The History Paper
Your visit with Plato had taken much longer than expected. Not entirely sure how to handle the next step, you and Chase decided to just go to the hotel for the day, brainstorm and hopefully carry out the plan tomorrow morning. Upon arrival at the hotel, you quickly made your way back to the room. Having finally calmed down a little bit, both of you got some much-needed sleep. After a few hours, both of you got up and planned.
The next morning, the two of you got up early. You hadn’t entirely decided how you would be able to talk with Hades, as of now, you were just hoping to see Persephone and bank on her. You planned to first go to the gardens and try to find her. At the party, you noticed one peculiar thing – there were no guards outside of the castle, so you were hoping that was the case today. Your hotel was close enough that you decided to walk, something which also helped you get to the gardens.
The morning was brisk and walk a little longer than you expected but you were happy just to be leaving soon. Chase seemed to be very excited as well, as he talked quickly and nonstop, there was even a small bounce in his step. As you walked, you couldn’t help but admire the city. The crystals that you found in the skylights of the hallway were littered around the city. The area where the hotel was looked to be a business one. Numerous skyscrapers with countless floors and glass walls dominated the neighbourhood. What looked to be nice cafes and restaurants were scattered on the ground floors of some of the buildings. A light gray pavement covered a vast majority of the ground in the sector, but there were potted plants, nice fountains, and periodic trees throughout. Although the business area seemed endless, you actually passed through it quickly. An expensive and elegant neighbourhood followed it. None of the houses quite matched the size or ostentation of the castle, but they were luxurious in their own way.
The castle grew bigger and bigger as you got closer to it. You were growing impatient and it took all of your concentration not to run to close the distance. There weren’t any guards, thankfully, around the building, so you felt confident walking towards the back where the extensive garden was. Although you didn’t think you’d be caught outside, you did use the plentiful bushes and trees to keep yourself somewhat hidden. Soft music filled the air as you approached the garden – something you took as a good sign.
Chase tugged you down to hide behind a hedge. “What if it’s not her?”
“I didn’t even think of that – thanks.” He nodded and poked his head the slightest bit around the corner, as you watched in nervous anticipation. “What do you see?”
“There’s a small patio area that’s covered with doors to the castle. I think the music is coming form inside – one of the doors are open.”
“Is she there?”
“I think so.”
“Chase,” you warned, the tone undercut by the whisper, “there’s no room for ‘I think so’; we need definite answers.”
He shushed you and pushed you away when you went to look for yourself. “I know, I know. I’m trying to see.” He grew quiet. “Okay, yeah it’s her. She’s by a rose bush. There was just a table blocking me from seeing her face. But it’s her.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes,” he said, standing up.
You yanked him by the arm. “There could be someone else!”
“I doubt it. I didn’t see any signs of another person.”
Still uneasy, you held your ground. “Let’s at least go slowly.”
His eyeroll was practically audible and he held up his hands in defeat. Crouching, you darted to a half wall next to the patio area and Chase followed close behind you. Persephone was on the opposite side. You peeked around the corner when you heard an unexpected but familiar voice that made you jump.
“Hon,” Hades called out, walking out onto the patio and rubbing his eyes, “are you going to come in for breakfast?” You were surprised to see him dressed so casually in a baggy pair of pajama pants and a plain gray t-shirt. His hair was messy and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked as if he had just woken up. You held back the laugh threatening to spill.
Persephone came bouncing over and pecked his cheek. Her long hair was pulled into a loose ponytail. She wore a pair of denim overalls over a bright t-shirt and a pair of red boots. “Can’t we have it outside?”
A smile spread across his face. “Of course.” He turned to go back inside and, presumably, get whatever they were having.
While Persephone was still close and Hades was inside, you called out to her. “Pssst…Hey, Persephone.”
She turned, her eyebrows furrowing as she searched for you. When she spotted you, she greeted you with a bubbly smile. “Oh, hi guys!” You motioned for her to come over. When she got to the wall, she told you that you didn’t need to hide.
“Won’t he be back soon?” Chase asked, cautiously standing.
