Hades and Persephone

Chapter 24: Pomegranate

Haahahhaha! I wrote a thing! Its amazing what happens when you find a song that motivates you to write.

"I miss the surface," she whispered.

"Would you like to go back?"

"No. But I miss the sky."

"Then I cannot really help with that. Is it the sun?"

"Not really."

"The blue? I can show you the blue."

"I can make blue. I've made blue."

Hades looked at the woman beside him—the first form of her he had ever seen in that village. Lightning hair fell in waves—

Cold water splashed up on his face and rolled down his back. "Huh?"

"Up and at 'em, melancholy."

The water stuck the tunic uncomfortably to Hades' skin. Wiry hair pressed into his face, he looked over at the basin to find the image of Persephone was carried away with the ripples of the water.

Melancholy. Who calls him—

It means a melancholy countenance.

Now you're just speaking gibberish.

Face. A sad face.

"Persephon-" He turned half expecting the familiar face to fit the name but all the while knowing it wasn't possible. And it was a familiar face, but not her. This one had skin like the Cocytus and translucent hair.

"Aww," Minthe patted his cheek lovingly. "You still scream other women's names."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you want."

"Judging by your reaction, the same thing. Or, something similar."

"I don't employ you to speak in riddles."

She chuckled sourly, trading the now empty wine pitcher in favor of a bowl of fruits. "You don't employ me at all. Last I check Demeter does."

"Did." Minthe growled. Hades raised his eyebrow, waiting for more of an argument.

"I need to get Persephone somewhere safe."

"Last I checked with Zeus she was safe—"

"You know what I mean, Hades!" The fragile bowl shattered onto the stone floor. "I don't give a shit if she's not beat or broken or bloody if it means she's stuck with that!"

"Minthe, my hands are tied—"

"Bullshit, Hades! Bull. Shit. Everything above and below knows you kidnapped that girl and everyone knows that you were the one to send her back!"

"And Zeus was the one to—"

"I don't care! I don't care how broken that godsdamned spine of yours is and how little of a ball sack you have left! You are going to go and get my daughter back before I make you miss that face Cronus—"

Minthe's vision turned white as some horrible sound echoed throughout the room. She was on her hands and knees, inches from the broken bowl and scattered fruit. Hades hoisted her by the collar.

Nose twisted and melted; a slit of an eye purposely cut through an eyelid melted shut. One eye silver, the other black, and a cheek completely fallen off to expose a jaw and teeth.

"You mean this face? The one that I showed you only once and you ran away? I wonder if you'll run to the surface again the moment I put you down." He dropped the nymph to the stone, half heartedly kicking her foot as a warning. "You can come back down when you aren't talking hysterics."