Heya peeps, this is another short fanfic about our favourite 'Deadly Double-Act' which is based around the Roman origin of April Fools Day… it's the same deal as the others, I don't own Hercules (unfortunately) but I do own Persephone and other original characters and places that pop up during this short story…

I take things from both the film and series and remember, Disney twisted myths to create their storylines so I am tweaking some to make them fit the feel of Hercules…

Little hint: this story takes place somewhere during D.H.L and if you haven't read it or it's predecessors P.o.P or G.W.I you might get confused…

Enjoy and please review…

An 'April Fool's' Errand

Chapter One:The Unknown Holiday

Hades sighed irritated as he and Persephone arrived on Olympus for the springtime celebrations in the Great Coliseum. Every year Zeus threw a big-bash to celebrate the arrival of spring, since the gods hid themselves away during the winter months and left mortals to fed for themselves this was a big deal for the cloud-dwellers. Both Underworld rulers hated it, Persephone especially as she never got any say in the decorations despite spring being her season. So every year they got their invite and groaned over the fact that once again the scroll had 'By Order of Zeus' scrawled in large red-inked letters across the top, this year's letter had a little emoticon of a frowning face holding a stick thin thunder-bolt..

Why did they both get the feeling that Zeus had waaay too much time on his hands..

When they entered the big coliseum both Underworld deities looked around the decorations as though they were a personal insult.

'Yeesh..' Hades groaned inwardly. '-would ya look at all the happy decorations..' The fiery god clasped his hands together as he took in the sickeningly sweet flowers and decorative hearts.

'Uh, I know..' Persephone sounded in the same monotonous voice, thinking that the whole place reminded her of Cupid's Love Factory where the Love God made his arrows. All they needed were some inanely cooing cherubs and they were all set. '-it's all just so cutsie-wutsie..'

'Yeh, well I think I'm gonna pukey-wukey..' Hades sounded then stuck a finger in his mouth and retched in disgust.

'Aww..' A new voice sounded cheerfully from behind them causing the Underworld deities to swivel around and see Hermes grinning at them widely. '-they're not that bad..' The blue Messenger God arched an eyebrow at the flaming deity.

'Oh just ignore him Hermes..' Persephone sounded airily while causing her husband to wince as she elbowed him in the ribs. '-Hades is only doing it for attention..'

'So..' Hermes sounded conversationally complete with big grin. '-how was your winter?'

'Busy..' Persephone responded airily then her husband jumped in before Hermes could ask the follow up question..

'Ya see Twinkle Toes, unlike you guys who lounge around up here we get a full-time gig that Zeus oh-so-generously dumped on us, ya see where I'm goin' with this don'tcha?' The fiery god grinned widely at the tiny blue Messenger God. Hermes blinked but decided for his own personal safety to go along with the Lord of the Underworld.

'Yeh, sure thing, I was only askin' babe no need to blow up in my face..' Hermes' grin twisted into a nervous grimace and he fluttered backwards as Hades' expression darkened a notch.

'Ix-nay on the abe-bay, capeesh bird brain? I ain't your buddy..' Hades sounded in a low threatening air, seizing Hermes by the front of his chiton and pulling him close to his burning red face. Hermes glanced around from assistance from his best friend but unfortunately Persephone could not interfere at that moment as her large green-skinned mother appeared out of the crowd.

'Persephone…' Demeter's voice trilled in that sickly sweet tone her daughter hated. '-cooie!' She waved furiously and made a beeline towards the young Goddess of Life who sighed heavily in a 'what does she want now' manner.

'There you are pumpkin, I was wondering if I could-' Demeter broke off from her words at the sight of a flaming red Hades who was practically throttling a terrified Hermes. 'What in the name of Gaia do you think your doing Hades?' The green-skinned Goddess of Nature squawked irritably with her hands on her hips. At the sound of his mother-in-law's voice Hades returned blue and flashed Demeter an oily grin. He instantly released Hermes who didn't get a chance to escape as Hades wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a close embrace.

'Demeter, my sweet little sunflower..' His voice oozed with charisma as the fiery god schmoozed his mother-in-law shamelessly as ever. '-we were just messin' around..'

Demeter arched an eyebrow at the slightly guilty undertones of her son-in-law's expression then the Goddess of Nature turned to Hermes for confirmation. At least he was an honest god..

Hermes gulped as he caught the 'agree with me if you want to live' look in Hades' eyes. He hated getting in the middle of arguments, especially when it involved the Underworld family as Hades just blackmailed him into taking his side. Hermes then grinned widely at Demeter, trying not to let it be as uneasy as he was.

