The Importance of Thanatos

Ok peeps same deal third story (OK seventh story if you want to get all technical about it), I don't own Hercules (unfortunately) but I do own Persephone, Thanatos, Melinoe, Macaria and all the other original characters that appear along with some original settings that appear in this story.

Some things are taken from both the film and series as well as many continuing themes and plot lines from it's forerunners Plight of Persephone and Daddy's Little Hellraisers as well as the short stories and one shots. Also as a side note do not rely on Greek myths for your information as Disney twisted a lot of myths to spin it's stories and so do I...

...enjoy!

Review Replies:

Princess Aaliyah: Ah, yeh I understand your query but Thanatos also serves the Fates as their personal hitman. He is tied to them as much as the Underworld so he can't rule besides he doesn't much care for souls once they reach the Styx. I always pictured he kinda took over from Atropos.. Macaria is too much of a wimp to do it so Hades chose Melinoe since she is the best qualified out of his children to inherit responsibility. It will also make more sense when you reach the end of this last chapter. And I don't really know, I always pictured Macaria as an eternal child, the way Demeter always wanted Persephone to be..

KLRocks100: Thank you, this actually is the last chapter so we'll have to wait and se what happens in the future..

Master Xehanort: Well I'm glad you have been enjoying this so much. I wish I had managed to finish it sooner but hey-ho.. We'll see what the future holds..

NYx27Seth: Haha! You make me feel bad that this is the last chapter! Well I'm glad you still like Thanatos, he was one of the more promenant voices in my head when writing this.. What's the name of his show? Dying for Love? XDD And yeh, I don't think Macaria would want Hope as a minion just a friend, she might fly into a fiery tantrum if she were called a minion..

Warning: Mild drug reference in the first part of this epilogue... And, oh yeh.. This is the final chapter people!

Epilogue: The Future of the Underworld

"Hypnos, bro.. Why did I let you talk me into this?" Hades sighed heavily as he looked up towards the domed ceiling of his throne room from his laid down position on his huge map of Greece. Next to him his slim light-green-skinned brother with a bed-head of ice-blonde hair grinned lazily back at him.

"Cause you needed to unwind little bro.." Hypnos drawled in a sloth-like manner, sprawled out beside the Lord of the Dead on his map. "You need to slow down, take a step back and... just, like, process the last six months.." He sat up leaving his plum night-cap lying on the map as he continued. "When you told me about the trinity being broken up I was thinking... Oh! Wow man. Now that is one major shift in the cosmic balance, that blows the mind.." He pulled a far-off look of almost deep realisation which only made his adopted little brother chucke.

"You were thinking?" Hades smirked in amusement at the primordial God of Slumber.

"Hey, I have those rare moments.." Hynos grinned his little adopted brother with amusement in his silvery eyes. "So.. You wanna talk to me about it?"

"What's to talk about?" Hades asked.

"How you feel bro... I am here for you.. So come on, share..." Hypnos drawled smirking at his brother. Hades suddenly smirked widely in amusement.

"Geez Sandman, you been making OPM with Demeter's poppies again?" The Lord of the Dead smirked widely.

"Shyeah.. But don't tell her ok?" He snickered before suddenly stopping looking unusually serious. "Or my girlfriend for that matter, she'd go nuts.." Hypnos smiled lazily.

"Wife." The pale-blue-skinned God of the Dead interjected. How much OPM had Hypnos done in his millenniums of existence, it had messed up his memory to the core. Hades was starting to wonder if this was why he had been passed over for his eldest son Morpheus when Zeus had been looking for a God of Sleep.

"Oh, wife! That's even better.." The pale-green-skinned God of Slumber slumped back against the massive chessboard again.

"You guys have been married for well over eight thousand years.." Hades replied lightly making Hypnos whistle loudly.

"That's a long time, maybe you and Seph will be lucky enough to last that long.. So, what are you gonna do now that the trinity is busted?" The God of Slumber asked looking curiously to his brother.

"I dunno. I honestly don't know.." Hades sighed heavily thinking on it. What would he do now? He no longer had any protection from anyone coming in and trying to takeover his realm.

"Y'know bro, the trinity might be gone but we're not.." Hypnos looked oddly serious now, a rarity for him since he never seemed to take anything seriously. "You have an entire world of loyal followers here and not just imps and souls. There are more primordial deities here than there is up there on the surface. If anyone should be worried it's Zeus, everyone here is loyal to you now not him.."

"Doesn't change anything..." Hades muttered.

"What? Are you completely insane in the brain!" Hypnos exclaimed. "You have managed to free the Underworld from the clutches of Olympus! It belongs solely to you, to do with what you want!"

"Your point being?" Hades asked looking at Hypnos who seemed so oddly focused now. The God of Slumber sighed heavily.

"Whoa, you must be in a real funk. Your usually so smart.." Hypnos drawled then caught the death glare the Lord of the Dead was giving him. "Hey, don't give me that glare bro we both know it's true.. Anyway, do you remember what you wanted to do with this place when you first received it from Zeus? You wanted to expand business, to increase your intake of souls, right?"

