and disappears

"If I had left if still attached to you" Thanatos begins "your shade would never know peace, you would go insane as you felt your body rot or burn" the man nods, he turns to look at his family one last time and smiles

"We must go" Thanatos says, the man nods and turns away. He sees Hades then, he hadn't noticed the god there before but now, well now he's dead so it makes sense.

"Hey Mister Hades" the man smiles, Hades looks over the mans shoulder at his crying daughter and holds out his hand

"Hades is just fine Carlos" he smiles at him, Carlos takes his hand and walks between Thanatos and Hades into a shadow as black as ink. It's swallows them up and they emerge on the other side at a beach. Carlos looks up and finds stalagmites hanging from the ceiling, they're underground.

"Have you brought your coin?" Thanatos asks. Carlos shakes his head and Hades points to his other hand, Carlos opens it and finds a silver coin in it

"Mal" he chuckles

"Charon will take you across the river" Thanatos says then disappears into a shadow

"What happened then?" Carlos asks Hades who gives him a faint smile

"I made my daughter a promise" he says sadly "you have a room in my castle if you wish it, or you can go with the other shades to the isles of the blessed. The choice is yours"

"Anyone there that I know?" Carlos jokes but hades can tell just how nervous he is

"Maybe" Hades answers

"I wouldn't know what to do" Carlos swallows, sudden fear rushing up his body threatening to make him crumble "on the isles I don't know anyone, and I've always done something all my life I can't do nothing joe and," he pauses as the fear makes it impossible to keep speaking.

"Breathe Carlos" Hades says gently, Carlos tries and tries but having no air go into his lungs because he doesn't need it, is still a strange sensation for him. At last he manages to calm down and stares up at Hades with tear filled eyes

"I don't want to be back on an island" he admits, his hands shake so bad Hades fears he'll drop the coin

"I have more than enough work for you to do at the castle, it's almost winter so Persephone will be here soon" Hades smiles at him "I like to have a garden ready for her when she comes but I'm so busy still catching up on paper work" Carlos' eyes light up at the implication of having work at the castle and being able to tend to the garden, which he's never done but a challenge is something he desperately needs now. Anything to distract him from the pain of having left his family, from the sadness that comes from not being able to see the anymore.

"I can do that, Evie wouldn't shut up about her garden" Carlos smiles "and I'm great at paper work I used to handle my mother's finances all the time"

"Then it's time for you to cross" Hades smiles placing his hand on his shoulder, Charon appears then on his boat, he holds his hand out for the coin which Carlos hands over and steps onto the boat.

"You're not coming with me?" Carlos asks looking back at Hades who's still standing in the beach, Hades shakes his head

"Don't worry I'll be waiting for you on the other side" he assure him, Carlos nods and gives him a nervous smile, Hades disappears like Thanatos does leaving the two of them alone. Charon takes them across the river which hadn't seemed so large while standing in the beach but now Carlos can tell just how wide it is. They spend only a few minutes crossing but it feels like ages to him. Once on the other side Charon banks the boat on the sand for him to get off. Carlos climbs down and turns to thank the god but when he looks up the boat and Charon are gone.

Carlos turns around and looks at the Underworld for the first time. It's nothing like the myths described, it's quite beautiful. There are hills in the distance where Carlos can see someone rolling a boulder, Sisyphus the giant. There are some wide fields bellow the mountains where Carlos can barely make out other shades. To the left there's a bright light which Carlos can barely distinguish three dots surrounded by blue, the isles of the blessed. What surprises Carlos the most are the colors. The underworld shines with the gems of the earth, the Ruby's and emeralds shine and cast red and green light on the ground. They're arranged in patterns as well and give the place almost a holy look. Carlos almost feels like he's standing in a cathedral for a second, the colors and patterns reminding him of the stained glass.

"Are you ready Carlos?" Hades asks waiting on the beach just a little ahead, like he said he would

Carlos looks around and notices other shades walking towards the gates of the Underworld adorned in both the skulls and bones of the dead and the precious gems of the earth. Carlos walks over to Hades who motions to a castle he hadn't seen before which is hard to do given its imposing size.

It's beautiful with gothic architecture and Carlos can spy a wall made entirely out of diamonds, he can see the tips of shrubs which must be part of the garden. He looks up at Hades who's patiently waiting for him.

"Let's go" Carlos smiles, and the two men walk into the gates of the Underworld.