The Fall of Light

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!" You can't make me!" Deimos backed away.

"Come on! You're my best friend... don't you want to protect me if something happens?" Persephone pouted, her lower lip quivering.

"You know I would love to protect you... but I am not Apollo... Seph, my mother made me the God of fear for a reason... and I always get in trouble with you."

Persephone wrapped her arms around him, "Please?"

Deimos couldn't deny her puppy eyes, they were too cute and pitiful, "I guess... if I have to!"

She jumped up happily and kissed his cheek, "Thank you, thank you! I knew I loved you!"

"Hey guys, wait," Rhodos stopped Persephone, "Where did Hades go?"

The searched the empty road and it wasn't until a light flickered off at Hestia's house that they found their target, "Bingo!" Rhodos pointed towards the modest home.

Persephone hesitated, "Hey, look, I didn't think I would have to break into my aunt's house!"

"Hestia will understand, she always does and she never rats us out! Come on, Seph!"

"Yeah but what if someone else finds us?" Persephone asked.

Harmonia considered this, "Zeus would kill her. Demeter would let him."

Rhodos rolled her eyes, "Thanks for that enlightenment."

Persephone nodded her head and motioned for Deimos to follow, he quickly grabbed onto her hand and shivered, "You owe me big time, Missy! The things I do for you girls!"

As they walked to the entry of Hestia's domain, he quickly became more and more anxious, "Stop!" Persephone whispered as he jerked around for the thousandth time.

"Sorry!"

"Just be quiet and when we go in there, you can't make a sound!" Persephone hushed him.

"Okay," he breathed deeply, "I'm ready."

They stepped into the house quietly, slowly. Their gait was sluggish yet steady, aware of the Dark Lord.

A swoosh of material softly aroused their attention and the two immediately paused, listening for more noises. They heard none and continued on for a little longer.

"I... I- I can't do this!" Deimos whispered, suddenly becoming afraid.

"Sshhh!"

"Seph, I can't!"

"Hush!"

They stepped further into the ebony darkness of the house. Persephone felt chills run down her spine. Hades knew they were there... and she knew he was very close. She suddenly regretted ever accepting the dare until her thoughts were interrupted,

"Seph? I- I can't..." Deimos started, backing up nervously. He went a little too far; however, because he ended up falling with a soft thud on the floor, thankfully not breaking the pit that the plant was residing in.

Persephone kept quite while to her horror, Deimos went into one of his fits.

"No... it can't be... no! I can't do this, Seph!" He started whining, "Seph, I can't!"

Rustling robes could be heard once again...

"Deimos, get up, Deimos! He's here! Deimos run!"

He was too shocked and numb to do anything so once the sense of maternal protection kicked in, Persephone grabbed Deimos and flung him towards the door. He staggered and hit the wall, dizzy while still mumbling.

"Get out of here, Deimos! The door is right behind you!"

Persephone was cut off by Hades, himself. He cupped his long, aged fingers over Persephone's quivering lips, pinning her against the wall. He turned towards Deimos, "Go no, boy! Go and get help to rescue poor, poor Persephone."

Deimos didn't hesitate, obviously his words were more efficient than Persephone's since he obeyed with out question.

Hades turned back to the young goddess before him, "I do not enjoy being spied on... you tell your little friends that the next time they come snooping around here, I will eat them up for lunch."

Persephone blinked back tears as Hades removed his hand from her mouth but kept his tight grip on her. He was the ugliest creature she had ever seen, he made Hephaestus look gorgeously handsome and attractive!

Hades had a long, pointy nose that looked as though it had been broken many times before. He had no hair but his aging spots along with his large open wounds decorated his head so viciously that it almost made him his own crown. He had barely any teeth and what he did possess were fang-like and very yellow and rotten. Hades had wretched breath and a split tongue the mimicked a snake's.

Yet something drew her to his eyes, they were so young... but somehow they appeared to have seen a thousand hardships and a million struggles. They were a swimming green that spoke a thousand words yet never uttered a single one.

"What are you staring at?" Hades asked, sharply, looking down at her... he was at least a good head taller than she.

"Nothing," she lied through her teeth, looking away.

"Face me, young one." He said, gently, caressing through her strawberry curls with his old, feeble hands. The action made her sick and yet... even with his stench of death... he was not repulsing.

Persephone faced him with the courage she had no idea she possessed, "Your eyes, your eyes are very beautiful." she whispered, averting her own eyes from his penetrating gaze.

Hades' soft demeanor changed dramatically once she had those words, he turned cold and hard, digging his nails into the back of her head. Thrusting her head back, he put his lips, those old deformed lips, to her ear and whispered, "Now what should I do with you? You invaded my privacy! What punishment befits you, my poor, poor Persephone... let's see..."

He paused but then continued as though he had a terrific plan, "I know! You will be my queen! And you shall be locked away in the Underworld forever!" he laughed.

Persephone turned from him, but she brought her face back to his, "What's the matter, my dear? Do you not like the idea of sharing a bed with me? I promise it wouldn't be too bad... but then again, I haven't seen myself in ten thousand years... so who am I to judge?"

"Please, milord, be gentle... you're hurting me!" she whispered, looking up at him.

Hades let one hand free to trace the line of her jaw... he loosened his grasp on her and pressed his cheek against her's. At that moment, Persephone saw his wrinkled, old neck turn into a strong, healthy man's and although she could see his face, she felt soft, black curls pressed to her lips and nose.

"I would be a good husband," he whispered, his lips grazing her ear lobe, softly.

Persephone moaned, liking the feel of him against her, but that must have woken up Hades because as soon as she let it escape her lips, Hades turned back into an old hag of a man. He removed his cheek from hers and let her go, unpinning her from the wall where he had previously held her captive.

She was a little confused and dazed after that incident but Persephone shook herself and regained some confidence back. Persephone smiled at the God of the Underworld and fingered his skull necklace, "Why do you have this?"

Hades obviously did not enjoy her sudden curiosity and scowled. He was about to speak when Persephone yanked on the chain and broke it off his neck.

"Persephone!" Athena burst through the door with superiority, she saw the young flower goddess against the wall with Hades an inch away from her.

Hades scoffed and let Persephone run into the arms of Athena for safety,

"I can take a challenge, Sweetheart." he walked up to her... less than a foot away looking straight into her amber-brown eyes.

Athena didn't understand but did not stay long enough to find out, "Come Persephone."

Persephone looked back as she was walking out the door, she smiled as she gazed at him, "Thank you for the necklace... Cupcake."