"From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only)

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Phenton, the youngest of the 4 Death Gods looked up, his face with the common melancholic expression. His deep green eyes showing remorse. He said;

Queen Persephone, It is not by orders of Lord Hades that we are here. Our father, Thanatos, sent us for you have never being away from the underworld during your yearly stay. We will remain around the garden,, but we will not interfere in any of your affairs. We sworn over River Styx to remain silent no matter what we see or hear. You, Apollo and his child, Nikolai are safe under the watch of the 4 Keepers of Death.

Persephone froze. They knew....and could tell Hades at any given moment. Would if ordered to. She quickly turned to Apollo, panic in her eyes.

"I will return shortly...I must find an old friend..."

At that, she nodded politely to the four keepers, then ran off, disappearing on the horizon to find the one person she knew could help...Mnemosyne.

-----

Apollo sighed.

"Well, boys, I appreciate you coming to watch over her. But I must get back to my target practice. Nikolai!"

The boy looked to his father, pride glowing in his eyes.

"Yes, father?"
"Come...I wish to shoot with you"
"Yes, father"

Nikolai left Aria to sit at the fountain in the center of the garden, moving to the target range and taking the spare bow from his father. He aimed it, sighting in the center of the target, and fired, hitting dead center...

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

From the shadows of the garden, something watched every movement. It was hades, he watched over Persephone and noticed she wasn`t there. All he could see was Apollo and Nikolai. They were target practicing and Nikolai looked happy, happy like a soul who had escaped. It felt strange to look at them, but would keep his watch nonetheless. There was more to both of them than Hades could understand.

Nikolai was overjoyed. The feeling of the bow in his hands, an arrow notched....then letting it fly....the sound of it hitting dead center of the target. And the pride glowing in Apollo's eyes every time Nikolai managed to make the shot perfectly.

"You are doing extremely well, Nikolai. I can tell you have been practicing"
"Thank you...I have been working hard...just to make you proud"
"I am very proud, Nikolai"

Apollo tousled Nikolai's hair, and the sunlight hit their faces just right to accentuate the strong features that both of them had. The slender yet muscular figure. The same bodily posture as they held the bow. Strong jaws, perfectly shaped noses, slightly thin lips. And a voice that has the same tinge to it. Were they dressed the same and were Nikolai's hair black, they would look practically identical....

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

As the sun covered both gods, Hades was taken over by an epiphany. Those two were incredibly similar. Nikolai looked like an smaller version of Apollo. Realization came soon after, Apollo was Nikolai`s father. He was the one who dared touch his queen and perform such heinous betrayal of his trust. From the underworld a huge scream of anger was heard, and then silence. The plans of the garden started to grow smaller and pale. The flowers turned into buds and withered. Slow, menacing steps could be heard coming from the shadows as the King of the Underworld made his presence known. He said on the most hispid and cold voice he could muster:

So....it was YOU all along, Apollo.

The moment the plants began to whither, Nikolai dropped to his knees, feeling the agony of every single dying plant. It made him choke back a cry of agony and he clutched his chest. Apollo went to kneel at his side, trying to figure out what was wrong....when a face he had hoped he wouldn't have to deal with appeared...Hades. And the greater god knew. How, he was unsure, but he knew this was bad. Apollo was powerful, yes, but Hades was more powerful. He frowned, standing between Hades and Nikolai, bow still in his hand with an arrow notched.

"So...you have finally found out..."

He stood defiant, not showing any signs of fear.

"I will not regret what I did. Persephone deserves better than a monster like you. Someone who won't make her cry and feel unwanted. Like I did for her. Not like you, who makes her cry and loathe herself"
"Father...ngh!"

Nikolai gasped in pain. Apollo frowned.

"Your quarrel is with me, Hades. Control your presence so the boy does not suffer like this...he has done no wrong"

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades was completely berserk at that moment. he did not care about the garden, Nikolai, nothing. All he wanted was to have Apollo`s head, and if anyone dared to stop him they would have to face the wrath of hell itself. Hades looked at apollo with an expression full of disgust and hatred, he stepped down on a flower turning it to nothing under his boots. He withdrew his aura, he didn`t want Demeter to appear since that would ruin his business. He answered apollo`s comment.

