What If Hades And Persephone Were Both Women? (Part 2)
Greek Myths With A Twist
Chapter 2
Hades
Hades was sick of people. The way they forced smiles when they were around her, as if she would do something dastardly if she discovered they were unhappy. The way they shrunk in fear, even though they tried to hide it. Even the gods were wary of her, worried she would leave the Underworld and make a mess. But not Perry. For some unidentifiable reason, Perry hadn’t been scared or wary. She had been intrigued. And excited. She had even been interested when Hades had tried flirting. Maybe. Hades shook her head, trying to clear it as she unhitched the horses and led them back to their stalls.
Just because she had met someone who didn’t seem to hate her - an absolutely gorgeous someone, Hades couldn’t help but think - that didn’t mean anything would happen. Hades was trapped in the Underworld. The only way to go into the real world was to distract the guards Zeus put at her door and bribe Charon to row her across the river Styx. And it wasn’t like she had very much to bribe Charon with. So no. Nothing would happen. And yet… Hades couldn’t help but wonder as she silently snuck back inside the palace. Wonder what if. What if Perry really liked her? What if they became friends? What if they became more than friends? Hades sat down on her bed and closed her eyes, bringing up an image of Perry in her mind. Dark skin and wide, innocent eyes. A genuine smile and her body full of curves in a way Hades had never seen before. Everyone in the underworld was as thin as a stick; even Hades herself was no more than skin and bone, no matter how much she ate or exercised. Perry looked healthy. Perry looked alive.
Hades couldn’t help but smile as she pictured Perry’s hopeful look. “Do you think you’ll come back?” She had asked. As if she really wanted Hades to return. No one had ever wanted Hades to return. It would be difficult, Hades thought to herself. Traveling to the above world again so soon would be risky. But maybe it would be worth it. An image of Perry’s blue eyes, twinkling with the hope that they would see each other again flickered through Hades mind. Yes. It would be worth it.
“Come on, Cerberus,” Hades whispered desperately. “Please, just go out the gate. You know you want to.” It was the next afternoon and Hades was trying her very best to let the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld escape. That would surely distract Zeus’s guards for a few hours.
“Fine,” Hades muttered reluctantly, reaching into her bag. Pulling out a hunk of rotten meat, she shot Cerberus an angry glare. “I can’t believe you’re making me touch this” she complained as she threw the meat as far into the river Styx as she could manage. With an excited bark, Cerberus took off out the back gate, bounding into the river and splashing the lost souls hovering by the bank.
Quickly slipping on her cap of invisibility, Hades watched as the guards at the front entrance started yelling, trying their best to catch Cerberus, who, having devoured the rotten meat, was now busy frolicking in the water. It was a tough job considering how likely it was that the guards would die if so much as a drop of river water touched them.
Hades hurried to the river, boarding Charon’s raft and tapping him lightly on the shoulder. He spun in a circle before realizing the reason why he couldn’t see his attacker.
“So soon, Hades?” He asked. “You just went out yesterday! I could get in big trouble for this.”
“As could I,” Hades replied quietly. “But I have something I must attend to. No horses this time and I brought your fee.”
“Double my normal fee,” Charon insisted. “Putting me in danger like this.”
Hades wasn’t thrilled, but she also wasn’t particularly surprised. Dropping four drachma into Charon’s outstretched hand, she settled in for the ride.