I Give My Daughter To Hades

**I Give My Daughter To Hades**, or **Hades**, is a Hercules spin-off starring Hades and his wife from the original Greek mythology, portrayed as human in the story. It plays off a year after the original movie's ending.

Desperate to save his sick wife, Persephone's father sells his daughter's soul to Hades. Though it means the young woman has to die in her mother's place, her mesmerizing beauty and the absence of resentment for the infamous god of death is enough for Hades to settle for a familiar measure of making her his slave, but Persephone appears unsuited for the job the headstrong Megara once fulfilled and is entirely useless in his second attempt at conquering Olympus.

Despite everything, it's ordinary kindness and her human curiosity that captivates him after having lived his entire life getting shunned and ridiculed.

The remake was conceived on June 25, 2021, in the form of an answered question at Tumblr, and relevant artwork released at Deviantart on November 12, 2022.

## Story

> **CHAPTER 1: Introduction**A man desperate to save his chronically ill wife prays to Hades for many months as a last resort -and before death takes her, the controversial god shows up. The man immediately gets on his knees to grovel for her sake, and Hades compliments him for the persistent routine of begging, but then with little less patience, asks what it is he wants from him.
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> The man anxiously requests he spares his wife and restores her health, but Hades interrupts the emotional spiel to inform every mortal runs on a timer, and people folding their hands together is hardly an incentive to ignore the rules. The man shows understanding for this and states not to expect him to do this for free.
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> Hades looks around the cheap cottage and asks what they could even give him. The man tells him to have a daughter -kind, without a speck of wickedness in her heart- and wishes to give her untainted soul in exchange for his wife's.
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> While Hades states not to care either way, he expresses some level of surprise for his decision to sacrifice his child for an old lady. The man argues his wife is his only friend and true love, and assumes even the lord of the Underworld knows the feeling of wanting to protect someone at all costs. Hades says not to relate.
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> The man assures his daughter would gladly die if it meant the full recovery of her suffering mother. Hades chuckles at the claim, followed with a mutter on how this will make future family dinners pretty awkward, but agrees if the girl's soul is truly as flawless as described. He warns that if proven false, he reserves the right to collect his wife.
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> The man shakes Hades' hand with humbled relief and confidence on his face the deal will go through.
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***CHAPTER 2: The Abduction of Persephone**
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> A young woman named Persephone is on her way home, pulling a cart with two barrels of fruit she picked that day. Strangers and familiar faces greet her with infatuation, or a long stare, who are all returned a kind reply without regard for the inappropriate expression they may carry.
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> Suddenly, one of the wheels gets stuck in a ditch in the road. When she tries to dig it out, the ditch grows larger and becomes an inescapable hole. Persephone cries out to some of the earlier passersby, but no one's around to help, and she and the cart drop down into the depths of the Earth.
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> The scenery changes into the ghoulish landscape of the Underworld, and Persephone stops falling before her body hits the ground. Hades appears with a contented grin and welcomes her to his domain. With no time to reply, he begins inspecting her. He concludes with some amazement that her father spoke the truth. And she's an absolute babe.
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> Persephone is dragged along by the arm, with her confusion still fresh. Wondering if she died because of the pitfall, she asks Hades what happened, who answers she's not dead yet. He briefly explains the reason for her arrival and she falls silent.
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> They reach the Pit of Death, where she's asked to jump in whenever she's figured out her last words. She looks down at the glowing green lake, filled with spirits of deceased humans, each one looking more regretful than the last.
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> Hades has no patience for her sightseeing, though, and moans he's a busy man. He offers to lend her a hand and locks her shoulders in his grip. With her feet in the air, he merrily asks if she's ready. She returns a silent nod.
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> Hades is somewhat disappointed by the absence of the usual moaning, screaming, and kicking mortals do, and the maiden's defeatism leaves behind an awkward atmosphere after all the upbeat sarcasm he subjected her to. Her pink eyes, like refined gemstones, burn a hole into his non-existent soul and feelings of uncertainty grow the longer he keeps his gaze on her flawless, porcelain-like face.
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> Against better judgement, he moves her away from the pit and announces to have a better idea. Under the guise of benevolence, he states to want her as his slave, since "there's a vacancy after the last one betrayed him". Persephone says nothing.
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> He starts listing up some expectations to break the silence, but she doesn't know what to think of this change of direction and just lets him speak. He takes it as a sign of reluctance and urges her to light up, claiming it all to be a good thing.
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> Persephone decides to believe it and gives him her thanks, with an appreciative bow. Hades is caught off-guard by the unironic respectful gesture and pats her on the head with careful gratitude, though can't resist rolling his eyes at the overly committed human.
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***CHAPTER 3: The Failure of Persephone**
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> Hades guides Persephone to his office, while bringing up the story of his last attempt at conquering Olympus, as if she already knew. She apologizes not to be familiar, then politely asks if he succeeded. He's perplexed by the response and lists up a whole bunch of events that took place on the day of reckoning. She speculates it happened around the time her mother's illness worsened and her attention was with her.
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> Hades accepts it could've been missed because she doesn't live near Thebes, still, is disappointed it wasn't made nationwide news.
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> He gives her a two-sentence summary and moves on to clarify her first assignment: the convincing of powerful and influential beasts whose trust he lost. Many figurine representations of said targets spawn into existence as the briefing makes its start, filling the table map sitting in the center of the room. The implication there's a large amount of work waiting for her is ignored, and Persephone instead gives priority to the lovely appearance of the board game pieces.
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> Hades reassures the already untroubled woman that using one's female charms will be enough for most of the monsters on the board, then asks if she knows how to put it into practise. She pauses, then confirms she's female. Hades figured as much.
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> He summons Pain -who Persephone gives a kind greeting, though not without uttering a disapproving comment about his parents having given him the name- and tells her to practise on him. She gives Pain a bow and offers him to join Hades, which Pain immediately accepts. After getting scolded by Hades, Pain thinks to make things right by answering he's already working for him. Hades decides to call over the slightly less daft Panic instead.
