Ok peeps, same deal third story (and it's a good one!) ok, fifth if you want to get technical about it… I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) but Persephone, Thanatos and all the other original characters and places that pop-up belong to me…

This story takes things from both the film and the series while it also contains some carrying themes from it's forerunners; Plight of Persephone & Daddy's Little Hellraiser (plus a few things from both short stories too) so read them first…

Little hint: if you haven't read it's forerunners then you will get confused because some things that have happened in past fics are coming back in this fate-filled fic..

And a little reminder… Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so I have to do some minor tweaking of my own to make this work…

…enjoy x

The Importance of Thanatos

To all my loyal fans who have stuck by me, reviewed me or otherwise made small contributions to my Hades&Seph saga… this one's for you!

Chapter One:The Fates' BIG Mistake

…Seven years previously…

Hercules reluctantly allowed Hades to guide him in through the black archway and down the long thin jetty of the huge cavernous room. As they approached the edge, Hercules found himself gazing down into an enormous vortex of swirling vividly green fiery water.

Seeing the look of shock on Hercules' face Hades smirked and clapped his back smartly.

'Hmmm.. well, well, it's a small Underworld after all, huh?' The fiery god couldn't help but jeer, Hercules was on his turf now… here Hades was all-powerful, not even with his godly strength could Hercules beat him..

Suddenly Hercules caught sight of a pale wispy figure just under the surface of the water and without even thinking he dipped his hands in crying out,

'Meg..' Instantly a burning sensation shot up his arms and he hissed painfully in surprise, the ghostly figure of Meg floated onwards out of his grip. As the young hero pulled his hands up he noticed they'd aged under the water. Hades instantly reprimanded the hero.

'Uh-uh.. nuh, nuh, nuh, no.. mustn't touch.' Hades' words washed over him as Hercules gazed both stunned and repulsed as the waters effect slowly wore off. The fiery god merely carried on lazily unaware that Hercules seemed to be formulating an idea. 'Ya see, Meg's running with a new crowd these days and not a very lively one at that..'

'You like making deals..' Hercules sounded suddenly, turning around to the smug self-satisfied smirk on Hades' full blue lips. '-take me in Meg's place..'

'Hmm.. the son of my hated rival trapped forever in a river of death..' Hades uttered, briefly toyed with the idea as he tapped his chin. Hercules didn't have the time or the patience for his uncle's silly games.

'Going once..' He declared, throwing out his arm with one digit up.

'Is there a downside to this..?' Hades muttered to himself, almost positive that there was some reason why he should not accept this offer… what was it again?

'Going twice..' Hercules smirked repeating the arm action, this time there was a second digit. Hades shook his head sharply… he hated being rushed, especially when he knew there was something he was missing, but the kid was being annoyingly impatient and he was running out time.

'Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay..' Hades suddenly leered evilly before switching to deadly serious then adding, '-you get her out.. she goes-' His long fingers gestured away from him. '-you stay..' His fingers instantly pointed downwards meaning that Hercules would remain in the vortex. There was a horrible wide-fanged leer on his face as he uttered these words.

Hercules turned away from Hades and without even a pause of thought, he dived off the edge of the jetty and into the fiery green waters below. Hades meanwhile approached the edge with a false air of forgetting something.

'Oh, y'know what slipped my mind.. you'll be dead before you get to her..' His facial features suddenly switched back to an evil smirk and unable to resist one last jeer he yelled, '-that's not a problem is it?'

Hades chuckled amused to himself, hardly able to believe that this kid was actually stupid enough to dive into the Vortex of Fire.

'Oy vey.. whatta yutz..' He uttered in soft amusement. He suddenly found himself needing to gloat to somebody about this… and there were two little flame-kissing schmucks hiding next door who would fit the bill perfectly.

'Hey boys c'mere a minute..' The god bellowed excitedly. '-you'll never believe what this schmeil is doin' now!'

The Eye of Fate was glowing brightly as the three eyeless Fates grinned to each other. After eighteen long years the climax was here… and it was their favourite part too.

Hercules was struggling though the waters, aging with every stroke of his arm.