She waved her hand. “Yeah, but I’ve already spoken to him.”
“Wait,” you said, now standing, and holding up a finger. “You what?”
She tilted her head. “I talked to him about it.”
“You said we could count on your discretion!”
“Oh.” Her face softened as she realized what you were talking about. “That doesn’t count for my husband.”
You closed your eyes as you rubbed your hands over your face. “That’s the only person we wanted you to be discrete with.”
She looked concerned. “If it makes it any better, he agreed.”
“He did?” Chase couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice.
“Of course he did! I left out Luna’s name entirely and said there was just a mix up.”
“Did you tell him about the seeds?” You asked.
“Ehhhh, not exactly.” She invited you over to a number of outdoor couches surrounding a small, glass-topped table.
“What does that mean?” You questioned as you sat.
“Okay, well. I told him that you guys accidentally ended up in the Underworld. And I asked more hypothetically if he would be interested in helping you.”
“And?” Chase prompted.
“He said it would depend on who it was, what they were like.”
You held your head in your hands. “That doesn’t mean he agreed!”
“I have no concerns about you winning him over. So, to me, it does.” She crossed her legs and sat back in the chair. “You have to trust me.”
“When should we talk to him?” Chase seemed much calmer and more controlled than you did – not that that was anything new.
“You can join us for breakfast if you’d like.” She smiled. “Not that you could eat it,” she said after a pause. “But, he’s more likely to be agreeable first thing in the morning – he hasn’t dealt with as many people. Just keep conversation light and casual; don’t make it a big deal.”
“It kind of is a big deal though!” Your voice was growing increasingly agitated.
“Well, just don’t make it seem like one,” she shrugged. Hearing the door open, she turned and smiled at her husband who was carrying two plates.
Before she spoke, she shot you a final look that warned you to just follow her lead. “We have some guests.”
He looked slightly annoyed and you could feel your heart speed up instantaneously, but it quickly changed into a smile. “Would you like something to eat?”
“Oh, no thank you, Your Majesty,” Chase said.
“Are you sure?” He asked again as he set the plates on the table. “It’s fresh fruit from this one’s” – he nodded in Persephone’s direction – “garden.”
Persephone stood and made her way to the table, ushering you to follow her. “They told me they’ve already eaten.”
Hades smiled politely and nodded. “Okay, then.” He pulled out a chair for her before sitting himself. “I feel like I know you somehow.” He popped a fruit you absolutely could not identify into his mouth and thought. “You two were with Luna at the party weren’t you?”
You folded your hands. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You don’t need to call me that,” he assured you. “It’s breakfast and I’m in pajamas; this is anything but formal.”
“Sorry.” Your worried he would sense how nervous you were.
Persephone dismissed your apology: “nothing to be sorry about – you didn’t know. He’s just not a fan of the title; he’ll use any excuse to avoid being addressed by it.” She beamed at him.
His cheeks grew little warm before he changed the conversation. “So, what brings you to our home?”
You looked at Chase, unsure of how to respond. Understanding, Chase took the lead, “well, actual—”
Persephone cut him off. “It’s such a funny story, dear.” She touched his arm and shot the two of you a look. When Hades turned to her, she continued, “these two have something of yours.”
“Yes,” Chase said, nudging you with his elbow.
You reached into a pocket in your bag and pulled out the small velvet bag Plato had given you. “We were able to retrieve these. Persephone had given me the impression you were worried about them.” You held out the bag.
Hades wiped his mouth and hands with a cloth napkin before carefully taking it from your hands. “What is it?” He was already pulling the bag open, so you didn’t say anything. Delicately, he tipped the bag over so it’s contents would spill into his waiting hand. When the pomegranate seeds rolled into his palm, his face lit up. “You found them.” He looked at you dumbfounded before turning to his wife. “Did you set this up?”
She laughed. “Guilty.”
“How did you do it?” He asked the two of you.
“We spoke to Plato,” you said.
“You must’ve done more than just talk.”
“Not really,” you shrugged, “we just convinced him it would be better if he gave them to us.”