The pale-blue-skinned God of the Dead rolled his eyes at his pale-green-skinned brother with messy locks of silvery-blonde.

"Yeh... But I've tried that already. Frequently.. But Bolt-Boy just finds new ways to chisel me outta souls..." Hades added sulkily with a deep frown.

"Who says these new souls have to come from Greece?" Hypnos nudged The Lord of the Underworld playfully and immediately Hades pupils contracted as he was suddenly on his usually slow-witted brother's stroke of unprecedented genius. "After all... Your a free agent now.."

"So... Does anyone know why dad called this meeting?" Melinoe yawned heavily as she slumped wearily into her seat at the table in the conference room next to the throne room. She was still in her long navy night-chiton after being roused from her sleep by Pain and Panic for an emergency family meeting.

"No sweetie, 'fraid not but your father will be along soon, OK?" Persephone replied as she gently combed a loose lock of bright blue hair back towards her eldest daughter's face and behind her ear. "As soon as it's over you can go back to sleep."

"Could he not wait for this afternoon?" Melinoe yawned once again resting her head in her fist and resting her eyes.

"He wouldn't be dad if he did that.." Thanatos muttered sitting opposite his sister and tapping his scythe impatiently off the side of his seat looking restless.

"Mhm, that's true.." Melinoe muttered dozing off in her hand.

"What is it he called us here for anyway?" Hecate asked looking curiously around the long table from her seat at the opposite end of the long table from Hades' vacant seat able to all the other deities around.

"Who knows dear, I am curious about that myself.." Nyx replied from her seat on Thanatos' side between him and her husband. Next to Erebus sat Hypnos and his wife Pasithe.

"I reminded him of something he had long forgotten.." The ancient God of Slumber sounded and this made Pasithe turn her soft-lilac-skinned face to her husband and smiled, her purple ponytail swishing as she moved.

"You did?" The Goddessof Hallucinations asked, her silvery voice sounding impressed.

"Really? What was it?" Persephone asked intrigued and Hypnos opened his mouth to reply.

"He reminded me of the goal I had set myself when I first got given this place and that was to increase and expand on business. A goal that Hecate here once share for this place.." Hades' voice forestalled his brother and immediately all the Underworld deitiels present turned to face the Lord of the Underworld now he had materialised into the room.

"What?" Thanatos looked surprised at these words. Melinoe had lifted her head at the appearance of her father and was looking both sleepy and surprised.

"Finally!" Hecate sounded. "Your going to start a new world order.." Her silvery-blue eyes sparkled with mischief and excitement.

"No, not quite..." Hades replied dowsing her excitement somewhat. "We are a free realm. Free from the confines of merely limiting ourselves to only taking in souls from Zeus' lands on the surface. As you all know there are other lands beyond the boarder of that? I say we expand our interests out of Greece.. What do you say?"

"I think it's inspired!" Hecate exclaimed brightly, clutching her fingers together looking genuinely excited. "I could wander further and spread the word of Necromancy. The occult always draws the interest of those with dark souls. We could use some new blood in the temple.."

"It's an interesting prospect.." Erebus added stroking his shadowy chin as he considered this. "You do have a a very marketable realm but you would have to appeal to those looking for a place to store their dead."

"I agree with you which is why I will need your help.." His eyes turned to his only son. "Thanatos, you are my representative on the surface now. You and Hecate are the only ones who can find me potential lands to expand into." The golden-flamed God of Death looked thoughtful for a long moment.

"And the Fates will be fine with this?" The God of Death asked kinking his neat brow.

"Bube those girls have been moonlighting in Norse mythology for centuries now, trust me, they are in no position to kvetch about this.." Nyx stated plainly making everyone around her look surprised.

"They have? Why am I just learning this now woman?!" Erebus' voice raised.

"Don't have a kanipchen.. They didn't tell me I just foresaw it happening.." The Goddess of Night sounded placating her husband.

"Still could've told me.." The God of Night muttered sulkily, folding his arms in a childish manner.

"Well if the Fates can moonlight then I don't see why I can't too.." Thanatos drawled.

"Technically you won't be moonlighting Than, you would just be following my orders.." Hades stated plainly, smiling at his son. "Besides I can make my own pitch I will just need you find a potential God in need of an Underworld and to arrange the meeting with me.."

"Hades..." Persephone sounded looking slightly concerned. "Are you sure about this?" The God of the Dead turned to his wife seeing how unsure she looked over this new venture.

"Seph, I have not felt this invigorated by an idea in years, not since the Titans. This is how we are going to cement ourselves in time." Hades replied to his wife with a look of boyish glee.

"But what about the Olympians upstairs.."

"What about them mom?" Melinoe forestalled her looking at her mother in surprise. "Have you read the crockery lately? They didn't just criminalise Thanatos and Dad they made all of us the bad guys, including you.. Thanks to them you can't even go and celebrate a holiday that's all about you!"

"She has a point.." Thanatos added. "Everyone else at this table is all for the idea of expanding, your the only wet blanket here so come on and get on the wining team.."