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> The scrawny demon was apparently in the room the entire time, so no time is wasted and he's instructed to turn himself into a frightful creature. Persephone's mood changes and she shivers in fear when the once inoffensive devil grows into a misshapen dragon. After some coaxing, she repeats her earlier opening act and Panic is also quick to say yes.
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> The elementary school play doesn't please Hades much, but with his patience having ran dry, he figures the best practise is to do, and he teleports the two of them to a large maze made of dark stone.
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> He tells her about the minotaur that built it and lives here, and she has to find him. The possibility she could die of exhaustion and starvation is shared, whereafter he leaves before she can give any kind of response to the demanding mission forced upon her.
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> She slowly starts walking, and as luck have it, the sought-after minotaur stands right around the corner. The giant, dark-voiced creature asks for the reason of her intrusion. Not wanting to offend, she politely states to represent Hades, who's in need of a strong and wise ally like himself. The name only sours the monster's mood more and he raises his heavy spear at the the tiny woman, proclaiming he and those who willingly serve him are worthy of death.
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> Back in the Underworld, Hades is visiting the Fates with the intention to ask more details about the new prophesy they shared with him some time ago. He witnesses them in the middle of work; about to snip the thread of a familiar face. With a groan, he turns around.
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> He spawns in front of Persephone and holds the thrusting spear in place with a smoky tentacle. He smirks to the minotaur he could've just said no, and disappears with his servant.
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> Persephone looks shaken up after the near-death experience, but with no time to rest, is prepped for the next round. Hades promises to give her someone more fun to meet and announces her next target is a mermaid, "and humans love those". She's teleported and dropped off on a boulder in the middle of a large, empty ocean.
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> Persephone looks around, confused on what to do. Since she never learned how to swim, she can only call out for this supposed mermaid, though feels silly for attempting. When she hunches down and tries to look in the water, a woman's face appears on the other side and looks back at her. It frowns when their eyes meet, and shortly afterwards, an off-looking version of a mermaid appears from behind to ask how a human got here.
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> Persephone tries to share the intention of her visit, but the mermaid cuts her off with an irrelevant rant about her own face, which she apparently stole from someone. She complains about how it already doesn't compare to hers, and finds it improper for a mere human to be so beautiful. With no further warning, she proclaims to want it and pushes Persephone into the water.
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> She's unable to pull herself up and keeps sinking. Dread takes over her mind, while the mermaid eerily circles around her from a distance to watch her die. The shore's sunlight disappears and the darkness of the deep becomes blinding.
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> Just in time, black smoke whisks her away and a drenched Persephone finds herself back inside the Underworld. Hades sighs and guesses the mermaid declined as well. There's no time for Persephone to beg for a break, as he teleports her to the location of a centaur, claimed to be an easy target.
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> Her surroundings change into something more normal and serene, though the shallow lake at her feet manages to startle her. After resisting the urge to cry, she gets up to inspect the area. Eventually, the echoing hoofs of a large horse are heard approaching, yet the forest hides the creature well and he manages to catch her by surprise. The centaur dashes towards her with a lewd grin.
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> Nessus gives her a few seconds to explain her business, whereafter she's grabbed like a toy doll. He exclaims to accept the alliance if Hades shares with him his stash of pretty women he apparently has, and in addition, he can keep her. Persephone asks to be released and says to have many errands to run still, but he gallops away with her, insisting her master wouldn't mind if it's for the sake of the alliance.
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> Her anxiety grows every time her plea is ignored, and when Nessus starts removing her slippers, she cries out for Hades. He laughs at the prospect of him rescuing anyone, but then finds his knuckle empty.
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> Back in the Underworld, Hades scolds her for her many failures, whilst Pain and Panic lament about the time the more competent Meg was still around. Persephone sobs, but there's no sympathy returned. She states monsters to frighten her and becomes more emotional upon admitting she won't be of use to him because of it.
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> Hades gives her a contemplative look. He sees her damaged dress, as result of the minotaur's barely avoided spear, the moist coughing that interrupts her crying every few seconds, and her bare feet -the only things she has to show for for her efforts.
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> Red flames then emerge from his body as he commands her to stop the noise. He growls to have no use for crying children, and if it's too much for her, she may jump into the Pit of Death. With that, he and his lackeys disappear and leave her with her thoughts.
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***CHAPTER 4: The Redemption of Persephone**
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> Back in the world of the living, Persephone's mother wakes up healthier than ever. She's happily greeted by her husband, but when she wishes to give her daughter the good news as well, is informed Hades took her. As her husband doesn't want her to feel responsible, he withholds important details and she's left to believe it was an abduction fully conducted by the hated god.
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> She isn't sure what to think of his story and wishes to find Persephone to confirm what happened. She receives no support from her husband, who believes mortals cannot go against the gods, and prefers she takes it easy now her health has returned. She doesn't accept these excuses and demands to see her daughter.
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> Inside the Underworld throne room, Hades is reflecting on his previous scene with Persephone. He asks the devil duo if he overreacted, and Pain and Panic are surprised to hear their lord even entertain the prospect. He gives his doubt some context; and wonders if there are still untainted places in Greece where humans live without the casual exposure to mythical creatures. Pain believes it not to matter, as a servant should do as they're told without failure. Hades frowns and brings up his and Panic's failure from 19 years ago that lead to his embarrassing defeat.
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> He concludes Persephone's fear not to be entirely out of the ordinary, since her life was being threatened, but Panic asks what he wants to do with her if she can't do the one thing he spared her for. Hades has no answer.
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> With the conversation having met its end, he gets up and decides to give the Fates another visit. After being told another chance at victory had opened up for him, he struggled getting more details out of them. A bright star needs to be captured and "its shine maintained to ensure a gratifying future", these words Hades remembers, but they convey little. It's always something with stars.