'It is time sisters..' Lachesis sounded, moving her green hands away from the eye, letting it float eerily in the air by itself. Clotho instantly pulled the thread of life taught, measuring out the lifeline. Atropos grinned widely as she opened her shears and placed it along the thread at the exact moment of death. She then turned to the eye watching for the perfect moment… he was approaching his prize now… then just as Hercules reached Meg and stretched out his arm to grab her Atropos snapped down on her shears..

But instantly the thread glowed brightly..

The three Fates blinked at their scissors which lay shut against the long golden thread. Atropos tried again but the same thing happened. She wiggled the shears impatiently, trying to saw it in half before Hercules reached the surface.

'What's the matter with these scissors?' Lachesis cried out impatiently. Clotho held up the thread looking shocked.

'The thread won't cut!' She sounded in amazement. Lachesis then turned to her shorter sister and swiped her scissors.

'Maybe it's these old things..' She sounded petulantly.

'Give me that!' Atropos sounded irritably, snatching her scissors off of Lachesis and studying their bent and chipped blades. She then turned to the glowing string in her sisters hands. 'He's immortal..' She concluded grimly.

'Immortal!' Shrieked Lachesis. 'But he's not supposed to be immortal he was supposed to die first! He can't be immortal until he understands the importance of death..' She made a growling noise of frustration, the youngest Fate Lachesis was like a moody little kid whenever the Fates didn't get what they want.

'We know!' Clotho cried out impatiently before lowering the thread sighing irritably. The Fates had not meant for Hercules to become immortal this way… but then again, it brought up all manner of possiblities. Atropos grinned widely, her sharp mind already formulating a new fate..

'We can still carry on with our plan..' The tiny Fate declared causing her two sisters to swivel around in surprise.

'What? How?' Clotho blinked still staring at her sister's leer.

'He's immortal now, remember..' Lachesis sounded still pouting petulantly but Atropos' yellowy-toothed grin widened.

'But not for long..' She sounded deviously then swivelled on her heel and headed into the room next door before her sisters clicked at what she was getting at.

'You really don't think she's going to..' Clotho sounded worried pointing to the doorway. Lachesis merely raised a brow at her sister..

'Oh here we go again..' She sighed heavily and both Fates instantly chased after their sister.

'Atropos..'

'Atropos.. hold on..'

The Fate of the Inevitable ignored her sisters and carried onward, entering the room where the massive Tapestry of Fate was situated. When Lachesis and Clotho entered the room the eldest Fate was standing by the tapestry while holding her mangled shears. Her eyeless sockets almost looked as though they were darting between them both, her lipless mouth pursed irritably..

She then tossed her ruined scissors away and picked up the knitting needles by the Tapestry of Fate. Both her sisters blinked at each other before turning back to see what their sister Fate would do. Atropos immediately picked up one thread in one needle and another thread in the other needle she then began to click the knitting needles very briefly.

The second Atropos put down the knitting needles Hercules' lifeline, which was still in the grip of Clotho, stopped glowing. Hercules was mortal once again..

Both Lachesis and Clotho gawped at the thread in shock.

'What have you done?' Clotho instantly sounded shocked by her sister's actions.

'He was clearly not ready to become a god..' Atropos replied simply. '-but next time… he will be.' She grinned a wide yellow-toothed grin at her sisters, both of them recognised the twisted little leer Atropos threw at them.

'It's time to introduce Hades to her, isn't it?' Lachesis suddenly smiled widely, realising what was coming..

'Not quite, he needs one last nudge towards the brink of despair..' Clotho sounded knowledgeably, returning the lifeline to it's home. '-besides, we will need to wait for things to settle down first.'

'And how long will that take..' Lachesis rolled her eye sockets impatiently.

'Give it about three months..' Atropos replied airily. '-then they will be ready..'

…present day…

The Eye of Fate was shining brightly in the gloomy cavern which was home to the three Fates. Each sister was stood around the eye gazing with both pride and excitement. The image in the floating eyeball revealed a tiny baby with pearly white skin, a small nose that ended on a neat point and a bright set of golden eyes which blinked innocently up to his two unseen smiling parents.

'Oh, isn't he just adorable..' Lachesis cooed clasping her hands together and throwing a soppy look, a real achievement considering she had two eyeless sockets. She just loved new babies, so sweet, so pure and they came with a long healthy life-line to play with.

