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“And you promise you’ll come up to visit?” Water asks earnestly, resting her hands on Krow’s shoulders. It finds itself smiling.
“Of course,” it says easily. “What kind of ‘best friend’ would I be if I didn’t?”
“We’ll miss you, dude,” Acho chimes in, and stars eyes are damp with tears. Krow doesn’t cry, but if it did, it can’t imagine it’d be faring much better.
“I’ll miss you guys too,” Krow admits. It’s something that, a month ago, it never would’ve considered saying. But now Krow’s come to realize that it’s okay to be vulnerable- even healthy, sometimes. So it’s giving that vulnerability thing a try. “A lot.”
“One last hug?” Water tries, and Acho nods vehemently from beside her.
Krow rolls its eyes and makes a big deal out of it, but it had known from as soon as Water finished her sentence what its answer was going to be. “Go on, then,” Krow mutters, opening its arms wide.
Water and Acho barrel into it, and Krow feels warm in the tangle of limbs that is it and its best friends. There’s a sort of safety with these two, something almost comparable to the darkness of the deep realm of Hades below- eponymous with Krow’s father. But it’s not the same.
And that’s why Krow’s leaving.
Eventually, Water and Acho break apart. Krow feels the ground beneath it begin to rumble, and as it sinks below the earth, it waves farewell. They’re small motions at first, but as the distance grows larger and Acho and Water lean over the edge of the hole, Krow finds itself losing all inhibitions. It waves farewell, loud and proud and wide, perhaps the biggest smile ever etched upon its face.
Then the ground closes back over, and the sunlight is gone- and with it, Krow’s friends.
It feels itself traveling down in this earthen elevator for an amount of time that could’ve been anywhere between two minutes to two hours. It’s dark and quiet, the dirt on all sides muffling any noise that Krow makes. The darkness is complete and absolute, and there’s a wet smell to the air.
All in all, Krow already feels like it’s going home.
Eventually, though, it is deposited on a stone platform. It takes a deep breath, walks forward, and leans over the railing.
Sure enough, there it is. The whole of the Underworld is spread out before it- the fields of Asphodel, silent and still, aspen trees not so much as flickering in any breeze; the Fields of Punishment, screams emanating from there like a balm that treat Krow’s every wound; and Elysium. Paradise.
Krow has no doubt that’s where Acho and Water will be headed when they die. Maybe it can visit them when that happens.
Hades’ great palace is at the back of all of them, towering over, the five rivers branching off from it in a maze of turning liquids. The top of the cavern is illuminated in gloom, only the longest stalactites dangling down from its ceiling. It’s cold here, and dark, and as dreary as any place can get.
And it’s home .
Krow soaks in the sight hungrily, frantically, the image of its stolen home spread out before it. For a moment, Krow’s sure it’s a mirage. There’s no way that it’s actually back here, after everything that’s happened- but it is.
Are you happy to be home, little prince ?
A voice, thoughts that are not Krow’s own, echo in its mind. It has been years since Krow’s experienced anything of the like, but it’d know the feeling anywhere. Krow’s head whips around, and it finds itself face to face with Hades, its father.
The god of the Underworld is eight or nine feet tall, robes swishing out around him, turning into mist at the edges. Tortured souls scream silently out from the fabric, eyes tracing Krow, begging it to save them. Hades’ face is, as always, obscured by his Helm of Darkness- and for anyone else, just the sight of him in the Helm would’ve been enough to make their hearts stop of fear.
But all Krow feels upon seeing the helmet is a spark of joy, affection, and comfort.
“Yes,” Krow says, quietly. Then its voice gets louder, echoing across the cavern. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes! I’ve waited for this for so long , Father, you’ve got no idea. What do we do first? Oh, there’s so much- has anything changed? Is Persephone here- you know, because I’m not actually sure when the definition of ‘winter’ starts.”
Something that sounds like a chuckle reverberates deep within Krow’s mind. Patience, my child. All your questions will be answered .
A pause.
I’m glad you’re back. I have missed your company greatly .
Krow’s eyes go wide. It doesn’t think it’s ever heard Hades say something so overtly kind- for him, this is the equivalent of clutching at Krow’s shoulders and sobbing. A smile grows wide, giddy, over Krow’s face- and before it can stop itself, it runs forward and wraps its arms around Hades’ middle, burning its face in its father’s chest.
Krow’s never hugged Hades before. And maybe its time on the surface has made it soft, but gods above .
It’s missed its father so much.
Hades cautiously wraps his arms around the small of Krow’s back, pulling it closer.
I’ve never done this before . His voice sounds unsure in Krow’s mind- much too human for a god to sound. Please let me know if I make a mistake .
Krow looks up, meeting its father’s eyes beneath his helmet.
“You’re not messing up,” it promises. “I love you, Dad. I missed you too. A lot.”
Even though I- I did not know how to raise a child? I fed you human flesh. I bathed you in blood. I exposed you to things no good parent should .
“It’s the underworld,” Krow mutters, breaking away. “What else were you supposed to do? And plus, I don’t mind. I mean- some people would, but I don’t. I love it here.”
…Whatever you say, my little prince. Now! Let’s head to the palace, shall we? I’ve picked you out a new room, and had the skeletons decorate it in preparation for your arrival. I have heard of several ‘bands’ you’ve been enjoying, so I had some of their posters put in your room. Oh! And you love the Beatles, so I pulled their souls out from Elysium. They are to be your in-house band .
Krow lets out a laugh, sharp and high and full. “Thanks, Dad,” it says, chuckling under its breath. “Seriously. It means a lot to me.”
Hades looks down, and if not for the Helm covering his face, Krow thinks he would’ve been smiling faintly back.
They head down the path to the Palace, and… yeah.
Yeah, Krow’s glad to be back.
It’s really fucking glad to be home.