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> As he enters their room with clear intent, the women bark a familiar rule that states they can't spoil the future. He sleazily smiles to understand, but argues that their prophecy isn't helpful the way it's worded. Lachesis grumbles it's done so on purpose and they've already helped him too much, too often. Hades fakes some more civility and begs them to at the very least give some visuals with their vague nonsense. The charmed Clotho is willing to do as much and convinces her sisters to give one more helping hand to their lord. Their all-seeing eye floats up and flashes the image of a star emerging from the darkness, and what looks like Persephone looking up. Hades' eyes widen.
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> He hurries himself back to his office where he last abandoned the girl, whistling and calling for her like she's a dog. When he confirms no one's there, he tries the Pit of Death, but spotting her in the overstuffed lake is not easy and he decides to visit the other chambers first. Eventually, he finds her walking around aimlessly inside a random room of no importance. He asks what she's doing there, to which she admits not to know and be lost.
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> He gets to the point and informs her to have found a use for her after consulting the Fates. While she doesn't know who he's talking about or why it matters, his upbeat face affects her mood as well and she promises to perform her new duties the best she can. Every night, she has to return to the surface and find this special star.
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> When Hades wants to turn around and leave, she tries to reclaim his attention and says to have been looking for him. Disheartened by her uselessness after he went through the effort of sparing her life, she wishes to do more than just stargaze. He calls her crazy for even bringing it up and says she'd be better off just doing this one thing for him.
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> As she considers her survival to be thanks to his kindness, and his kindness to be genuine, she insists on repaying it. Hades, not really interested, swiftly summons a broom and gives it to her, whereafter he disappears. Persephone eagerly starts sweeping.
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***CHAPTER 5: The Days of Persephone**
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> Persephone becomes the house maid of the Underworld, though cleaning duty proves not to be enough for her and she begins offering Hades services that are either impossible or no mortal has experience with, like washing his flaming hair and cooking with Underworld food, and on other days, attempts to take bold initiatives, like feeding Cerberus and cleaning the soul-ridden lake.
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> When Hades and the ferryman come across her trying to approach the rabid guard dog, he points out not to have requested this from her. She says he looked very hungry, he replies that to be what the breed looks like and feeding time should be managed by to those who can't die. She apologizes as Hades' boat continues to drift off.
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> Suddenly realization hits and he ponders to himself how she even managed to reach his inaccessible pet.
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> The days turn into weeks, and Hades becomes ever more used to the rosy-cheeked girl walking around the place. During work or his usual scheming, it's expected Persephone will show up and clean whatever he destroyed in a fit of rage, or bring him a tray with whatever she believes is food or a drink. He always throws a comment or weird joke her way, and though she tries to maintain the role of a humble, grateful servant, she finds her speech turning more casual than she'd normally find appropriate in the presence of an authority figure.
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> One day, Hades cheerfully announces to have won over some monsters as allies, and an earnest congratulations is returned. As her behaviour is much like the first time he brought up his Olympus takeover plans, he asks if she understands the situation and what he's trying to do. Persephone proclaims that battles between gods are not the business of mortals and she won't bother him with her opinions. Hades seconds that belief, but adds that mortals very much get involved; and many gods "cheat" by making them pray for their victory. She consoles her unpopular master by promising to pray for him, whereafter he jokes she just turned him into a cheater.
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> When he moves his attention back to his strategy table, lamenting about unclaimed pions he wished he had by his side, Persephone stops her sweeping to ask if she may have another try at being his spokesperson. He gives it a long thought, but declines the offer. His monster allies are merely canon fodder to make his success easier, but the prophesied star is the key, for which he needs her. Persephone smiles with understanding and says to search again later that night, then continues sweeping the last corners of the office.
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> Pain and Panic then enter, who think to do right by purposely throwing trash in front of the slave, but Persephone considers it an accident and carries it out of the room. When outside, Pain and Panic are heard reporting to Hades, whereafter a fiery explosion follows. Hades sheepishly calls Persephone back over some soot on his walls.
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> Meanwhile, in the world of the living, Persephone's mother has travelled almost every corner of Greece, looking for the whereabouts of her daughter. Though her husband insisted it was a divine kidnapping and a witness claimed she fell inside the earth, the reason for her capture was never given. Since a god of death has no use for the living, she remained somewhat unconvinced and believes a human is the more likely culprit.
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> The stress and journey wear heavy on her body, and every day and night, she cries for Persephone's return without result.
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***CHAPTER 6: The Mother of Persephone**
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> More time has passed, and Zeus is holding a meeting with his friends and allies. Each one of them recalls seeing Hades drag around a human girl through the lands, waters, and divine skies, yet there's uncertainty on why.
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> A goddess of the sea shares the belief he might be looking for her son, though only based on hearsay. It still leaves open the question on who Persephone is, but as the mother expresses great worry, Zeus promises to have everyone keep an eye on Astraeus.
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> One of the gods then snarls he might not have a plan at all and is just trying to rile them up by bringing along a mortal so close to these exclusive lands, but Zeus insists he doesn't have that kind of time to waste as the ruler of the Underworld. Hera worries the girl is a new prisoner in need of rescuing, but a goddess of despair rejects the idea, as she did not sense displeasure coming from her heart.
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> All in all, they're left clueless on what to think and what to do, but knowing they might again fail dealing with Hades if handling it by themselves, Zeus agrees to inform his son and ask him to stay vigilant with them.
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> Meanwhile, Hades and Persephone are at their next stop. A silver gate bars entry to a glowing landscape, which only opens itself up for gods, and as such, Persephone has to wait outside. When Hades returns empty-handed, she knows what it means and gets back on his flying chariot.
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> Since they've spent a couple of days flying around like this, Persephone asks if they misunderstood the prophecy and their initial strategy of letting her stargaze was the right way to go. Hades replies it'll be faster to find Astraeus and see what meeting the god of stars will do for them.