A monsters, you say ? What do you know about me, Apollo ? You dared to steal from me the only trace of light on my whole existance. If I am a monster is because people like you turned me into one.

Even if hades was containing himself, his power was leaking uncontrollably in the form of shadows that darkened the garden. No one would enter, not until Apollo was either begging for mercy or on the floor choking in a puddle of his own blood. The Emperor of the Underworld then summoned his weapon, a sword of made of silver, the hilt made of obsidian. His threat was implicit, yet he kept a cold composture. The Older God said:

I`m happy you doesn`t regret it, because now I won`t regret cleaving you you half. Any words before the Judge of Death declares the sentence of your sin ?

Subject: Re: "From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only) Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:21 pm

Apollo stood his ground, flinching a bit as Hades' aura spread out, then tensing back up as it was hidden from Demeter. Hades was dangerous right now...very dangerous. And Nikolai was getting hurt deeply by this.

"I said stop, Hades! You're hurting my son!"

He drew the arrow back, aiming his shot at Hades, but not shooting just yet. But something unexpected happened. Nikolai shot up, taking the bow and arrow from the ground where he'd dropped them, and shooting at Hades, the shot set for dead center of Hades' forehead.

"Stay away from my father, you monster!"

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades couldn`t care less about the boy. Apollo was annoying him with his worry over that bastard son he had with his Queen. He was about to say something when he was surprised by an arrow Nikolai himself had shot at him. That was it. Hades was done being insulted by apollo, but the last straw was that the boy he so mercyfully spared had attacked him. With his power overflowing from his body, The Judge of Death crushed the arrow before it even reached his head. Now Hades was not controlling himself, he let his anger take over and said:

You ungrateful brat! The nerve you have...

The elder god raised his left hand so his palm would face Apollo and Nikolai. He said:

So...the bastard son came to the aid of his father. I have no use for the both of you. BEGONE!!!

As he finished a blast of dark energy was shot from his hand. It felt like an endless stream of death, there were fire, darkness. It was like Hades had opened a portal to Tartarus itself an wanted to drag both into the abyss.

Subject: Re: "From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only) Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:44 pm

Nikolai didn't realize the consequences of his action until it was too late. The blast rocketed at them, and Nikolai only had a moment, in which he shoved his father out of the way. The energy hit him, and it tore a scream of agony from him. At the same time, however, there was another scream from atop the hill overlooking the garden.

"NOOOO!"

Persephone stood there, horrified, then ran down the hill, barreling into her husband's side to knock him over and stop the attack on her son. Tears poured down her cheeks as she beat on Hades with her fists over and over.

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

Apollo was instantly at the severely wounded Nikolai's side, as was Demeter and the normally unseen face of Mnemosyne. Nikolai was unconscious, however. Hearing Persephone still in a fit, Apollo moved over and hooked his arms around her waist, pulling her off of Hades, despite her wild attempt to get back to Hades to beat on him.

"Let go! Let me go!"
"Calm down, Persephone! We have to worry about Nikolai!"

And just like that, Persephone threw her arms around Apollo, sobbing into his chest....

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades felt great pleasure as he heard the boy scream under his attack, it was commical that he had pushed apollo out of the way. Even through it was meaningless considering what Hades had in store for him. But then another scream broke through the garden, one that shocked Hades and paralized him on his spot as he realized that his Queen had just seen him blasting her son. He stood there motionless until the angry goddess tackled him down and started beating him up. Hades did not fight back, he was shocked with himself, with his actions, and for the first time, scared. He laid there, not a word was prnounced, he just stared at Nikolai while small drops of blood fell from his mouth.

Subject: Re: "From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only) Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:22 pm

Nikolai lay motionless, bleeding out on the ground, plants withering around where his body was. He was dying, and there was little anyone could think to do…except for Apollo and Aria, who clutched Nikolai close to her chest, beginning to sing. A healing aura washed over him as Apollo worked his own talents and Aria sang, healing the physical damage to the boy. However he did not wake. Hades didn’t just damage his body, he’d damaged Nikolai’s soul.

“We have to do something!”
“Relax, Persephone…”
“I’m not going to relax when my son is dying!”