'He's here at last..' Atropos sounded in a musing voice, looking like a very proud auntie. '-the fated one..'

'The fated one..' Her two sisters repeated with a sigh, it seemed like only yesterday they'd had a powerful vision of Demeter's new-born baby girl. She would grow up to marry Hades and together they would bring into the world a child of great significance.. Of course the three women couldn't tell Demeter this. She may be the Goddess of Nature but the green-skinned deity was annoyingly protective of her children so they had decided to give her a heavy hint rather than a prophecy. They named her daughter.. Persephone.

'The fated one?' A booming male voice sounded in surprise making all three sisters smirk widely at each other, they already knew who had come to call. 'What's so special about that demon-child?'

'Zeus..' Clotho sounded with a light-edge of reprimand in her gravely voice. '-didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop into other deities conversations?'

'Not that we weren't expecting it mind you..' Lachesis sounded in a rough tone, the Fates were not this god's biggest fans. They might have put him in a position of power but they got no thanks for it.

'That's not the point..' Clotho responded sharply to her sister.

'Excuse me..' Zeus sounded icily as he cut into their bickering. '-I believe I asked you a question..'

'We know..' All three Fates answered as one.

'But patience is a virtue Zeus..' Atropos sounded raising one stubby finger. The tanned god groaned heavily in response to these words.

'Ladies please..' Zeus finally spoke, the slight exasperation in his tone was obvious to the three sisters, even without their gifts of foresight. '-I need to know why this baby-' He jabbed a large orange finger towards the floating image of Thanatos. '-is so important to you..'

'Why?' Lachesis instantly spoke in a slightly mocking tone. 'Don't you know already?'

'And he calls himself omniscient..' Clotho rolled her eyeless sockets and folded her arms across her chest, sniffing the spider that had dropped down her nostril back inside.

'He's not omniscient, he just likes to think he is..' Atropos sounded matter-of-factly.

'This is hardly the topic of conversation now is it?' Zeus sounded frustrated, he hated having to speak to these women. They'd dodge round the subject just to wind him up and then infuriate him by answering with a nonsensical riddle then vanish off.

'Can you just give me a straight answer for once..' He tried to keep his voice level but if these women were truly omniscient then they probably knew how he felt.

'Fine..' Atropos sounded sullenly. '-Hades is much more fun than you anyway.' Clotho instantly plucked the glowing Eye of Fate out of mid air, her fingers completely covering the image of Thanatos and the eye suddenly glowed an ominous blue. She released the eye which floated back up into mid-air between the Fates and Zeus. The three sisters linked arms together and their eyeless sockets fixed onto their precious eyeball.

'In another time in another place… she was born of light bearing face' Clotho begun and the image in the eye swirled to reveal a tiny baby girl with white skin, wide green eyes and a small lock of golden hair.

'Of this child great fortune foretold… now she rules the Underworld' Lachesis continued and the image changed to reveal an adult Persephone standing side by side with Hades. The Fate of the Present was instantly followed by Atropos who grinned diabolically at the tanned god.

'A word of caution is all I'll state… this child of theirs is death incarnate..' All three Fates cackled together, the Eye of Fate glowed brightly before it swirled into a dark vortex sucking all three sisters of destiny out, leaving their laugh to echo horribly.

Zeus blinked momentarily stunned by their sharp exit before he realised what they had said.

'Death incarnate..' The Lord of Olympus suddenly snapped to his senses, realising just how much damage Hades could do with a god like Thanatos under his control. 'Oh Gaia this is bad.. very bad..' He grumbled before vanishing back to Olympus in a burst of light.

Little Notes:

Heya Peeps, welcome back for the fifth story concerning our favourite 'Deadly Double-Act' and if I was excited about DHL it's nothing compared to what I'm feeling about this story, I couldn't wait to get started! It's going to be darker and much more gloomy than any of the stories I've written before but fear not, the humour is still here.

Ok, the Fates have only made a couple of appearances and a few mentions in my stories but now they will have a proper place in this storyline… I'm sorry about the massive film quoting at the start but as the story unravels it will make more sense. Right now it's just to show how long the Fates have been expecting Thanatos and how they've plotted for his arrival..

Lot's of Love… Ditzy X