'Uh, yeh..' Hermes sounded, amazed how bright and breezy his own voice sounded despite the fact that his insides were quivering with fear. '-me and the H-man are always goofing around like this..' He even wrapped an arm around the fiery god's neck to emphasis his point.

Demeter looked satisfied by the answer and smiled at them both, failing to notice the look of total disbelief that was now etched across her daughter's face. Persephone knew fine well that the two of them were far from 'buddies'. Hades only put up with the ever-annoying presence of Hermes in the Underworld because of her, and if she of her mother had not intervened at that moment her darling husband would have been grilling his own Hermes-style shish-kebab using the Messenger God's cadalus as a skewer.

'Anyway..' The cheery voice of her mother brought Persephone back from the mental picture of Hermes being skewered and grilled, the young goddess blinked then turned to Demeter who continued. '-I wanted to talk to you about the flowers on Sicily this year..'

Persephone rolled her eyes wearily.. Oh here it comes..

'What's wrong with my flowers?' Persephone sounded in a slightly defensive tone folding her arms tightly across her chest. She and her mother were now wandering aimlessly away from the gods behind them.

'Oh nothing, nothing..' Demeter sounded instantly but Persephone wasn't buying it. '-it's just that they all seem to be a bit..' The Goddess of Nature paused looking for the right word. '-gloomy, that's all..'

'What do you mean they're all 'a bit gloomy'?' Persephone frowned offended, not liking where this was going. Demeter glanced around the coliseum nervously then lead her daughter to a secluded spot so they could continue in peace. Not many gods on the cloud knew Persephone could manifest a full head of flaming gold hair when she was irritated and the Goddess of Nature wanted to keep it that way.

'Well..' Demeter sounded uneasily, she hated arguing with her child but they never seemed to see eye to eye on the spring theme. '-I thought we agreed that this spring's theme was 'Garden-Fresh'?' Persephone shook her head with incredulity.

'No mother, you just picked the theme yourself and expected me to go along with it.' The young goddess sounded huffily, Demeter always picked the theme. Persephone had wanted to go with 'Morning-Dew' which would consist of snowdrops and primrose with pansies and crocuses poking out to add a subtle hint of colour, keeping the colour low-key until summer when the place would be awash with brilliant colours anyway. Her mother had dismissed that instantly saying that it was too depressing for the surface..

'Look..' Demeter sighed heavily. '-all I'm suggesting is that you add a splash of colour to your flowers, maybe some cerise or sunshine yellow to break up the dull colours you have already..' She cupped her daughter's chin. '-your not in the Underworld now sweetheart, don't be afraid to use a brighter shade now and then..' She beamed at her daughter.

Demeter had never understood Persephone's fascination with dark and dismal colours. She had been attracted to them as long as the Goddess of Nature could remember and no matter how hard she tried to break this 'unhealthy fixation' she couldn't. She remembered getting her little Cora a small paintbrush and paint-pot one year so that her daughter could paint the faces of flowers. Persephone had loved it, everywhere she went she took this little paint set and spent hours painstakingly painting the flowers. But the two goddesses would argue over the fact that Persephone didn't like painting with bright colours. Then when her husband inevitably passed away the arguments got worse, without Iason to act as a buffer between them Persephone and Demeter's relationship grew strained… and Persephone lost her love for painting flowers.

Demeter still kept the little paintbrush and paint-pot. She had long since abandoned any hopes of Persephone rekindling any of her old feelings about her childhood hobby, but perhaps one day one of her own children might inherit their mother's love for painting flowers..

'Alright..' Persephone sighed heavily deciding to relent, her mother would just harp on and on about this until she got her way anyway.. '-I'll think about it ok?'

'That's my girl..' Demeter pinched her daughter's cheek causing the Goddess of Life to wince irritably..

The second the two goddess' were out of earshot, unfortunately Demeter didn't move them out of eyeshot, Hades' smirk dropped and he sounded in a soft irritable tone,

'Take it off or I break it off..' Hermes instantly retracted his arm from it's potion around the fiery god's neck as Hades released Hermes from his steel-like grip.

'Y'know Hades, would it kill ya to be nice?' Hermes sounded still fluttering by the flame-haired god like some irksome fly.

'Probably..' Hades sighed dismissively, leaning against the pillar and surveying the crowd of gods with a bored expression as Hermes mused silently for a moment. Most likely trying to figure out how to strike a conversation with the stubborn Lord of the Dead, he was very persistent..

'I don't get it Hades..' Hermes finally sounded causing the fiery god's yellow eyes to swivel back surprised that the tiny blue god was still there. '-you moan constantly about being cooped up in the Underworld but when you guys get invited up here you act like your being forced into it..'