Persephone shot a furious glance at Hades, then moved to him, glaring at him with absolute hatred.

“Fix him. Fix my son…NOW!”

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades just laid there, still motionless. His fae was pale and cold ever since his wife arrived. He didn`t lift a finger as Aria and Apollo did their best for the boy. A meaningless act since none of them held the power to heal souls. The Death Gods, Thanatos and himself were the only with such power. When Persephone came after him, ordering him to heal Nikolai. He answered bluntly:

What good can come from the hands of a monster ? After all, nothing good ever came from me...

Subject: Re: "From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only) Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:50 pm

Persephone was hysterical by this point. She actually had the guts to grab hold of Hades and pull him up to meet her furious glare.

"YOU FIX HIM NOW!"

She choked back a sob, both enraged and filled with sorrow.

"You deal in souls! Fix Nikolai's right now! Or I'll never ever forgive you!"

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades was really scared, he had never seen Persephone so enraged before. Certainly he had made her mad before, but she had never acted so violently and with such desperation. She feared for Nikolai`s life. A common trait for a mother. And he was her husband, at the moment atleast. The only thing left to do was to comply to her request and heal the boy`s soul after he had blasted it into pieces. He walked away from Persephone and sat next to Nikolai. He placed his pale hand on his chest and started pronouncing words in ancient greek. His aura of power manifested itself and started to go from hades body to Nikolai`s. Hades was doing his best to put together Nikolai`s soul. He remained on that position for almost an hour, keeping the boy alive while healing his soul, using his very soul to do so. When he was finally done, the elder god stood up and walked away from the boy. He said:

I did everything withing my reach. The rest is up to him.

Subject: Re: "From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only) Thu Feb 27, 2014 7:04 pm

Persephone still was a wreck by the time that Hades was done. Tears stained the usual warm glow of her cheeks. And Apollo had her folded into his arms as she sobbed, distraught by the events of the evening. Mnemosyne approached, placing a hand on Persephone's shoulder. Her voice was soft and barely audible as she spoke.

"Persephone...he will be well...I am sure of it..."

Apollo spoke up as well.

"He'll be alright, Persephone...he's strong-willed and stubborn. He's not going to stay down like this"
"B-but he...he isn't...g-getting...up!"
"Shh....you have to give him time...he just had his soul torn apart and rebuild..."

He stroked the silken strands of her hair. He hated seeing her like this. And this time it had been partly his fault. She pushed back from him as Hades spoke, turning to her husband. Her green eyes glowed with a deep pain, even as she spoke to him, her voice shaky and upset.

"Why....? Why would you do that to him...? Was it not enough for you to punish me by ignoring me for so long....? Now you have to hurt others...? He did nothing wrong.......he's just a boy......and yet you...tried to kill him......for something that isn't his fault......"

She stared up at Hades, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"...if you wanted to kill someone....you should have killed me...."

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades felt an ache on his chest when Apollo came to comfort his queen. He wanted to lash out, to attack Apollo again and make him pain for causing him so much grief. He had come to check up on his wife and his sister, but what he saw was too much for his self control and caused him to immediately attack Apollo, and the foolish boy, brave as he was, pushed his accursed father out of the way and too the full power of his attack. When she comfronted him again Hades saw the chance to mend the situation, happy for the first time that the boy was still alive.

Kill you?...Do you think me capable of laying a hand on the most precious person I have ?

He spoke in a sad tone, not apolegic as of yet. His chest swelled in pain at how that idea disgusted him. He was a man of justice he knew the boy had done no wrong, outside of trying to fire an arrow at his head. He continued speaking.

I came here to see you and Nikolai because Hecate contacted me and wanted to set an appointment with the boy. But when I arrived, imagine my surprise when I am confronted with Nikolai and Apollo side by side...

He closed his eyes, trying to force the anger and hurt away so as to not lash out, he had to keep himself in line.

I was a fool for not connecting the dots sooner, I don`t think I wanted to connect them...because your happiness meant more to me than revenge. But when I finally discovered it was Apollo, I snapped and attacked him, but your son threw himself on the way, it was not meant to hurt him...all I want was to make Apollo suffer as I have suffered...

Subject: Re: "From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only) Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:03 pm

Persephone shook her head, despair radiating from every fiber of her being.

