Into the Underworld

*Author's note: This is based on Greek Mythology. I first read the original story in "Percy Jackson's Greek Gods". I then wrote my own version for this prompt. Hope you enjoy it!*

My mom’s screams of anguish.

My dad apologizing, yet his heart wasn’t meaning it.

Me rolling down my dad’s throat.  

Meeting three girls at the bottom, all of them looking at me in curiosity. 

These are the things I have known since I was born. These things happened the minute my mother, Rhea, showed me to my cannibal father, Kronos. What a mistake that was. 

The sad thing is, my immortal life just kept on getting worse.

I was never welcomed among my siblings. I’m not even welcome on Mount Olympus. I was the outcast of the family, and my life is filled with sorrow. When it was time to see how my brothers and I would rule the world, I got the worst pick. The Underworld. My brother Zeus said it fit me perfectly. 

“Come on. You’re dark and gloomy, and the Underworld is as dark and gloomy as it gets! It’s perfect!” he said, trying to cheer me up.

I had to admit, it was kind of nice. Millions of dead souls at my command, at my control. I sit on the throne in my castle, and I feel powerful. I could control the lives of the ghost here. 

There were three places a person can go when they die. First, The Fields of Punishment, where the evil wind up. Second, the Fields of Asphodel. This is the place where an ordinary ghost would go. And finally, Elysium, the place where heroes and good people would go. When I was new to ruling the Underworld, none of these things existed. I guess I improved the Underworld, but it wasn’t all that great. All my servants were zombies or ghosts, and they were no fun. 

I was lonely, desperate for someone else in my life. I found the perfect person, yet she was the daughter of my sister, Demeter, who hated me. 

Her name is Persephone. 

She was the most beautiful goddess I had ever seen. Her eyes danced with humor and laughter. Her hair fluttered with the wind.

She was the goddess of spring, and I was the god of death.

Some would say we weren’t meant for each other.

I disagree. 

I needed happiness in my life. The Underworld was a gloomy place, and she would light it up with her beauty. 

I just need to find a way to make her love me…

I had a plan, yet it was risky. I journeyed up to Mount Olympus, to ask Persephone’s dad for permission to marry the goddess. 

I entered the thorn room, where Zeus was sitting on his golden throne. His sky blue eyes were distant and clear, a wistful grin on his face. I breathed a sigh of relief. He was in a good mood, so changes were low he would strike me with his lightning bolts for asking such a weird question. 

“My lord,” I said. His eyes flickered to me, and a smile appeared on his face.

“Hades! My guy! Man, I haven’t seen you forever!” he cried.

Well, maybe it’s because you said I wasn’t welcome here, I thought. I didn’t dare say it out loud. Zeus’s anger wasn’t worth dealing with. 

“My lord, I am here to ask you something. May… may I ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage?” I asked nervously. 

I was terrified. I half expected Zeus to strike me with a lightning bolt, but a playful grin came across his face instead. 

“Okay, but which daughter? I have so much I can’t keep track!” he said.

“Persephone, my lord,” I said, sweating. 

He looked thoughtful. “Persephone. That’s Demeter’s daughter, right?” he asked, his brows furrowing in thought. 

“Yes my lord,” I said. 

“You do know that Demeter calls Persephone the light of her life, her favorite child, the kid whom she won’t let any men touch?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raised. 

“Yes,” I said tensely. 

“Hmm,” he said, thinking deeply, “well, I know for a fact that Demeter won’t let any man go near Persephone, so that’s tricky. But maybe I can lure Persephone into a secluded area so that you could talk to her?” he said, looking at me with shining eyes. 

I couldn’t believe what I just heard. I thought for sure that Zeus was going to shout at me, but he was offering to help me instead, and with his own daughter. This was a miracle. 

“Ye-yes my lord! That might work!” I said, a very thin smile on my lips. 

“Okay, great. You get ready, and I’ll make sure Persephone is alone when I give you a signal,” he said, winking at me. 