'That's because we are being forced into it..' Hades instantly pulled out his 'invitation' from nowhere and shoved it in Hermes' face. '-ya ever read what Bolt Boy likes to write at the top of our 'invitations'?' The 'By Order of Zeus' red-inked letters shone brightly in the daylight..

'Oh and look..' Hades carried on with cheerful sarcasm jabbing his finger at the emoticon in the top corner. '-this years 'invitation' came with free artwork, do ya think Zeus'll sign it?' The fiery god then snatched the scroll back off of Hermes and stuffed it into his chiton pocket.

'Ah, for cryin' out loud..' Hermes sounded in disbelief at Hades' immature dramatics. '-he only puts that because he knows ya won't attend if he doesn't..' The blue Messenger God chuckled good-naturedly which was almost instantly quelled by a firm look from Hades.

'It must be just peachy being at the top. Followers, temples, holidays… I mean what've I got?' Hades sounded in a tedious voice then sighed heavily. 'Just a small cameo in Demeter's mysteries.' Hades shook his flaming head dramatically..

'There's always April Fool's Day..' Hermes smiled cheerfully.

Hades blinked confused then swivelled back around to the tiny blue god.

'What in Tartarus is April Fool's Day?' The fiery god sounded, thinking it sounded vaguely like an idiot's convention. Hermes' jaw suddenly dropped.

'You don't know!' He stated in disbelief, almost falling to the cloudy-ground in shock. 'Geez Louise Hades! I would have thought you of all gods would know what that day is!' Hermes exclaimed, still not believing that Hades didn't have a clue what this day was all about.

'Yeh, yeh, yeh…' Hades sounded in a bored voice, waving his hand as if skating over everything Hermes had just uttered. '-now we've established that I'm behind with the times why don't you enlighten me on what this so-called holiday is all about..'

'Well.. err… if ya just want it ina nutshell.' Hermes sounded vaguely. 'It's all about you babe..'

'What?' Hades sounded, his eyes bulging in both shock and disbelief. He was staring at Hermes as though trying to see if he was joking but the tiny blue god look serious. 'So how come I haven't heard of this holiday before?' The fiery god asked sceptically.

'Well, it's only celebrated in certain parts of Rome so-'

'Oh..' Hades interrupted Hermes with a loud groan. '-that'll explain it then..' The fiery god never listened to Roman prayers because it really burned his flames when they called him 'Pluto'. He hated that name, he wouldn't have even called his dog that name. He had painstakingly researched another name in which those pathetic mortals could call him 'Dis Pater' or 'Dis' for short… sounded so much better.

Hermes meanwhile, checked his sundial and cursed when he realised he'd been floating in one spot way to long, he had to mingle with the other gods. It was an unfortunate draw back to being the Messenger God, you were always on call. You always had to be on the move just in case another god needed an envoy to take a message down to their minions or in case there was a problem you could resolve with soothing words of mitigation.

'Holy Hera I gotta fly big guy..' Hermes sounded in a panicky tone causing Hades to raise an eyebrow. '-places to go, people to greet but here..' The tiny blue Messenger God whipped out a large scroll from nowhere and passed it to the fiery Lord of the Underworld. '-this will give ya all the info ya need on April Fool's Day 'kay?' Suddenly his winged sandals began to flutter impatiently, unable to stand waiting for their master anymore..

'Whoa… easy fellas..' Hermes sounded clutching the pillar to try and stop himself moving away. This only made the sandals flap more furiously. '-catcha later Hades..' Was all the Messenger God could manage before his sandals managed to tug him free. Hermes went whooshing backwards at an incredible speed uttering, '-hey wait a minute, who's drivin' these things?'

Hades merely watched him disappear off with an amused smirk as he shoved the scroll down his chiton. He'd read it later..

Little Notes:

Heya Peeps, as I stated in my disclaimer this is a story based on the Roman origins of the under-rated holiday of April Fool's Day (or as it was known in those times April Fish Day)… I came across this myth by accident while doing some research for P.o.P a while back and since April Fool's is one of my favourite days of the year I was very excited to learn that it was linked to my favourite gods… for those of you who don't know the myth, don't worry you'll find out soon enough (for those who do, keep schtum or you'll give the storyline away 'kay).. The title of this story is a massive clue (hint, hint)..

I know it's not even Christmas yet and it's not really the time to be starting this story but I'm hoping to give all my readers new appreciation for this holiday… as well as giving you all a little boost to go out and plan the best ever April Fool's Day prank!

Come on… Do it for Hades! XP

Please review… and stay tuned!

Lot's of Love… Ditzy x