𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍° ! percy jackson

𝐢.𝐱𝐱 - 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲? (𝐚)

Aurora had only been to Hades' palace once, and it was when she was just born. Persephone was so excited to get Hades' blessing for her new little girl, and twelve years ago, he attempted to blast her. And then hold her. Like, bipolar, much?

But Aurora had never actually inspected her stepfather's—and mother's—home. The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two-story-tall bronze gates stood wide open. Up close, the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times, but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. It was like looking at prophecies that had come true.

Inside the courtyard was the most familiar place Aurora had ever been. Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs, and luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as her fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Her mother's garden and presence was like a second home to Aurora, and she felt a sense of warmth and comfort, even in the most grotesque and gloomy place on Earth.

In the center of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking. No offense, Rory."

"Is that you?" Percy snorted, pointing to a statue, a futile attempt at making a joke. Persephone was holding a small child in her arms, and Aurora's heart jumped to her throat. At her reaction, Percy did a double take, and it actually was. Her face, her eyelashes, her half a dimple when she smiled... the statue was down to a tee, even etching in the love on Persephone's face as she lovingly cared for her demigod child.

"Oh my gods." Aurora gasped, her words hushed. She could feel the presence of her mother, like a hand warmly embracing her hardened heart.

They continued walking. A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guard—two US Marine skeletons, very chill—stepped aside.

"I guess that means entrez-vous," Annabeth murmured bleakly.

Aurora should've been scared. But she felt nothing but anger. Hades stood there, looming over them. He was at least ten feet tall and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder-length and jet black. He radiated power, just like Percy. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful, and dangerous as a panther. However, staring at the man who tormented her for her entire childhood, Aurora didn't feel any fear in her body, only a burning ball of fire in her stomach that was bound to be released.

"Bitch." Aurora snarled. Annabeth quickly grabbed the girl's arm as Hades' lips curled into a daring and revolted smirk.

"Child." He greeted her with a darker voice. "I will deal with you later. The Son of Poseidon is brave to come here. After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

"Percy has two requests." Aurora stated plainly, completely scrapping their carefully thought out plan Annabeth had worked so hard to create. Percy gulped and stepped forward.

Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. "Only two requests? Arrogant children. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet."

Percy swallowed thickly, looking like he was about to be sick. Aurora glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades. Of course it was smaller, she grumbled to herself. If her mother had been there, she could calm her ridiculous husband's moods. But given that she wasn't, and her forbidden daughter was, mentioning Persephone wasn't going to help. It would probably anger him even more, so Aurora was tempted, but refrained.