[A/N: okay, so I know that there are like, fifty billion Persephone/hades
stories. But I love this myth, so I rewrote it anyways. Enjoy!]
I first met her when she was a young child. It had been when I was on one of my infrequent trips to Mount Olympus; I was there only because he needed to consult my brother on a delicate topic that could not be easily sent by messenger.
I was about to enter the hall where meetings were held. I had slowly climbed the cold marble steps leading to the hall, dreading entering, knowing that the usual, inevitable cold silence would greet me. I had reached the top, and was hesitantly reaching for the door handle, when she ran into me, literally. She was a small, impish thing then; her large, green eyes sparkled mischievously, and she had lowered her long lashes in an attempt to seem more solemn. It didn't work.
We looked at each other, her and I, for some while. I was a little surprised, truth be told, that I did not know who this childish goddess was, but then again, when had anyone bothered to tell me that a child had been born?
"Who are you?" she had asked, with the air of a child whose curiosity could not be quenched. She spoke in the clumsy tone of one who has just learned to speak. She was about three or four, but gods and goddesses learn speech and gain intellect much more quickly than humans. "I've never seen you here before."
"I am Hades, lord of the Underworld," I had told her, in my usual cold, dignified tone. Her eyes had widened slightly, and she slowly nodded.
"Oh. That would explain it. Uh-I should go. Mamma told me not to talk to yo- I mean, not to talk to strangers," she had hurriedly said, horrified by her mistake. Her childlike innocence amused me, then, but I was also just a little hurt. She started to skip away.
"Wait—who are you? And who is your mother?" I said, unable to resist myself. She slowly turned her head back to face mine, and replied.
"Mamma is Demeter. And I'm Kore." she said, a lock of red hair twisted in her finger. With that, she left.
I went into that meeting, slightly dazed by this slight, young chit. I don't think I even noticed the usual stony silence that greeted me, or the hard, dark looks some threw at me.
'''''''''''''''
Ever since that one, fatal meeting, I had looked for her. I had been given a wonderful object by the spirit of a sorcerer; it was a scrying glass, so that I could look up into the world. Earth was where Kore mainly stayed; not surprising, since both her and her mother, Demeter, were earth and harvest goddesses.
I disliked my intrusion on her, and so in the year she turned seven by mortal standards, I cast aside the scrying glass, though I sorely resented the loss of seeing her. She was such a sweet girl, always trying to help mortals and such. Some might say that she was an opposite of me—life, where I was death, sunshine, where I was the cold blackness of the new moon.
I still don't know today why I looked for her. I could have seen any other more amusing thing with my scrying glass, but I always searched for her. I believe it was because she was one person, one living person, who did not meet me with dark glances, with disgust, with anything. I had only met her once, yet her influence over me grew, and I found myself thinking of her more and more of her each day.
Consequentially, because I set aside my spying, I did not see her again until she was probably around fourteen or fifteen, once again by mortal standards. I had gone up to earth to free the spirit of a man whose daughters curse had attempted to bind him to the earth. I easily undid the curse, and sent him on his way.
Many people think I like gloom, doom and darkness, but it is not so. I enjoy sunlight and flowers and whatnot on occasion, but I did not go aboveground often, for I found that it made going back more difficult.
I was strolling about a sunny meadow when I came across her with a few sprites. They were giggling and teasing, but as they saw me, all went quiet. Kore squinted at me, trying to remember who I was. The sprites glared at me.
We stood for some time in an awkward silence, her with her friends, and I alone. Finally, the sprites turned their backs on me, and pulled Kore with them.
"Wait," I heard her say. "I'll be back in a second. You go on without me; I'll catch up." The sprites hesitantly agreed, and left. Once they were a good distance away, Kore turned to me. Her green eyes flickered over me, taking in my pale skin, dark blue eyes, and ebony black hair. I stood uncomfortably, but took the opportunity to view her, too.
She had grown while I hadn't seen her. She was just entering womanhood, but had obviously developed early, for she had pleasingly curved hips and form and small, high, but developed, breasts. Her hair was a reddish auburn, and the spiraling curls cascaded down her back. She had a sweet face, with full, pouting petal lips, a delicate nose, and, of course, her long lashed, large, emerald green eyes, toped by finely arched eyebrows. Her cheekbones were prominent, but not sharply so. She was beautiful.
"Do I know you?" She asked, a crease of puzzlement on her forehead. I tried to appear unattached.