"And still, it would not have been right!"

Even the flowers at her feet were wilting. A bad sign.

"I am the one who committed a wrong! I am the one who betrayed you! And yet you took out your anger and pain on Nikolai and Apollo!"

Apollo reached out, wanting to calm and comfort Persephone, noting that plants were wilting all around her.

"Persephone, please...try not to be so angry....I am sure he did not mean to make you so upset..."

She slapped his hand away, furious and more upset than she'd ever been.

"Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me!"

She turned away from both Hades and Apollo. Her aura was dark...too dark, considering she was normally very bright. Add that together with the fact that plants were wilting, and it was definitely a bad sign. Grief was consuming her. And she started walking away from them...towards the cliff edge that would fall off into a massive mound of jagged rocks that could seriously wound, if not kill anyone who fell on them. Persephone knew that....and still she went towards it. Apollo, realizing what she was doing, bolted towards her.

"Persephone, no!"

The dark goddess lifted a hand, and Apollo was rapidly bound by thorned vines that he could not break free of. Mnemosyne rushed forward, hoping to at least perhaps restrain the goddess...but was also bound...the only able person to stop her now was Hades....

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades moved fast dashing towards his loved queen like a possessed man, the thorny vines on his way reduced to ashes by his power. His arms snaking around her slender form as the elder god embraced her from behind, preventing her from moving any closer to the edge of the cliff. He would not allow her to do such a thing, he loved her far too much.

Stop Persephone...It is not your fault. We all have our flaws and our moments of weakness...all my life all I wanted was someone to look at me and see me as a person, not as a walking corpse or a monster. You are and still is the only ray of light on my life...when the danger of loosing you present itself I went crazy, I could not lose the only person I would ever love. You can do whatever you want with me, I don`t care, as long as you are happy.

That was when something else touched her body, a lone tear made of crystaline water, which was soon followed by another. Hades, the man whose heart was believed to be harder than a diamond, was oppenly crying and opening his chest to the woman he loved.

Please don`t do this to yourself...I love you..

Subject: Re: "From the Deep" - (Stryker and Zeria only) Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:40 pm

Persephone struggled for several moments against Hades' powerful grip. She didn't want to be around anymore. Nothing she did was right. She hurt people again and again. Nikolai might even be dead because of her. She clawed at his arms and tried to push herself free...but could not. Hades was far stronger than her. Finally, she settled down, trembling. It was then that she heard the pain in Hades' voice, and her senses stirred. The great and mighty Hades...the heartless dark one...the once emotionless man who had taken her from her home, stolen her heart and captivated her soul....the man she had fallen in love with........was crying. She choked back a sob.

"Hades...."

She turned in his arms, folding herself into his embrace and crying even harder against his chest.

"Why didn't you ever tell me....? Why didn't you let me see....?"

Persephone clung to Hades, the dark of her aura being chased away by the light that was normal to her, and the plantlife beginning to bloom at her feet again.

"I love you too, Hades.......more than you could ever believe possible....."

She lifted a palm to place upon his cold cheek, standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his...

Posts : 145 Join date : 2011-01-27

Hades felt odly comforted, his pain melting away with the tears dripping from his saphire-like eyes and the kiss he shared with the Goddess of Spring. He took a deep breath, trying to hold back a sob. He didn`t want anyone other than his Queen to know he was showing weakness.

A good husband keeps his wife safe, even from himself. I wanted to spare you the hurt my problems would bring. I wanted to keep you save, even if it had to be away from me.

The aura of the Underworld God retreated back into his body, returning life to the garden as the plants that had almost withered under his feet started to revitalize. And for the first time Hades could remember, he felt warm on the inside. Not a simple flame that had been created from his passion for Persephone, but a warm blaze that consumed his very core and spread through his body. Enveloping himself and his Queen.

Where do we do from here on ?

Let it be known that while Hades was one of the wisest gods, he was still nearly clueless about certain matter, like family drama and reconciliation.

» Book of the End- Stryker and Zeria only.
» Just A Mercenary - (Zeria and Caleb Only)
» Soul Mender - (Zeria and Stryker only)
» Stryker`s Night Dwellers
» Zeria's Art Thread