I left Mount Olympus, my heart filled with hope. 

I had no idea how Zeus is going to manage to get Persephone in a secluded area, but I wasn’t hung up on that. I threw on my best toga and had a zombie pick the lint off. I tried to brush my hair, but it didn’t work. I grabbed my Helm of Darkness, just in case. I got some black leather boots and looked at myself in a cracked mirror. I looked scared, yet confident. I suddenly felt something cold go over me. Almost as if… wind. Zeus’s signal. I got my chariot and horses, and hoped in, and flew above, to Persephone.

A crack appeared in the ground, and my stallions bust through, in the bright sunlight. The light disgruntled me, but I heard a scream. I looked to my left, and sitting on the grass next to me with a terrified expression, was Persephone. 

My knees felt wobbly. I didn’t know she was this beautiful. 

“Hi, I’m Hades,” I squeaked. 

She screamed louder, and if I didn’t act fast, someone would find her. 

Not knowing what to do, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the Underworld in my chariot. 

Persephone hated me. Once we got to my palace, I gave her a room, but she just screamed at me, demanding me to take her back.

“I can't. I love you,” I said. She grabbed a pillow from her bed and hurled it at me. I left the room, sad yet hopeful. 

She got worse. I would send my servants to her room with eggs and apples, and they would come back, smashed apples attached to their chests and eggs hugging their head. Every time I would try to talk to her, she screamed and threw something at me. 

I needed to do something to make her like me. I hired a team of dead workers and started to make a garden.

But not any ordinary garden. There were many pomegranate trees, Persephone’s favorite fruit. Instead of real flowers, gems took their place. Deep red roses were made of dazzling rubies. Sunflowers were made of yellow diamonds and obsidian. The stalks and leaves were made of shimmering emerald. Pathways were made of pure pearl and marble. I was the god of death, but also riches. I made the workers work very hard and surprised Persephone with it. 

I convinced her to come with me, and when she saw the garden, she gasped in shock. Her eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth. 

“Do you like it?” I asked quietly.

“Whom is it for?” she asked.

“You,” I said. She looked at me, her eyes widened with shock and disbelief. 

Suddenly, a ghost came up to me. 

“My lord, you must come with me. Hermes has arrived with an urgent message,” the ghost chittered. 

I glowered. 

“My love, please stay here,” I said to Persephone. 

And with that, I left to see what Hermes wants. 

*******************

“WHAT?!” I hollered at Hermes. 

“You heard me,” he said nonchalantly. 

I was furious. Demeter is raging that Persephone is gone and is letting the world starve.

“Unless you let Demeter get Persephone back,” Hermes added. 

“Never,” I growled. 

I marched back to Persephone, telling her the news. 

*******************

Persephone was shocked, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t scream, yell, or throw anything at me. Instead, she looked at me with something in her eyes. Something that I didn’t understand right away. Sadness. 

“Alrighty, we have to get you back,” Hermes said all business-like. I resisted the urge to strangle him,” but first, I have to ask you something. Have you eaten anything from the Underworld? I know this is a weird question, but if you have, you must stay here,” he said, looking at Persephone.

Persephone looked embarrassed, and suddenly my servant spoke up.

“Show them your hands,” he said to Persephone.

Persephone showed us her hands hesitantly. It was covered in a reddish type of juice. 

“I ate ⅓ of pomegranate, that’s it,” she said sheepishly. 

My heart soared to new heights. Persephone must stay! It was in the rules!

When Hermes told Demeter, she burst in anger until Hestia thought of a solution.

“Let Persephone break up her time with Hades and Demeter. She ate ⅓ of the pomegranate, so let her stay ⅓ of the year with Hades and the rest with Demeter,” Hestia offered. 

Demeter wasn’t happy, but it was the best she could get. She accepted, but she hated me ever since.

Ever since then, Persephone has stayed with me for ⅓ of the year.

It wasn’t much, but it was the best thing that ever happened in my pathetic immortal life.