"I believed we have met once, but you were but a babe then," I said, carefully coolly. She nodded. "Yes, you seem familiar, though not overly so. What is your name?" She asked.
"Hades," I replied, softly. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh," She replied. "I am Kore."
"Kore," I echoed, frowning. It did not suit her. I would find something more appropriate one day.
"My lord, pardon me if this seems impetuous, but I have always heard that you always remained in the Underworld, occasionally visiting Olympus. Are you fond of the earth, too?" she asked, timidly.
"Yes, though not many know it. It is beautiful here, and I sometimes enjoy it," I answered.
"Do you" Here she placed her hand, unthinkingly, upon mine. It was warm and soft "Ever miss it up here? Surely yo must dislike the darkness?" she asked, something akin to concern in her eyes.
"No," I replied, hard, jerking my hand away. How dare she insult my kingdom in such a way! No one realized that the underworld was a beautiful place, too. Beautiful in a different way, but lovely none the less.
"Oh!" she said, surprised. She smiled tentatively. "I apologize."
With a sigh, I waved away her apology, and made my expression less hard.
"My lord, what do you do out today? Business, I presume," she said.
"What makes you say that? Perhaps I am out her for a pleasure jaunt, perhaps to talk to a beautiful young goddess such as yourself," She blushed, and smiled. I smiled back, shyly. "And please, don't call me 'my lord.' Call me Hades."
"Thank you, m-Hades. You flatter me," she said, still smiling.
"It is not flattery when it is the truth, dearest," I replied, softly now. I reached a hand to her cheek, and she stepped forward slightly to get closer. In could feel her sweet breath on my chest, and I would have kissed her, wanted to kiss her, had not—
"KORE!" Demeter screeched. Kore tore herself away from me, and I jerked away, too, just as Demeter came into view.
"Ah, Demeter," I said to her smoothly, coolly, not hint of a smile anymore. "I was just talking to your lovely daughter here." I turned and smiled at Kore. Demeter glared at me. "Well, don't!" Demeter said brusquely. I raised a dark eyebrow at her, then bowed. I vanished and transported myself back to my home.
It was not till that night that I realized how I had felt with Kore. Was it—love?
[:-D! Hope you liked. I'll update soon!
X aeriel ravenna]
I first met her when she was a young child. It had been when I was on one of my infrequent trips to Mount Olympus; I was there only because he needed to consult my brother on a delicate topic that could not be easily sent by messenger.
I was about to enter the hall where meetings were held. I had slowly climbed the cold marble steps leading to the hall, dreading entering, knowing that the usual, inevitable cold silence would greet me. I had reached the top, and was hesitantly reaching for the door handle, when she ran into me, literally. She was a small, impish thing then; her large, green eyes sparkled mischievously, and she had lowered her long lashes in an attempt to seem more solemn. It didn't work.
We looked at each other, her and I, for some while. I was a little surprised, truth be told, that I did not know who this childish goddess was, but then again, when had anyone bothered to tell me that a child had been born?
"Who are you?" she had asked, with the air of a child whose curiosity could not be quenched. She spoke in the clumsy tone of one who has just learned to speak. She was about three or four, but gods and goddesses learn speech and gain intellect much more quickly than humans. "I've never seen you here before."
"I am Hades, lord of the Underworld," I had told her, in my usual cold, dignified tone. Her eyes had widened slightly, and she slowly nodded.
"Oh. That would explain it. Uh-I should go. Mamma told me not to talk to yo- I mean, not to talk to strangers," she had hurriedly said, horrified by her mistake. Her childlike innocence amused me, then, but I was also just a little hurt. She started to skip away.
"Wait—who are you? And who is your mother?" I said, unable to resist myself. She slowly turned her head back to face mine, and replied.
"Mamma is Demeter. And I'm Kore." she said, a lock of red hair twisted in her finger. With that, she left.
I went into that meeting, slightly dazed by this slight, young chit. I don't think I even noticed the usual stony silence that greeted me, or the hard, dark looks some threw at me.
'''''''''''''''
Ever since that one, fatal meeting, I had looked for her. I had been given a wonderful object by the spirit of a sorcerer; it was a scrying glass, so that I could look up into the world. Earth was where Kore mainly stayed; not surprising, since both her and her mother, Demeter, were earth and harvest goddesses.
