Once upon a rewrite

Hades And Persephone?

The year came to an end, and it was time to return to the earth. The air would take on a biting edge every time I would visit. Things would begin to rot, falling to their deaths and setting the world with the hope of new life. I would get a glimpse of life above. It was a short but sweet time that I cherished because Demeter's creations were beautiful even in death. As the leaves lost their green hue, they took on red oranges and yellows, scattering the ground. However, once that beauty began to fade, I became much less comfortable with the world above.Images flash from the past, a damp cave so dark that I couldn't even see my hand in front of me. There were voices, oh there were voices each from different families from the same clan. All because Kronos thought that we would overthrow him, a stupid prophecy said by a drunk man. Hestia barely survived, refusing to leave her hearth. Hara married Zeus but only because he saved her, something she had been dreaming about since she was a little girl. Poseidon has the temperament of a two-year-old. The only one that seems to be doing okay for herself is Demeter. Sure she's a little finicky, but she was the eldest of us. She even became a mother soon after we left the cave.Then there was me. I thrive in the darkness. When things get too warm, I run from them. The light burns my eyes and sticks to my skin. I creep away. Even now, as I walk Demeter's garden, I find the sickly sweet stench of flowers to be creeping up my nose. I used to come once a year. Demeter said it helped the plants grow to have death take out the strong and give the weak a chance. She hadn't wanted me around as much after her child had been born. Only five minutes in the sun, and my head began to pound.I looked across the ground, searching for even a hint of darkness in Demeter's haven. I hadn't expected to find any, last I had been here. There wasn't even a hint something about her daughter's eyes being too precious for darkness. I was pleasantly surprised to see a shady patch not too far ahead.The flowers had been just as colorful, but something was different about them. The air was slicker, reminding me a touch of home. Even the smell was strange compared to the rest rather than the sickly sweet scent of flowers, the air taken on a musty dark and even dare I say a putrid edge to it.I found myself feeling almost at home. It wasn't home. It was still too bright to colorful, and too sunny for me, but there was something almost familiar. I sat down upon a makeshift bench beneath a tree. My eyes drew down, listening only to the steady beating of my heart. Not even the birds chirp here."What are you doing in my garden?" A chilling female voice asked. I peeked my eyes open to see a young woman standing in front of me."I don't believe this is your garden nymph as I know the owner. So if you wish to keep that pretty head upon your neck, I would recommend leaving me in peace." I said, closing my eyes once more, leaving the threat to sit between us."More like leaving you in pieces." she wasn't standing across the Glenn anymore, not if the sharp edge at my throat had anything to say about it."You're messing with the wrong God, little nymph," I said, not a care in the world."no, I think it is you who is messing with the wrong god," she said, digging the blade into my throat, causing the tiniest bead of blood to dribble down my neck."little Nymph, I hope that cut was worth it, cause that is the last you are going to get" My eyes flashed open; I yanked her wrist forward, sending her toppling over my lap. She struggled to get her balance back, not noticing that I had snatched the knife from her hand. With one arm, I held her to my lap. She squirmed enough that she wasn't facing me anymore. She was pulling and writhing to get away."Littel Nymph, what did I tell you? You picked the wrong battle." I murmured into her ear, catching the scent of vanilla on her skin."But I am malevolent. I let you go; I hope you learned your lesson not to pick fights with the God of death," I whispered into her ear. Her head turned to meet mine are... Just a hair length away from one another, her ruby lips pulled up into a smirk."No, I hope you learned your lesson." She said, standing up for my lap. My wrists and ankles entangled in vines. The vines bit into my skin no matter how I yanked and pulled up, and they wouldn't break."What a funny little nymph you are, you amused me tell me, is this not Demeter's den?" I asked, killing each vine one by one. Her eyes grew round before a grin crept up her face, a little spark in her eye igniting."This is a part of Demeter den, but it was a gift from my mother to me." She said, taking a step closer. I was able to realize what a pretty thing she was. Her hair was long, so long that it almost reached her waist, her eyes were big, and round she had a delicate frame. It was a wonder that the wind and blow her over."I see. I'm sorry for the intrusion. I hope you understand that I was merely trying to do my job." I stood up, ready to walk out."And we come back to the original question, what were you doing here. No job that I know of would have you sleeping," She asked, putting her hand on her hip."What a funny question, but I will humor you with an answer. I am the God of death; I am merely here to take care of the problem. That problem is the overgrowth in your mother's garden." I said, deciding to humor her."So you're the Hades that I heard of," she said."so you've heard of me.""Of course, I have mother talked about you when I was young. Not much but a little. I hear, unlike mother, you embrace darkness rather than hide from it." She said, clicking her tongue."Yes, the darkness is what I know your mother is a much brighter kind of God than I." Her eyes got a strange look that I didn't quite recognize."Would you agree that both light and darkness are essential to child-rearing?" She asked."What are you asking, little nymph.""simply that when life is too easy a child becomes spoiled reckless and seeks out danger," she said"what are you after," I asked, catching on."Mother wishes to hide me from the world. She wishes for my childhood to be sunshine and daisies. Despite that, she can't keep me from everything. She shelters me from the world in a captivating way. I wish to ask you a favor, a small favor." She said"and what would that favor be?""That you simply take me to the of the underworld with you, not forever, just for a short time." She said."Does your mother know about this," I asked?"You're only six years older than me. Did you ask your mother's permission to leave the house six years ago?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. I noticed the habit already forming."You misunderstand, little nymph. I merely asked to respect your mother's wishes." Your mother wanting you to see the brighter side of life is not a crime, merely a hope for a better future for her child, one that she did not get to experience for long.""But to smother her already adult child is almost as bad as to neglect. Every gift she gives me is merely another thing she uses to spy on my free time. She even hates the flowers I decide to grow. Will you help me or not." She said, crossing her arms with a bit of a huff"if your mother agrees, I will take you for three months, no more or less. You can see what the darkness is like and run back to your sunshine." I said, rolling my eyes, but on the inside, I was curious to see what reaction she'd have next."You have yourself a deal, Prince of darkness." She said, smiling up at me, her hand outstretched. With that, I knew it would be an interesting three months.