Hades slowly dumped the seeds from his palm back into the bag. “Well, thank you. I am eternally grateful. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get them back.”
“About that,” Persephone began cautiously, “they would like to cash in their favour today.”
He turned to you. “Are you sure what you are looking for is worth using it?” His tone quickly grew serious.
You nodded and Persephone continued. “You know the two I had spoken to you about the other day?”
“Yes, the mortals.” He set down the fork he had just reached for again.
“Well…” She trailed off, waiting for him to connect the pieces.
“You are the mortals?”
“Yes.” Your voice had grown considerably more confident. Persephone launched into your story and the two of you filled in all the necessary details.
Hades listened quietly and when you all had finished, he spoke up. “You want to be brought back to Humanity, I assume?” When you nodded, he tapped his lips in thought. “I will take you this afternoon.”
Chase let out a small cry of excitement. “Seriously?”
A confused look washed over his face. “Of course. I may not particularly like the situation, but it was a mistake on our end, and I do owe you one.”
“Thank you,” both you and Chase said automatically.
He nodded once. “We will go after my lunch meeting.”
. . . . . .
You were back at home, in your apartment by the end of the day and incredibly wiped. Hades had brought you both back up the elevator into the nightclub. After saying your goodbyes, you and Chase finally parted for the night. He had teased you about what your next night out would bring about, but you weren’t ready to entertain that thought yet. You didn’t even bother with anything you had coming up when you stepped in your door, instead, you just showered and went to bed.
The adventure certainly changed your viewpoint, causing a paradigm shift of sorts in your everyday life. Unfortunately, that history paper wasn’t done by the due date and your professor was unwilling to give an extension, but given everything you’d been through over the weekend, you couldn’t bring yourself to care about the single paper. There was always the next one, but hopefully, not another adventure like this came with it.
The next morning, the two of you got up early. You hadn’t entirely decided how you would be able to talk with Hades, as of now, you were just hoping to see Persephone and bank on her. You planned to first go to the gardens and try to find her. At the party, you noticed one peculiar thing – there were no guards outside of the castle, so you were hoping that was the case today. Your hotel was close enough that you decided to walk, something which also helped you get to the gardens.
The morning was brisk and walk a little longer than you expected but you were happy just to be leaving soon. Chase seemed to be very excited as well, as he talked quickly and nonstop, there was even a small bounce in his step. As you walked, you couldn’t help but admire the city. The crystals that you found in the skylights of the hallway were littered around the city. The area where the hotel was looked to be a business one. Numerous skyscrapers with countless floors and glass walls dominated the neighbourhood. What looked to be nice cafes and restaurants were scattered on the ground floors of some of the buildings. A light gray pavement covered a vast majority of the ground in the sector, but there were potted plants, nice fountains, and periodic trees throughout. Although the business area seemed endless, you actually passed through it quickly. An expensive and elegant neighbourhood followed it. None of the houses quite matched the size or ostentation of the castle, but they were luxurious in their own way.
The castle grew bigger and bigger as you got closer to it. You were growing impatient and it took all of your concentration not to run to close the distance. There weren’t any guards, thankfully, around the building, so you felt confident walking towards the back where the extensive garden was. Although you didn’t think you’d be caught outside, you did use the plentiful bushes and trees to keep yourself somewhat hidden. Soft music filled the air as you approached the garden – something you took as a good sign.
Chase tugged you down to hide behind a hedge. “What if it’s not her?”
“I didn’t even think of that – thanks.” He nodded and poked his head the slightest bit around the corner, as you watched in nervous anticipation. “What do you see?”
“There’s a small patio area that’s covered with doors to the castle. I think the music is coming form inside – one of the doors are open.”
“Is she there?”
“I think so.”
“Chase,” you warned, the tone undercut by the whisper, “there’s no room for ‘I think so’; we need definite answers.”
He shushed you and pushed you away when you went to look for yourself. “I know, I know. I’m trying to see.” He grew quiet. “Okay, yeah it’s her. She’s by a rose bush. There was just a table blocking me from seeing her face. But it’s her.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes,” he said, standing up.