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> They keep on going for a while, but during their flight, Persephone loses consciousness and falls out the chariot. Hades catches her and is forced to suspend his search.
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> She's laid to rest in the Underworld, but as it's not a particularly healthy place for living mortals, it takes a while for her to awaken. She spots Pain and Panic on guard duty and expresses her thanks, but the two reply they were merely ordered to look after her. Her memory is fuzzy on what happened and Pain suspects she fainted of starvation, as Hades forgot she's a mortal in constant need of food. Panic jumps in that the lack of sleep might've done it. Pain follows up the high altitude they were flying at could've also been the reason. The duo then self-righteously agree mortals are weak and a hassle.
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> Persephone has nothing to say to this hurtful truth.
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> She helps herself to some of the food left behind for her and slowly gets up. Pain and Panic tell her to stay, since they guess that's what Hades would want, but she insists to feel better and thus needs to get back to work. As they know putting their hands on her is not an option, they let her mosey off. Panic whispers to his companion her collapse is likely her own doing.
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> Persephone collects her trusty broom and decides to start on cleaning duty until she's needed elsewhere, but the rooms are as clean as they can be and in no need of any kind of service. While looking for a pile of dirt to take care of, she spots Hades near the entrance to the river of souls, grabbing onto the tail of a freshly arrived spirit.
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> Since he looks occupied, she chooses not to interrupt, but when the captured soul is pulled closer and Hades inspects its face, he and Persephone both recognize it.
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> It's her mother.
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> She's shocked to learn her father's deal did not save her and her sorrow grows the longer she lays eyes upon the tired, mangled soul trapped in the hand of her master. Its appearance is a ruthless reflection of what her last moments on Earth were like. Hades is silent and has an expression on his face that's hard to discern.
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> Then, he chucks the ghoulish ghost back towards the exit. It doesn't return, making it clear her mother has been given another chance at life. Persephone smiles with adoration for Hades, then leaves to let him enjoy his selfless action without the pressure of having been watched.
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***CHAPTER 7: The Father of Persephone**
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> Persephone is standing in front of a giant monster, giving it a monologue about how it should join forces with Hades. Clearly not convinced, it raises its fist to punch some silence into her, but the creature becomes engulfed in flames and is pulverized before she and the limb can collide. She's then teleported to Hades' office, where he scolds her for repeating her old duties without his consent.
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> She acknowledges to have gotten carried away after achieving a few successes, sparking some interest with Hades, but when she clarifies these concern five humans and a cat, his excitement fades. She tells him not to feel discouraged by the news, as human allies are more valuable if prayer indeed benefits a god.
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> Hades sighs and asks if she saw any good-looking stars lately, to which she admits not to. She asks if he managed to get a hold of Astraeus yet, but he suspects the Olympian gods are on his tail and he's being hidden from him.
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> Persephone wonders if a prophesy needs this much work to come into fruition, but Hades replies nothing is ever truly set in stone. While he goes through last time's experiences that took him 18 years to finalize, he stops with a face drenched in dread. Without the Fates willing to tell him the strategy or even the many ways it could go sour for him, he realizes it to be an impossible feat. He paces around with worry on what to do.
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> Persephone looks at the figurines on the table, most of which are still not on his side, then proposes they meet with her parents. Hades responds confused to the seemingly random suggestion and states they're not dating.
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> Though the assemblage of an army has no priority in the grand scheme of things, she believes humans to be equally important in increasing his odds, and expects that showing up alive at her parental home will motivate them to spread the word of his goodness amongst humans, taking the work off his hands in that department.
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> Hades doesn't think a god that controls death will ever be in favour with the living, nor sees the benefit of having needy worshippers calling out his name every day. Perplexed by the comment, she asks him why he wishes to become "the god of all gods" if not to achieve the same result. He chuckles at the implication Zeus does any work and reveals that his takeover of Olympus is solely for the lazy life and instant respect that come with it. Since there are many gods that cover all kinds of big and trivial subjects, they're the ones to answer people's prayers, while the dumb masses will erect a huge statue of him under the belief he has anything to do with their happiness.
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> She politely smirks at his loose comments about these revered gods, then repeats that the best thing they can do for now is cover all bases. With her not backing down, Hades starts getting somewhat nervous and states not to be in the mood for a tea party. He tries sending her upstairs to look for stars, despite it being daytime, but she insists again, making him wonder if she's making excuses and just wants to see her parents again. Yet, when he tells her to go visit them by herself, she refuses.
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> Despite the absent motivation, and slight anxiety, he stops his moaning and agrees to the visit. With worship being very helpful to a god indeed, he figures this plan isn't a total waste of time.
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> They teleport above ground, a small walk away from her house, where he gives her a last chance to reconsider. Persephone is determined to subject the entire world to the fanged blue man, and assures him there's nothing to lose if nothing's been gained prior. Hades the loser gives a short-lived smirk.
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> She holds onto him and promises to stargaze again in the evening. Hades hastily reclaims his hand and replies that to be a given.
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> They stroll towards the cottage, where she eagerly knocks on the door. An argument is going on inside that isn't loud enough for her to hear the details of, but Hades grunts appropriately. Her father then opens up and enters silent shock upon seeing his daughter alive, contentedly smiling next to the god he sacrificed her to months ago. With no disdain in her heart for this fact, she jumps at him for an embrace and utters a greeting. Her voice catches the attention of her mother sitting in the back, who shows up to see if it's her. She speeds towards her daughter in joyous relief, but stops in her tracks when Hades enters her view.
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> Persephone tells her petrified parents how her life was graciously spared, after which her father gives Hades a stern thanks for bringing her back and tries to close the door on him with Persephone in hand. As expected, Hades doesn't appreciate this response. Red flames grow from his head as he holds the door open and grumbles not to get the wrong idea, as she is still his property.
