Hades and Persephone

The Dark Divine Chapter One

  
  "Asphodel," He yawned, resting his head on his hand. The translucent man before him bowed profusely and left in the direction of the Fields of Asphodel. After two thousand years of the same routine with little to no variation, a person (immortal or not) tends to get a little bored.
  
  The lines seemed a little longer than normal today, or maybe it was they had a bit more difficult cases in them that made them seem so lengthy. Whatever the case, Hades was eager to be done for the day so he could return to his home, feed his three-headed dog, Cerberus and then himself, and retire to his chambers for the evening. That was his routine, as well as his curse. Wake with the dawn, sentence the souls, feed Cerberus and then wait for another day that was exactly like the last seventy-two thousand, nine hundred and ninety five days before it.

When the last of the souls were sorted out and the next boat full wouldn't come for another seven hours, Hades decidedd it was time to return home. 'Home,' he thought to himself. This wasn't a home, this was a black castle that he happened to come home to every night.
  
  Climbing the stairs to his library, he noticed his servants being a little more skittish than normal around him. It was ridiculous for them to still be afraid of him, he had not destroyed a servant for at least five hundred years, and he had good cause for it then. Shaking that thought off he plopped himself into the chair behind his ebony desk and began to sort through his mail and e-mail. Not many Olympians had computers, for the sole fact that since they were created by humans they must be worthless. But since Hades was the god of greed and wealth he was entitled to all the luxuries of the present, which included the latest technology. The only other god that dealt with e-mails on a regular basis was Hermes, and that was just so he didn't have to come into the Underworld any more than necessary. Not that Hades could blame him, his realm wasn't exactly inviting.
  After scrolling through advertisements for a a new gossip magazine by Aphrodite, he came across an e-mail from Olympus. 'This ought to be good." He rolled his eyes and clicked on the link. Up popped a pink and gray flowery e-card with a font that had one too many swirls for his taste.
                            

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   You're Invited!
  Please join us on the summer equinox to celebrate, my daughter, the Goddess Persephone's 20th birthday. Gifts are not necessary! Just brings yourselves and a smile! The party will be hosted on Mount Olympus in Demeter's Gardens.

---

  Hades sat there staring at the computer screen for what seemed like hours. Was this real? He racked his brain for some knowledge of this Persephone the invitation had spoken of. Suddenly it clicked. Oh yes, Persephone, the Goddess of Spring and Change, she was another one of Zeus's illegitimate children. Her mother was Demeter, one of Hades least favorite people. Truth be told, he didn't actually favor any of them, but she was more blatantly disliked by him than the others. Between her loud, filterless mouth and (in his opinion) her constant state of PMS, Hades had never really gotton close to her.

  "You know, a little light never hurt anyone. Would it kill you to buy a lamp?" A vioce appeared from behind his shoulder, causing Hades to whip around in his chair.
  
  "Hermes, how many times must I tell you to knock before entering!?" Hades shouted.
  
  "But if I'd knocked, you wouldn't let me in."
  
  "Then perhaps you shouldn't go where you aren't wanted." Hermes made a face.

"Maybe you shouldn't go where you aren't wanted." He mocked. Hades patience was wearing thin as he pinched the bridge of his nose (a nervous habit he had picked up from humans).

  "Hermes, you have exactly thirty seconds to tell me why you are here before you become Cerberus' midnight snack."
  
  "You know, you really need to work on your people skills."

  "25...24..."

  "Alright, alright. I just wanted let you know about the birthday party next week."

  "I already know, I got the e-mail."

  Hermes looked confused. "Demeter doesn't have an e-mail, she despises anything with the word technology in it."  

  "Then how do you explain this?" Hades pointed at the screen, which still displayed the flowery invitation. Hermes scanned the writing and then smiled.

  "Looks like someone caught the birthday girl's eye." He said still grinning ear to ear. Hades raised an eyebrow. "And you know this how exactly?"                      

Hermes pointed to the pink and gray border. "Those," He began, "Are Seph's favorite colors. She never sends anything without at least one of her colors on them. Besides when was the last time Demeter ever personally invited you to anything?"

"I believe it was around the same time hell froze over."

"Exactly. It seems like you have a fan."

"Or just another spoilt brat who wants an expensive present."

"Nope, look it says, Gifts are not nessacary, face it sombody likes you." He sang. Hades ran his hands through his long black hair. Someone likes him? What a ludicrous notion. People who tolerate him were rare, but to like him? Even some of his siblings couldn't say in honesty that they liked him. Besides she didn't even know him, so how could she like him? Hades contemplated these thoughts for a while completely forgetting that Hermes was in the room.   

"So are you gonna go or what?" Hades paused for another moment before sighing in defeat. "I know I'm going to hate myself for this later, but I'll go." Hermes pumped his fist in the air and shouted in triumph.

'This Persephone better be something special.' He thought to himself. It wasn't until later he would truly know the truth of his words.