Zeus stood in the middle of the dark gathering, a brow arched in surprise. "It seems I arrived at a most…opportune moment," he remarked cheekily as he placed a hand on his hip and looked at Hades expectantly.

Hades had managed to stop himself from sneering disdainfully at his brother. He was in no mood to entertain another wanton god. "Your flashy intrusion has been most… inconvenient. While I gave you permission to enter and leave my realm as you pleased, I was expecting a word at least pro forma." Hades mentally sighed. It probably was pointless to ask for decorum from someone like Zeus.

"I had an urgent matter to discuss with you." The lightning god shrugged.

Hades frowned. "Very well." He turned to the large gathering and nodded dismissively. "This meeting is over. You may all leave –"

"Oh, no need," Zeus cut in. The Chthonic gods scowled at the blatant disrespect against their king. "It is but a short message. She wants her goddess back."

Hades pretended not to notice the slight and the disapproving looks around the room and tilted his head to the side. "Demeter?" he asked tonelessly.

Zeus shook his head. "Her too, but I'm talking mostly about Gaia."

"Gaia?"

"I'm sorry Hades," Zeus seemed appropriately apologetic as he spoke but the sincerity was questionable. "I can't go against Nature and she wants – what's that name again? – ah, Persephone back."

"Hmm…"

The ominous hum had managed to turn every head to the back of the room. The gods parted to make way as Tartarus sauntered toward the sky king. "Gaia is involved in this too, I see."

Zeus grinned at the new arrival. "Mother has been involved in this since the beginning. She sends you her regards by the way." He produced a black rose with a wave of his hand and tossed the flower towards the Pit god. "She said to pass this to you when I see you here."

Tartarus forgotten, he turned his attention back towards Hades, "Regardless, the mortal world is slowly descending into chaos. Gaia refuses to act while Demeter is currently killing everyone above. Wars have already begun and starvation is running rampant. Demeter is growing weaker and weaker and she is losing Gaia's favor. Gaia has given you an ultimatum: Return Persephone or Demeter dies."

He conjures an image above the crowd of Demeter in her darkest moods. It showed her wandering in the snowfields calling Kore's name desperately and weakly before finally collapsing.

"Mama!" At that moment, Kore emerged from her hiding spot. She staggered towards the image of her dying mother but her knees became too weak to carry her weight as she fell haplessly on the floor.

After a short pause, Zeus smiled at the sobbing goddess. "Hello, child. I haven't seen you since your induction. You were this tall then and very adorable." He gestured to his knees. "Now you've bloomed magnificently. How are you doing? How is your marriage? Is my brother Hades treating you well?"

Hades glared at Zeus before growling a low, "Get out."

Zeus' eyes widened as he felt himself forcefully removed from the Underworld and unceremoniously dropped at the mouth of one of the entrances to the realm below. He immediately climbed up to his feet and dusted himself nonchalantly before heading back toward his palace. The little lie about the ultimatum should speed the game towards the finish.

888

"Everyone, get out," Hades repeated. Sensing their king's need to be alone, everyone obeyed, except for a couple.

"Aidon —" Nyx began but she was interrupted when Hades' raised a hand without looking at her. She gave Kore an encouraging smile before she turned away and dragged her husband with her.

"You're running out of time, Aidon," Tartarus said in an uncharacteristically solemn voice, breaking the silence as he burned the black rose and crushed the ashes in his hand before turning and following his siblings out.

Hades turned to face Kore and the sight broke his heart. He approached her and took her in his arms, which she immediately returned, rocking her in silence until her tears subsided and her sobs quieted.

They held each other just like that for a long while.

"I can't stay."

Hades nodded. "She needs you."

"But you need me too."

He laughed quietly. "You can't be in two places at once. Go to her. You don't need to stay in Hades anymore. You're… free."

Her eyes were clouded by tears again. "If I leave, will I never be able to come back?"

Hades kissed her forehead and whispered, "My doors are always open to you. If you need to go, I won't begrudge you. Just keep me in your thoughts and that is enough for me."

Kore smiled as they both stood up. "Goodbye, Aidon."

He choked on his reply as he watched her walk away. But before she could go far, he chased after her, grabbed her arm, turned her around, cupped her cheek, and crushed his lips against hers.

Her lips were so soft, so tender and so sweet, he could have kissed her for all eternity and never let go. In this kiss he poured all his sorrow, his passion, his fear, his desire, his agony, and his love. He wanted her to know, in just that one earthshattering moment, everything that he felt for her. He had wanted time to stop, to relish their first kiss that sparked a hundred feelings in him all at once.

But everything had to end.