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> Persephone is feeling the heat and quickly repeats the assessment he's deserving of praise, but her father states his business with Hades is done and to owe him nothing more. His wife, silent for too long, asks what his involvement entailed and why the god apparently planned to kill their daughter. Hades' face spawns a devilish grin, but Persephone turns to him with the non-verbal plea to stay silent. She then looks at her father, hoping he'll do the right thing and be truthful, but to her surprise and disappointment, he chooses to throw Hades under the bus.
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> He proclaims he made use of his desperation and took Persephone without his consent. Hades trembles with anger, while Persephone jumps in to clarify it was a mutually-agreed deal between the two. Her father refuses to admit it in front of his wife and insists he would've informed his wife beforehand if that were the case. Hades reminds him he sold Persephone without informing her, but the man turns to his daughter and wife, and insists there's no reason to believe the deceitful god over him. Persephone's mother looks convinced by his doubling down.
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> Persephone sees they're losing the case and asks the vexed Hades to wait outside for a bit, who isn't earning any extra points by sternly reminding her he's the one handing out commands. When deadly silence follows, he huffs their visit to have been a waste of time and wants to drag her away, but Persephone begs him again. He stares her down for a while, then finally releases her upper arm. He growls to hurry it up and glides off.
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> After 10 minutes, she exits the house and meets up with him again. Hades jokingly asks if she can go to the prom or not, and Persephone apologizes for letting him go through the embarrassment. He states her father to be the embarrassment and he has better things to do than get riled up over a lousy mortal. She says to be glad he'll be able to shrug it off, though her face does not reflect the remark.
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> Hades gives her a few pats on the head and tells her not to eat herself up over something no one else does. He offers her "an hour of holiday" to lift her spirits and says to come pick her up later. She asks if he can't stay. He reckons she's still hoping to convert the townspeople and promises his presence won't help her with that, to which she replies they both look like they could use a break.
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***CHAPTER 8: The Escape of Persephone**
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> Persephone is sitting by herself at the table of an inn, enjoying a meal that doesn't look like it was picked up from the ground. With Hades in view through a nearby window, she feels urged to hurry it up, even though it was his choice not to come in.
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> Meanwhile, a winged horse passes through the skies, carrying a man everyone knows. He vigilantly looks around, then sees a large blue figure standing in the cleared-out streets of a little rural town, hard to miss, even from the distance he's at. With determination on his face, Hercules steers Pegasus towards a cluster of clouds.
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> From their hiding spot, he spies on his target's intentions, yet nothing noteworthy happens. The clouds grows denser as the evening approaches and the temperature lowers, making it harder to keep an eye on him.
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> Then, what looks like a young woman exits a building. Hades draws near the moment she shows her face, alarming Hercules, until the woman hurriedly goes back inside, making him guess she noticed on time and fled. Seeing Hades drag himself back to his original spot is a move he can't figure out, but Hercules takes the opportunity to enact a rescue and doesn't linger on it. He instructs Pegasus to swiftly circle around the area to the back of the inn, and the two manage to pass Hades unnoticed.
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> Hades, too bored and unconcerned about anything, begins to lean against someone's house. The simple walls crack under the weight and the people inside scream as if they're being murdered. It does not raise his eyelids, by any means.
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> Hercules enters the inn and sees it's full of scared people, waiting for Underworld's ruler to leave their community. He reassures everyone to deal with Hades and offers to escort them out, but one of the guests isn't paying him any attention. She drops a few coins next to an emptied plate, then heads for the front door. He stops her in time and recognizes her large amount of red hair. He advices her not to confront Hades again, but the oblivious Persephone says he's waiting for her.
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> Hercules thinks they've made some kind of pact and answers it can be made undone. It briefly catches her attention, but she replies to owe him too much to bail out now. He finds that unlikely and promises there's always a way out, yet it still won't stop her from leaving.
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> The drowsy Hades barely spots what looks like the door opening and someone pulling her back inside. Not sure if he saw correctly, he glides towards the now suspiciously quiet inn.
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> He looks inside, where there's nothing and no one. Baffled and thinking to have gone crazy, he looks around town and tries listening for the homebound villagers who were audibly hissing under their breath just a few minutes ago. He breaks into some of the houses, but finds them all empty.
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> His flames grow large and bright with feelings of betrayal, until they burst and turn the entire town into ash. As expected, there are no souls to collect; everyone's fled. His knuckles tremble and his breathing's heavy, but ever so gradually, his composure returns and a short glimpse of sadness and uncertainty follows. The thought Persephone abused his trust to run off is tempting to a hotheaded cynic, yet the fact she wanted him to come along doesn't fit the scheme.
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> He cautiously entertains something might've happened to her and the missing residents are to blame, and summons his devil servants to aid him on his search. They come crawling out of the soil like maggots -really unnecessary, Hades thinks so too- and are ordered to find Persephone without getting any context or explanation about what transpired. Hades teleports away to conduct his own search.
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> At an undetermined distance away, Hercules checks if anyone's missing from the residents he saved. The small group of 50 confirms they're complete, whereafter he turns to Persephone, still dizzy from her ride on Pegasus. He apologizes for his rough handling of her, then asks about her relationship with Hades. She answers to be his servant and has to hurry back to town, but Hercules wishes to know more, primarily if this is a voluntary job.
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> She's honest about her situation, yet adds she'd never break a deal with a god and has to remain by his side for as long he desires. Hercules understands her stance, but warns he's a self-centered trickster, not worthy of devotion and respect. This remark changes the expression on her face into something unusual, but she decides to say nothing.
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> He brings up how he and Hades often engaged in battles with each other, and his wife used to be in the same predicament as her. Persephone thinks to herself for a bit, then asks if his wife is "Meg". Hercules is surprised she knows the name, but even moreso to hear the claim Hades and his devils have spoken positively of her. He replies she might've misunderstood their comments, as Meg bears nothing but resentment for them. Persephone insists they're a work-driven, but friendly and tolerant bunch, making Hercules ever so slowly wonder if she's possibly under the influence of a spell.
