(Untitled)

[theunseendotcom]

The faithful servant deposited the depressed God into his bed, whom simply rolled over and turned his back to him. My, what an opportune moment to strike him down, but there was something of a small reminder in the back of Ezekial's mind that said, 'No

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[prosperpina]

Persephone had been wrapped up in her own suffering, her own worry. She didn't want to trouble Aidoneus, and he'd wanted to be on his own, so she respected it. Meanwhile, she knew things were happening - they must be. Things were too quiet on the surface, and below, and Zeus was free, and likely preparing for his coup - or recoup, she supposed. Kore had a line on Meilinoe, keeping careful track of her daughter without wanting to be overbearing. When she received Ezekial's message, she'd been in the gardens, tending to these strange, otherworldly flowers that bloomed whenever she was near.

Of course, she immediately dropped everything.

Kore appeared in the bedchamber she shared with her husband immediately, as soon as she received word from Ezekial. A shower of spring green sparks were floating behind her as she walked quickly toward the bed, sitting next to Hades.

"Aidoneus," she said softly, putting her hand to his face tenderly, stroking his brow, a look of deep concern on her face. "Aidoneus, love... talk to me."

[theunseendotcom]

Hades had never really been the one to talk about the things that bothered him. Though he loved his wife with every source of his being, to allow her to 'indulge' his weakness was a failure in his own mind. Now, unlike ever, he didn't seem to care. He lay in silence, cheek to his pillow. Hades failed to stir when the shower of sparks graced his presence, but could not help but spare her a look and what could have been considered the saddest excuse for a smile in all eternity.

"What would you like me to say, Kore.." He uttered hoarsely, "That I truly feel as damned as I am..?"

[prosperpina]

Persephone ran light fingers down her husband's cheek, moving her hand to his neck, stroking the cool skin there. Her heart ached for him, and she longed to ease the pain she knew he was feeling. The goddess knew too well the rending agony of losing a child, and she could not begin to fathom what it must have cost Hades to do the deed himself.

"My love," she said softly. She put a soft kiss on his brow. She could not take this from him, though she wished with everything in her that she could, that she could take his pain into herself, to spare him this. She shifted, sliding off her sandals and drawing her legs up onto the bed, and gently directed his head into her lap.

"I am so, so sorry. I know how you loved her."

Her whisper was full of empathetic sympathy.

[theunseendotcom]

Hades shut his eyes and tried to find a moment's solace in the close presence of his wife. It was rare that such emotions could ever be quelled, but knowing that Kore was by his side always eased his grief. This though, this was something that he had never endured before. And truly, he did not know how to feel. He simply did and what he felt was pain.

"It makes no sense to me.." He uttered weakly, "Why such a small moment in but a brief second in time would effect me so. Her life was but that of a match being struck and it's flame being blown out the moment it left the box. But..I feel as though a part of me is completely dead. Never to be restored."

"I have never felt this way before in my existance.."

[prosperpina]

Persephone closed her eyes. His words brought back so clearly the time when she lost Zagreos, that unbearable ache that had never quite gone away, despite the birth of Dionysus.

It was different. He was different.

And now, Hades felt that pain, too.

"It doesn't matter," she said in a soft, low voice. "It doesn't matter how brief your time with her was. Zagreos was hardly yet a boy when I lost him... and it still tore me apart."

She leaned down to kiss him again, this time briefly on his lips.

"That part of you will always be hers, my Aidoneus. But that which dies will feed new life, love. And Amenomi's death was not for nothing."

One of her hands took one of his as the other stroked his hair.

"It's natural to mourn, Aides. But it will get better, I promise."

[theunseendotcom]

He tried to smile, but the expression would not sieze his face. Hades relaxed beneath the comforting kiss of his wife then gave a shudder as though he was bitten by a chill. He laid quietly in her lap for a while, until he whispered.

"This loss has..made me someone who is very weak, Kore. It baffles me. In my heart I am not this way.." He whispered, sliding his arms around her waist. "I am plagued with violent visions randomly in the day..drown into the depths of sorrow which I have only seen those I have tortured be pushed to.."

"I feel as though I'm dying..and it is not what I wish for."

Hades nestled closer to his wife, his forehead cool as though he caught a chill. He closed his eyes and tried to rest and hoped that the ache would be purged from his bones. "I am so sorry to push this upon you, my love.."

[prosperpina]

"Shhh..." she soothed, stroking his hair. "Never apologize, Aidoneus."

How could she make this better for him? How could she make this all right? She didn't know. His pain broke her heart, rent her in two almost the way that her own had so long ago. Her arms slid around him, holding him close.

"You're not weak, Aides. Never that. You're suffering - in a way that you never have before. There is no weakness in feeling pain. And I know you have the strength to survive it."

[theunseendotcom]

Hades knew not what to do with himself, so he did what came to his heart first. He closed his eyes and tried to forget what he saw, what he had done. When he realized that not even he had the power to do so, he considered the one who did. He heaved a heavy sigh and rested his head on Kore's chest, trying at least for a moment, to salvage some peace.

"..There is a great unrest inside of me, Kore. I do not know how to quell it and I'm not sure I can do anything..but wait."

[prosperpina]

Kore traced her fingertips along the planes of her husband's cheekbones, running the pad of one of those pale, slender digits along his jawline.

"I don't know if anything but time will heal it, Aidoneus..." she lowered her lips to his, hovering a hair's breadth away. "But perhaps I can ease it, for at least a time, my love."

And she kissed him sweetly, but with increasing passion, her lips a conduit for the promise of new life and hope, even coming from the pain he was in now.

[theunseendotcom]

Hades weaved his fingers in his wife's hair when her lips touched his own in a vibrant flames of desire and passion. He lowered his lashes and kissed her lovingly, if not out of lust then out of need. Something had to take his mind off of this blasphemy, something had to consume him other than his pain.

Hades pulled back from her kiss with a pained hiss, holding her still close to him even as he was in pain. His complexion paled considerably and he nestled his face in the crook of her neck, trying to dissolve the feeling of weakness that suddenly swept over him. He closed his eyes, resting his head down once more as beads of sweat formed on his pale, cool brow.