The kiss left Kore dazed as she watched him pull back and whisper a soft "I love you."

I love you.

Those three words resonated within her and suddenly she had a name for the newfound feelings she had for him. She wanted to be with him, beside him, always. She wanted to laugh with him, hold him just like they did a few moments ago, and share everything with him. For the first time, she realized that this separation would kill her too.

"I love you too, Aidon."

Hope renewed, Hades produced a pomegranate and held it between them. "Then, will you marry me and become my wife?"

Kore went silent as she stared at the fruit wordlessly.

Seeing the light die in her eyes, Hades immediately explained, "My love, one seed will not force you to stay in my realm but it will be enough to make me your husband and you, my wife."

She wished she could have said yes without his reassurances. She wished she could have eaten the whole fruit wholeheartedly. She wished she could keep her promise about not hurting him. But it was all too late.

"I learned to love you, sour disposition and all, despite the circumstances of our meeting. And though I love you, I cannot ignore my mother's call. Though I promised not to hurt you, here I am, ready to walk away from you. And through your kiss, I felt your silent plea that I cannot grant. Aidoneus…" she looked up at him and held his hand. "I feel unworthy of you yet you choose me still. Why me?"

"Because you make me whole."

Kore pulled back. "Is this about your missing compassion?"

"No. That is merely a part of it." He hooked his fingers under her chin and held her gaze. "You've taught me not to fear love. You've taught me how to smile. You've given me back my happiness. You've taught me how to trust. You have healed me when I have given up on myself and on love. Persephone, I love you. That is why I choose you."

She let his words sink in to her, take root in her heart and let it claim her. No matter what she said, she was his. And no matter what happened from then on, he was hers and no one else's.

"Yes," she smiled lovingly. "I will marry you."

She picked a seed from the fruit and put it in her mouth.

As soon as she did, Hades held her in a tight embrace.

"I know you have to go soon but can we stay like this for a little longer?"

She nodded and held him back.

888

Zeus summoned Hermes impatiently. "The end game is near," he began cryptically once his swift-footed son appeared. "Hurry up and take Persephone away from Hades immediately. Mother grows impatient."

Hermes blinked. "Uh… er, to clarify, you want me to take Persephone away from Uncle Hades?"

"Yes."

"Our uncle with a history of Deicide? The master of Tartarus, Keres and Thanatos?"

"Yes."

"You want me to take the wife of that uncle?"

Zeus just glared impatiently.

Immediately Hermes fell on his knees and cried. "Father! Whatever sin you think I did, I didn't do it! It was Apollo! I swear! I'm still a useful son. I'll do anything but this errand. Please! I don't want to die!"

Zeus smiled kindly at his groveling son. "Don't worry, son. Hades will not kill you. He's very understanding after all. Now go on," he insisted sweetly. "Before you fall out of my favor."

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Hermes wailed his way out of Zeus' palace while internally screaming 'I hate you!' to his father.

Apollo miraculously managed to catch Hermes as he was flying out of Olympus. "Hey, brother, what's wrong? Why are you crying? I don't remember making you cry," he asked, concerned.

"Father wants me to commit suicide!" Hermes cleared his throat as he wiped his tears vigorously. "Besides, who said I was crying?!"

"You're such an actor," Apollo jested as he patted Hermes' back. "What's your newest story this time? Battling Titans? Taking on Artermis' rejection? Thanatos glaring at you?"

Hermes was racked with renewed crying. "I'm going to die. Thanatos is going to rip me a new one. He's not going to just glare at me, he's going to swallow me whole and spit my bones for Cerberus to use as a chew toy!"

"Why, what's going on?"

"Father wants me to take Persephone away from Hades!"

"Oohh," Apollo flinched. "I'll miss you brother. Don't worry, I'll host your post-funeral party."

"This is not funny!"

"No, no it isn't. Gods are dying all around us and we need an earth goddess with us. Listen, you just need to polish you sweet-talk and hope to the Fates that the gods down there don't eat you alive. Just pretend that you're pacifying a girl you've scorned. Bring flowers and everything, if you know what I mean? You've got to give your best to survive out there."

"You're right. I'll give uncle my best pacifying sweet talk! Thanks, Apollo. You're a real brother after all."

"Of course, Hermes. Of course."

As Apollo waved goodbye to the suicidal Hermes, he wondered if he even had a black robe for a funeral…

"Oh, well, time to let the others know."

A/N: Sorry for the extremely slow/late update. I know that this was a horribly short chapter but the reviews and the follows and the favorites kept coming and they were eating through my heart that I just had to do something about it. If you're still reading this, thank you for your support! - Love, Eufuelle.