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> He gets to the point and tells her how Zeus requested he'd watch Hades, who was spotted dragging along an unfamiliar human girl. Persephone guesses that to be her and misunderstands the comment to be an expression of worry over her competence as a mortal. She promises not to cause their fellow god trouble, leaving Hercules confused. He ignores the random bit of reassurance and asks what Hades' intentions are. Persephone replies they're looking for a star, yet neither of them know what it'll do, and they haven't been successful at it.
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> When Hercules asks if it's Olympus he's truly after, Persephone falls silent, unsure if it's appropriate to reveal more as his servant. He shows understanding for her hesitance, but states Hades is the villain and telling the truth will save the lives of both gods and mortals.
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***CHAPTER 9: The Dilemma of Persephone**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> Night has fallen and Persephone is looking at the sky, filled with the same stars she's seen many nights before. With the unfortunate news Hades destroyed the town, the now homeless residents decided to take temporary refuge on the land Hercules evacuated them to. Multiple campfires are spread around the place, surrounded by bummed-out people, but the cold Persephone can't get herself to join either one of them as Hades' servant.
>
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> The results of his actions are visible and she doesn't disbelieve what Hercules told her, per se, yet she remains conflicted. Hades' struggle to acquire respect may very well touch the border of wanting unquestioned power, but she can't fault him for going overboard with it if he's been mistreated all his life. A god's survival is dependant on their reputation -the recognition they get from fellow gods and those that worship them- that's what she's always been told.
>
> Hades is in an unusual position. He's either taken for a joke or a villain, while he upholds an important natural order very much deserving of understanding and respect, death. A joke god will likely not convince anyone, so the only other thing he can do is play the villain. The question then remains: did Hades earn himself the title or was he pushed into it?
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> His past and relationships are subjects she never felt comfortable diving into, as she noticed the mood change whenever he ended up doing so himself. Nor is it her business. What could she even say as someone who's always enjoyed people's attention and hospitality?
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> While deep in her thoughts, a man approaches and sits down. She turns her head and sees it's the hero again, Hercules.
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> He asks if she managed to make up her mind and Persephone shakes her head. He swears the Olympian gods will grant her protection, but she states not to be worried Hades will retaliate against her, calling it warranted, but would prefer a peaceful outcome. Hercules says stopping him is the peaceful outcome, to which she clarifies to want a peaceful outcome for him. He thinks it'll be difficult, since people like Hades are selfish and insatiable. If he can't have Mount Olympus, there won't be peace.
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> After a short silence, he asks if she'd like to talk to his wife. Persephone moves her head away and declines, not interested in hearing more negative stories. He clarifies it might help her make up her mind if she better learns who Hades is. She mutters to know him well, but also that telling on him will likely hurt her more than it would him. The confession catches him off-guard and Hercules asks why her heart is so strongly with Hades.
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> Persephone looks down to her freezing hands, cupping each other in a futile attempt to stay warm. There are enough reasons to give, but which one is good enough to let Greece fall into despair over -if that's truly going to be the outcome of Hades' takeover? Does she believe it won't? Based on what Hades told her, he just wants a lazy life..
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> Hercules looks at her pale limbs and places his arm over her. He reassures her the residents don't know and she's welcome to sit at the fire, gently patting her head. She offers the kind hero a grateful smile, but their moment of serenity doesn't last long, and a large hand appears to smack Hercules many feet across the field. The residents shriek as he's violently launched towards them, a trail of smoky sand following right behind, large enough to put out some of the fires.
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> Persephone looks up and sees a seething Hades, engulfed in hot flames that instantly cure her developing frostbite. Though his face shows a desire to shout many unfriendly things, he says nothing and just pulls her up from the arm.
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> Hercules quickly recovers and calls after Hades, demanding to release her. He determinedly sprints towards the departing Hades, who swiftly turns around at the last second, his hand again landing an unexpectedly hard hit on his jaw. Hercules makes a familiar trip through the field, but this time isn't as quick to get up. Persephone begs him to stop the fighting, since Hercules has good intentions, but he ignores it and hisses where she's been this whole time. She says to have been mistaken for a prisoner and taken along with the other refugees. Hades finds her story hard to believe after finding her sucking face with Hercules hours later -an accusation leaving her in shock.
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> Hercules then stands before them again, the interruption greatly testing Hades' patience. Flames spew out of his body as he tells him to disappear, followed with a silent yelp from Persephone, still in his grip. Hercules points at the burnt girl and calls him out for harming her, but Hades barks if Meg knows he's been hitting on other women and to find himself another damsel in distress if he's that insecure. The befuddled Hercules doesn't think it's the appropriate time to clarify some trivial accusation and demands again for Persephone to be set free.
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> Hades looks at him, then Persephone, whereafter a toothy grin appears on his face. He proclaims he knows where to find him if he truly cares, then disappears with her in a puff of smoke.
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***CHAPTER 10: The Star is Persephone**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> Back in the Underworld, Hades is dragging along Persephone to the Pit of Death, a scene all too familiar. He releases her near the edge and turns to the entrance, waiting for Hercules to show up.
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> Persephone wants to explain herself again and admits to have contemplated helping the opposition, but Hades doesn't seem to care and won't acknowledge her. She begins to sob and mutters his name in her grief, but as he turns his head, Hercules comes barging in, demanding his attention again.
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> He stomps towards the villain, who grabs onto the fabric of Persephone's bust and raises her off the ground, followed with the warning he won't come out of it alive this time after giving up on his deity privileges. Hercules stops, then angrily shouts that his abuse of innocent people should've stripped him of his privileges long ago. Hades smirks if he's jealous that he had to work for his godhood, a petty question that's wisely ignored.
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> Hercules growls at him to let Persephone go, but with her hovering above the lake of souls, Hades jovially asks if he's sure.
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> She tearfully pleads with Hades, who expresses theatrical confusion upon seeing her resisting him, as she's always been so insistent on doing his every bidding. He smiles her death will greatly help him out if it means the end of his number one enemy.