I disliked my intrusion on her, and so in the year she turned seven by mortal standards, I cast aside the scrying glass, though I sorely resented the loss of seeing her. She was such a sweet girl, always trying to help mortals and such. Some might say that she was an opposite of me—life, where I was death, sunshine, where I was the cold blackness of the new moon.
I still don't know today why I looked for her. I could have seen any other more amusing thing with my scrying glass, but I always searched for her. I believe it was because she was one person, one living person, who did not meet me with dark glances, with disgust, with anything. I had only met her once, yet her influence over me grew, and I found myself thinking of her more and more of her each day.
Consequentially, because I set aside my spying, I did not see her again until she was probably around fourteen or fifteen, once again by mortal standards. I had gone up to earth to free the spirit of a man whose daughters curse had attempted to bind him to the earth. I easily undid the curse, and sent him on his way.
Many people think I like gloom, doom and darkness, but it is not so. I enjoy sunlight and flowers and whatnot on occasion, but I did not go aboveground often, for I found that it made going back more difficult.
I was strolling about a sunny meadow when I came across her with a few sprites. They were giggling and teasing, but as they saw me, all went quiet. Kore squinted at me, trying to remember who I was. The sprites glared at me.
We stood for some time in an awkward silence, her with her friends, and I alone. Finally, the sprites turned their backs on me, and pulled Kore with them.
"Wait," I heard her say. "I'll be back in a second. You go on without me; I'll catch up." The sprites hesitantly agreed, and left. Once they were a good distance away, Kore turned to me. Her green eyes flickered over me, taking in my pale skin, dark blue eyes, and ebony black hair. I stood uncomfortably, but took the opportunity to view her, too.
She had grown while I hadn't seen her. She was just entering womanhood, but had obviously developed early, for she had pleasingly curved hips and form and small, high, but developed, breasts. Her hair was a reddish auburn, and the spiraling curls cascaded down her back. She had a sweet face, with full, pouting petal lips, a delicate nose, and, of course, her long lashed, large, emerald green eyes, toped by finely arched eyebrows. Her cheekbones were prominent, but not sharply so. She was beautiful.
"Do I know you?" She asked, a crease of puzzlement on her forehead. I tried to appear unattached.
"I believed we have met once, but you were but a babe then," I said, carefully coolly. She nodded. "Yes, you seem familiar, though not overly so. What is your name?" She asked.
"Hades," I replied, softly. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh," She replied. "I am Kore."
"Kore," I echoed, frowning. It did not suit her. I would find something more appropriate one day.
"My lord, pardon me if this seems impetuous, but I have always heard that you always remained in the Underworld, occasionally visiting Olympus. Are you fond of the earth, too?" she asked, timidly.
"Yes, though not many know it. It is beautiful here, and I sometimes enjoy it," I answered.
"Do you" Here she placed her hand, unthinkingly, upon mine. It was warm and soft "Ever miss it up here? Surely yo must dislike the darkness?" she asked, something akin to concern in her eyes.
"No," I replied, hard, jerking my hand away. How dare she insult my kingdom in such a way! No one realized that the underworld was a beautiful place, too. Beautiful in a different way, but lovely none the less.
"Oh!" she said, surprised. She smiled tentatively. "I apologize."
With a sigh, I waved away her apology, and made my expression less hard.
"My lord, what do you do out today? Business, I presume," she said.
"What makes you say that? Perhaps I am out her for a pleasure jaunt, perhaps to talk to a beautiful young goddess such as yourself," She blushed, and smiled. I smiled back, shyly. "And please, don't call me 'my lord.' Call me Hades."
"Thank you, m-Hades. You flatter me," she said, still smiling.
"It is not flattery when it is the truth, dearest," I replied, softly now. I reached a hand to her cheek, and she stepped forward slightly to get closer. In could feel her sweet breath on my chest, and I would have kissed her, wanted to kiss her, had not—
"KORE!" Demeter screeched. Kore tore herself away from me, and I jerked away, too, just as Demeter came into view.
"Ah, Demeter," I said to her smoothly, coolly, not hint of a smile anymore. "I was just talking to your lovely daughter here." I turned and smiled at Kore. Demeter glared at me. "Well, don't!" Demeter said brusquely. I raised a dark eyebrow at her, then bowed. I vanished and transported myself back to my home.
It was not till that night that I realized how I had felt with Kore. Was it—love?
[:-D! Hope you liked. I'll update soon!
X aeriel ravenna]