Chapter Text
A glowing yellow-orange sphere with a wing waited for Zagreus in the first chamber in Tartarus. He reached out to accept the gift from Hermes, his cousin, the god of commerce, trickery, travel, and most importantly, swiftness.
“Word spreads quickly in Olympus, and the word is you got your heart stolen, coz,” The voice of Hermes said fast. “Love isn’t my area of expertise. You’ll have to ask Aphrodite about that, but you better get up there quick before someone else steals her heart.”
“Right… I’m on my way, Y/N. Don’t forget me yet.”
Zagreus proceeded to fight his way to the surface and came upon a treasure trove of wealth. He took the gold bracelet you gave him out of the sack tied around his waist and looked down at it fondly.
“Huh… This bracelet truly does bring good fortune,” Zagreus said to himself. “Thank you, Y/N.”
He continued to find treasure in Asphodel and Elysium, which helped him buy items from Charon, the boatman of the river Styx. The prince was then faced with Theseus, the former hero and king of Athens, and Asterius, the Minotaur.
“Look, Asterius!” Theseus shouted, pointing at Zagreus with his spear. “The fiend has returned! We shall send him back down to the depths of hell!”
“What do you have against me, Theseus? Seriously, I don’t understand it.”
“I will hear no more from you, villain! Prepare yourself to face my spear!”
Zagreus sighed and reluctantly raised his weapon to defend himself against the duo. Theseus was undeniably arrogant and conceited, while Asterius was not as bad once he got to know him better. He didn’t want to fight either of them, but he had to if he were to see you and his mother again. Unfortunately, Theseus plunged his spear into his chest, killing him.
“I’ll get you next time, pretty boy,” Zagreus mumbled, emerging from the Pool of Styx.
Zagreus walked down the hall and was reminded by Hynpos how he died. He then found Nyx standing in front of his father’s desk. The air was thick with tension, as always when they spoke to one another.
“What now, Nyx?” Hades asked Nyx sternly. “Do you realize the danger you have put her in? You claim to care for her, but now you threaten to expose her, to them!”
“Hades. When have I even once been unaware of precisely what I mean to do? I shall bring no harm to the Queen, and neither shall your son.”
“Harm to the Queen, wait… what are you talking about?” Zagreus asked.
“Child!” Nyx said, startled. “Zagreus. Do you intend to betray the presence of your birthmother to the Olympians?”
“No! Of course not. She… seems content to be all on her own. Well… Not exactly on her own…”
Zagreus’s voice trailed off as his father turned his attention toward him. Your existence was unknown to him until now.
“What was that, boy?” Hades asked sternly. “Explain yourself.”
“Mother has been living with a mortal woman she saved from freezing to death. They seem rather close…”
“You knew of this, Nyx?” Hades asked Nyx, angered. “And you said nothing?”
“I only came to learn of the mortal’s presence recently, and it did not have any relevance, so I did not mention it.”
“This mortal could betray us and ruin everything!”
“No, she wouldn’t do that!” Zagreus yelled. “She is kind, and she cares for Mother as much as you do.”
“You know nothing of mortals, boy,” Hades said dismissively. “This explains your recent behavior.”
“My recent behavior? What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
Zagreus remained silent as his father gave him a cold, hard stare. He realized he said too much and left the conversation. In the training room, he took out the gold bracelet you gave him and held it tightly.
“Whatcha got there, boyo?” Skelly asked. “Sure is shiny.”
“This mortal woman gave me her mother’s gold bracelet… It brings good fortune. More than that, when I hold it… I feel close to her…”
“Oh, I get it, boyo. You’re in love, ain’t ya?”
“Am I really that bad at hiding my feelings?”
The Skelton offered no response since Zagreus already knew the answer. He started his journey to the surface again and successfully beat Theseus this time. His father waited for him in the usual spot, looking out at the water.
“Your foolishness knows no bounds,” Hades said coldly. “Not only have you defied me time after time, but now you have involved yourself with a surface dweller.”