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> Seeing the emotionally hurt Persephone even think about giving up fills Hercules with disgust. He tells her not to let him throw her away like a used rag just because she thinks to owe him. Hades snarls at him to be quiet and threateningly shakes his victim. Though Persephone wants to speak up, she can't make herself do it and just cries more tears.
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> Hercules calls him a failed god, unworthy of Persephone's loyalty. Hades appears to take slight insult to that and asks where his interest in her even came from, if not only to get information out of her. Hercules answers the other gods are concerned, but Hades interrupts and corrects it's him they're worried about, as nothing would've stopped them from approaching Persephone months ago, who routinely left the Underworld without supervision. Since Hercules can only speak for himself and was made aware just recently, he doesn't respond. Hades grins what he'll do now.
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> Hercules looks at Persephone, wholly unmotivated to fight against her master, then turns to Hades, and asks what he'll do if he decides not to jump after her. He chuckles at the unusual comment coming from the most celebrated hero in Greece.
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> The two men give each other an intense, combative stare. Hades puts the sincerity of it to the test by moving some of his fingers to Persephone's throat. It visibly puts Hercules on edge, yet Persephone's stories enter his mind and he's is curious to see if there's any truth to the supposed care he has for her. With Hades still not having disposed of what should be a replaceable slave, he thinks she might very well be of greater importance than he lets on.
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> The girl's neck slowly slips into his hand, her sobs becoming gasps for air. Hercules' muscles tense up, this is as far as he can allow it to go, but before he can draw the sprint, sees he's not the only one disturbed by the sounds.
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> Hades' face has lost all the cocky confidence it had before. His stretched arm trembles, though it's subtle. As a last attempt to entice "wonderboy", Hades smirks to come get her, but Hercules makes a last bold choice and stays put.
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> Though the pressure on her neck is great, Persephone feels the smoky touch of Hades' lower half ever so briefly bumping the soles of her feet, giving her moments of relief. Nevertheless, Hercules' refusal to give in is greatly stressing him out. To not have control over a situation draws the worst out of him, and his overpowering desire to kill his mortal enemy -a possible chance of reinstating the first prophesy given by the Fates- grows his desperation. With hesitance, yet clear intent, he starts to make the motion to finally chuck her down the lake.
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> Persephone screams out for mercy, her arms embracing his. He looks up at her, his knuckle still around her neck, forcing her head upwards. It's an image he's seen before, but can't directly recall. Her tired eyes are locked onto his, the shine it once had seemingly fading.
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> Then, the realization hits; their long search has been a waste of time. Persephone is the star.
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> He places her back down, his fingers slowly moving away from her. Hercules wastes no time and speeds towards them to punch Hades down into the ground. Before he can get on top of him and repeat the abuse, Persephone throws herself onto Hades. Hercules accepts she might have a low tolerance for violence and stretches out his hand to offer her to come with him, but she declines.
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> Hercules warns her he'll only have eyes for her as long she benefits him in some way, but she replies her soul to still belong to him and can't leave. She gives him a warm smile, then apologizes for making him think she was in danger.
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> The comment has some strong insinuation, one Hades himself doesn't even look convinced of, but with Persephone not wanting to leave, Hercules knows there's no point in taking her by force. He advices her to pray for the gods if she ever finds herself in danger, and that that god should not be Hades.
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> The floored Hades bark at him to get out of his house, which he does, but not before shoving him into the Pit of Death. Hades goes down with a splash and is heard swearing down below, urging the careless Persephone to jump after him. Hercules' moment of panic is brief, as Hades climbs out with her in his arms, followed by more swearing.
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> Hercules looks at the two, already not paying attention to him anymore. He doesn't like leaving her behind, but what can he do.
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> As he walks off, he can still hear their echoing voices in the distance, with Persephone reassuring Hades she was not kissing Hercules, and him saying to know. It all makes him wonder, was it actually a scheme..?
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***CHAPTER 11: The Future of Persephone**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> Hades leisurely strolls towards the golden Olympus gate. Upon arrival, he shouts "ding dong", and is quickly met with Hermes. He's not happy to see him, by all means, and demands the reason for the banished god's visit.
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> Hades happily announces his upcoming wedding and wishes to invite everyone to the party. Hermes cackles at the invitation and asks if he really thinks they'll accept. He answers to know they won't, but just wanted break the news to the gossiping bunch of yes-men, hoping they'll seethe for all eternity knowing his wife is a hot babe.
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> With that, he turns around and and flies away on his chariot, waving Hermes goodbye, who doesn't know what expression to take upon having witnessed this level of pettiness. Even more disappointing is how he's proven right when the other gods respond almost insulted by the news.
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> Hades' chariot stops at a beautiful house, with walls covered in flowers. A pregnant woman watches the ominous-looking vehicle land and hurries herself outside. She jumps in his arms and proclaims ready to go, but Hades tells her not yet, since her cheeks still look a tad pale.
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> Because the Underworld is meant for the dead and can't be inhabited by living creatures, Persephone has to return to the surface every few months to regain her energy, or risk becoming a permanent resident as a deceased soul. Meanwhile, the demanding job of maintaining these souls allows Hades to grace her with only short visits.
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> The relationship between this human and Underworld god comes with many compromises and preparations, yet seems to come natural to them, though the desire to see each other grows unbearably strong at times.
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> Hades gives her a dead flower to "make her feel more at home in her overly cutesy doll house", an insult she takes as a compliment, and promises to have everything in order for the ceremony when she returns to the Underworld. Persephone won't let go after the obvious goodbye, though, so he turns into smoke and reappears behind her to flick her ear. She smiles at his antics and grabs him again, wishing to give him a kiss, but Hades catches a hiker, who screams in terror upon witnessing such a terrible ship.
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> He reminds her to watch the affection when they're out in the open, to which she promises to be extra affectionate. He rolls his eyes, but smiles, glad to have ensured himself a gratifying future.
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## Characters