"I'm just concerned that we're going to be distancing ourselves further from them and there will be no comeback, I still have to go to the surface and work with them." Persephone added still looking concerned clearly worried about her mother and friends above the surface.

"Seph.. I hate to break it to you babe but the distance thing has been going on long before we married, 'kay?" Hades sounded gently, rubbing her shoulders and holding her close. "This won't affect your duties on the surface, just your duties as Queen of the Underworld, I promise.. Whadda ya say, come on. Don't make me do this without ya, hmm.." Hades leant on his wife's shoulder and Persephone sighed heavily at his persuasive tone.

"Oh... Alright fine. I guess since Elysium is a part of this realm I don't have much of a choice anyway.." She sighed raising her hands up in defeat. "I just don't want this to come back and bite us later on."

"I won't let that happen, I promise.." The Lord of the Dead replied kissing the blonde head of his wife..

...Several Months Later...

The summer 'slump' was officially in effect now and as usual Hades was slouching bored on his throne while the imps read comics in the corner of the throne room. The Sirens were playing babysitter in Elysium to Macaria who had gone with little impette Hope to go play with the souls of children. His oldest daughter Melinoe was still sleeping as she now worked the opposite shift to her father, they only saw each other during the morning and last thing at night when changing shifts. With his wife away on the surface helping Demeter prepare for the harvest at the start of Autumn the Lord of the Dead drummed his fingers rythmically over the arm of his side of the massive two-seater throne, trying to think of some way to pass the tedium. He had not seen a single soul all day which was unusual because even in summer one soul was bound to grace his presence during the course of a day, yet there had been nothing..

"Not a ding, ba-da-bing..." He uttered mindlessly, his fingers stopping the drumming as the sound was starting to chip at his last nerve. Ignite now he would give anything for some excitement down here, anything to break up this long, slow torturous day. Hades couldn't even bring himself to call his own father Erebus over for yet another game of chess. They had already had so many and he was even growing weary of them..

"Daad!" The disembodied voice of Thanatos rang out causing Hades to instantly snap out of his funk, his golden eyes turning around as the God of Death appeared in the throne room out of a curl of dark smoke. "Good your free now.. You remember a few months back you asked me to find out if any gods were looking for Underworld services?"

"Yeh, you found something?" The Lord of the Dead asked as Pain and Panic peeked silently over the edge of their comic, curious about what was happening.

"I think so. There's this guy out east who is gaining in popularity and is looking for an Underworld that can run without requiring sacrifices or prayers.." Thanatos said plainly.

"Hmm, well this place can certainly do that. What else is he looking for?" Hades rubbed his chin looking curious now.

"That's the thing. He only wants to use Tartarus and the Asphodel Fields, he says he keeps his good souls with him in a place called Heaven so he would have no use for Elysium at all.." The fourteen year old white-skinned God of Death replied. "And he would like to rename these lands Hell and Purgatory.."

"Purgatory?" The blue flames of the God of the Dead billowed in surprise before he wrinkled his nose. "What is that, a fancy word for lost in his tongue?"

"Yeh, probably. Anyway, his popularity is growing pretty fast, he has already taken over parts of Asia Minor and rumour has it that the Egyptians are starting to feel threatened by him." Thanatos added as he ran his fingers carelessly through his golden flames.

"Really?" Hades cocked a brow. This new God must be good if he was setting a fire under those mutant Egyptian Gods' togas, perhaps he should meet this guy and talk to him. He didn't think much of the names that this guy wanted to use for his religion but he could at least learn what it was he was looking for in the quality of afterlife care. "So what are his followers calling him these days?" The blue-skinned God of the Dead asked his son placing his hands together.

"They call him Jehovah.." Thanatos replied lightly. "He is waiting for me to get back to him.."

"Very well..." Hades grinned hugely, displaying his sharp teeth. "Tell him I am free to discuss his terms..."

Little Notes:

Well, that's it... The story is finally finished. I hope you liked the end... No prizes for guessing which deity Hades is about to meet at the end. Since Christianity took many inspirations from both Greek and Roman myths and merged it with their own. This Neo-Classical age seemed an appropriate place to end this story. It signifies that from this moment on things will start to change as the Greks are slowly introduced to the ideas of Christinanity.

Hades himself appears in the bible in a few choice places as I have mentioned before in an earlier chapter and both Purgatory and Hell were originated from the Asphodel Feilds and Tartarus respectively, which in my book probably means that the Greek Underworld was smart enough to adapt with changes in beliefs upstairs. As for how Satan appears, well I guess that is another story..

First and only appearance of Hypnos. He has had several mentions over the course of the story but since this story is at an end it seemed a fitting moment to put him in. After all if you need advice about the future where are you gonna go? To the brother you love and respect... Besides I love Hypnos' personality I am just sorry he has not been properly introduced before now. And his forgetful memory is most likely the reason he was passed over for Morpheus..

I hoped you all enjoyed it. I have no idea if I will write a new one but we will see. No promises...