“Like you never did anything foolish for someone you loved.”
“You know nothing of love, boy. Love requires sacrifice, something you do not yet understand.”
The Lord of the Underworld turned around and burned away his cape before engaging in battle with his son. It ended in Zagreus’ favor, and he made his way to the garden with haste. You were standing near the archway this time, waiting for him, knowing he’d return soon enough.
“Zagreus,” you said sweetly. “I’ve been waiting for you… I counted the minutes until your return…”
“My father knows of you,” Zagreus told you. “Or rather… He knows of us.”
“Us? What do you mean, Zagreus?”
The young god took your hands in his and looked into your eyes with a serious expression. You held your breath, captivated.
“I… I like you— No— I love you,” Zagreus admitted. “You are the sweetest soul I’ve ever met— and I don’t care that you’re a mortal. I don’t care what anyone thinks— I don’t care if I’m being foolish— Y/N… I need you in my life.”
You squeezed his hands lightly, your palms sweaty, your heart racing, the butterflies in your stomach fluttering. The crimson in his cheeks told you that he was sincere.
“I… I love you too, Zagreus,” you admitted, blushing. “I loved you from the moment I looked into your eyes… But it simply isn’t meant to be…”
“Don’t say that,” he said sharply. “I’ll find a way for us to be together— I won’t ever stop trying to be with you.”
You firmly held each other’s gaze for what felt like forever until simultaneously leaning in for a kiss. It seemed like the gods themselves forbade your love, but that only made you long for each other more.
“Zagreus? Come here a moment,” Persephone said. “We haven’t much time to speak.”
You both froze and pulled away from each other with some disappointment. He gave you an awkward chuckle and a smile before taking your hand to bring you to his mother.
“Son, I have to ask you, how much do you know about your relatives upon Olympus?” Persephone asked quickly, knowing he’d be gone soon.
“I think I know quite a bit by now. I’ve been in steady contact with Athena, Zeus, and other members of the family ever since I first left Father’s House… they’ve been assisting me in getting here.”
“No… Zagreus, what have you done? You’ve led them here?”
“No, no, they think… they think I’m trying to escape from Father so that I can join them on their mountaintop. At least I think that’s what they think. Most of them, anyway.”
“But then… does Hades know of this? That Olympus is involved?”
“He does. Both he and Nyx. In fact, it’s Nyx who put me and Olympus into contact. I could never have broken free of the Underworld if not for their help.”
“So Nyx and Hades are against each other, then. And Olympus is helping you… but they don’t know I’m here, as far as you’re aware?”
“That’s right. More or less. Nyx and Father seem to put up with each other. Don’t seem to have much of a choice. Though, ever since I learned of you, Nyx has been helping me to find you… while Father’s tried to stop me.”
“That fool… what was he thinking? What is he thinking…? Do you suppose… he thinks that he’s protecting me from them? Oh, no…”
Zagreus hunched over, his stomach turning, his head hurting. You put a gentle hand on his back to give him some comfort.
“I… urgh… I think maybe he does think so, indeed… because, now having met my relatives upon Olympus, I… can definitely see that they can be a bit… vindictive about things.”
“Vindictiveness runs in the family, my son. Then, if Olympus is involved, that would explain a lot. I’m here, not there with them, as you can see. But, oh, it seems we’ll have to speak some more, when next you return…”
He fell to one knee, trying to resist the sickness, but his body gave out. He seeped into his blood and returned to his home. You watched him die again and then looked up at Persephone with a look of curiosity.
“Lady Persephone, I don’t understand… Why are you in hiding from Olympus?”
“Y/N… You have experienced the wrath of the gods yourself with this endless winter.”
“Is there no way to appease them?”
“If only it were that easy… My mother is not easily appeased.”
“Your mother, Lady Persephone?”
“Let’s speak no more of it until my son returns.”
You could feel Persephone become tense at the mention of the other gods and her mother. She felt indirectly responsible for your suffering, and so she kept her secrets to herself.