### Hades

Hades is the canon villain from Hercules.

After his embarrassing defeat in the first movie, he was banished from ever entering Mount Olympus and his fellow gods refuse to engage with him. Dissatisfied with the outcome, Hades begged the Fates to give him another glimpse of the future, and after being told seemingly positive news, he began preparing for another takeover. Meanwhile, he received the calls of a desperate husband, a rare occurrence, but one he didn't think much of. He accepted to take the young woman named Persephone, someone he quickly learned to be of much greater importance than he could've guessed.

Despite being so different from each other and the power dynamic between them, they grew very close. Hades' worsened distrust and low opinion on mortals made it take a while to return Persephone's kindness and accept it as genuine.

Though he considered her merely a friend at the time, he became angry upon finding Hercules touching her and responded unreasonably. The incident was his realization he'd fallen for her.

### Persephone

Persephone, called "Persey" by Hades, is his human servant. She's 20 years old.

Gods are greatly respected by her, regardless of their role and reputation, and Persephone was taught humans cannot question their actions or meddle in their business. Her high level of tolerance -and sometimes oblivious kindness- urged Hades to eventually return the favour and tone down his usual deception, comments, and overall antics towards her. Meanwhile, living with him made her more assertive.

She was born in one of the more peaceful areas of Greece, where few mythical creatures roamed. Prior to working for Hades, she's never locked eyes with large and dangerous beasts, and is scared of them. She accepts small creatures and those deemed gods, as she believes size to determine docility and deities to be part of the natural order.

Regardless of someone's appearance, though, Persephone tries to treat everyone like they're a normal person, which leads to comically awkward moments.

Her home life was a strenuous one. Her mother was chronically ill and in need of constant care. Her father claimed it started after she was born, and thus his choice to sacrifice her is assumed by Hades not to be random desperation. Persephone herself is unsure, as he's always been a kind father to her.

Her family used to be wealthy, but the many years of trying to cure her mother was budget-draining and left them with nothing but a cottage and a few basic possessions. When her mother became immobile, Persephone took on the job of maintaining the house and keeping everyone fed, while her father only had eyes for his declining wife.

Her relationship with them worsened after she chose to return to Hades, opposed to begging him to be released. Her mother proclaimed to wait for her until she's "come back to her senses".

Persephone is described to possess an almost otherworldly, divine beauty. She's curvy, has a round face, small mouth, pink-coloured eyes, long wavy red hair, and wears a long white robe with black sandals.

### Hercules

Hercules is the canon titular character from Hercules.

He makes a late entrance in the story as the hero that tries to rescue Persephone. As a matured hero, he always tries his best to determine the right course of action to take when assisting people, though meeting Persephone introduced him to a difficult challenge; and he wasn't sure how to deal with her as a "voluntary slave".

The situation made him wonder if she was in the right state of mind. He entertained the possibility she was being mind-controlled or Hades charmed her with false acts of affection, but with no explanation offered to why he'd put this kind of effort in keeping around a mere human girl, he couldn't say for sure.

Since she'd been with him for many months and the Olympian gods expressed worry for Hades' active search for Astraeus, Hercules wished to obtain her help and have Hades' intentions revealed, yet couldn't convince her to betray her master for the greater good.

He met with a surprisingly violent and powerful Hades after he was mistaken to be flirting with her. This and Persephone's high opinion of him he kept in mind against his stand-off with Hades, where he made the risky move to call his bluff and not save Persephone from getting dropped into the Pit of Death.

Though he disapproves of their relationship, much like the other gods and her parents, he understands it not to be his business.

## Gallery

**Alternate cover sketch.**
 *(Wiki exclusive upload, 2021)***Persephone's first design next to the current one**
 *(Wiki exclusive upload, 2021)*
## Trivia

* The original Persephone was the goddess of spring and daughter of Zeus and one of his own sisters.
* Persephone has (debatably) big ears and is made fun of by Hades every time he sees them.