You yanked him by the arm. “There could be someone else!”
“I doubt it. I didn’t see any signs of another person.”
Still uneasy, you held your ground. “Let’s at least go slowly.”
His eyeroll was practically audible and he held up his hands in defeat. Crouching, you darted to a half wall next to the patio area and Chase followed close behind you. Persephone was on the opposite side. You peeked around the corner when you heard an unexpected but familiar voice that made you jump.
“Hon,” Hades called out, walking out onto the patio and rubbing his eyes, “are you going to come in for breakfast?” You were surprised to see him dressed so casually in a baggy pair of pajama pants and a plain gray t-shirt. His hair was messy and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked as if he had just woken up. You held back the laugh threatening to spill.
Persephone came bouncing over and pecked his cheek. Her long hair was pulled into a loose ponytail. She wore a pair of denim overalls over a bright t-shirt and a pair of red boots. “Can’t we have it outside?”
A smile spread across his face. “Of course.” He turned to go back inside and, presumably, get whatever they were having.
While Persephone was still close and Hades was inside, you called out to her. “Pssst…Hey, Persephone.”
She turned, her eyebrows furrowing as she searched for you. When she spotted you, she greeted you with a bubbly smile. “Oh, hi guys!” You motioned for her to come over. When she got to the wall, she told you that you didn’t need to hide.
“Won’t he be back soon?” Chase asked, cautiously standing.
She waved her hand. “Yeah, but I’ve already spoken to him.”
“Wait,” you said, now standing, and holding up a finger. “You what?”
She tilted her head. “I talked to him about it.”
“You said we could count on your discretion!”
“Oh.” Her face softened as she realized what you were talking about. “That doesn’t count for my husband.”
You closed your eyes as you rubbed your hands over your face. “That’s the only person we wanted you to be discrete with.”
She looked concerned. “If it makes it any better, he agreed.”
“He did?” Chase couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice.
“Of course he did! I left out Luna’s name entirely and said there was just a mix up.”
“Did you tell him about the seeds?” You asked.
“Ehhhh, not exactly.” She invited you over to a number of outdoor couches surrounding a small, glass-topped table.
“What does that mean?” You questioned as you sat.
“Okay, well. I told him that you guys accidentally ended up in the Underworld. And I asked more hypothetically if he would be interested in helping you.”
“And?” Chase prompted.
“He said it would depend on who it was, what they were like.”
You held your head in your hands. “That doesn’t mean he agreed!”
“I have no concerns about you winning him over. So, to me, it does.” She crossed her legs and sat back in the chair. “You have to trust me.”
“When should we talk to him?” Chase seemed much calmer and more controlled than you did – not that that was anything new.
“You can join us for breakfast if you’d like.” She smiled. “Not that you could eat it,” she said after a pause. “But, he’s more likely to be agreeable first thing in the morning – he hasn’t dealt with as many people. Just keep conversation light and casual; don’t make it a big deal.”
“It kind of is a big deal though!” Your voice was growing increasingly agitated.
“Well, just don’t make it seem like one,” she shrugged. Hearing the door open, she turned and smiled at her husband who was carrying two plates.
Before she spoke, she shot you a final look that warned you to just follow her lead. “We have some guests.”
He looked slightly annoyed and you could feel your heart speed up instantaneously, but it quickly changed into a smile. “Would you like something to eat?”
“Oh, no thank you, Your Majesty,” Chase said.
“Are you sure?” He asked again as he set the plates on the table. “It’s fresh fruit from this one’s” – he nodded in Persephone’s direction – “garden.”
Persephone stood and made her way to the table, ushering you to follow her. “They told me they’ve already eaten.”
Hades smiled politely and nodded. “Okay, then.” He pulled out a chair for her before sitting himself. “I feel like I know you somehow.” He popped a fruit you absolutely could not identify into his mouth and thought. “You two were with Luna at the party weren’t you?”
You folded your hands. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You don’t need to call me that,” he assured you. “It’s breakfast and I’m in pajamas; this is anything but formal.”
“Sorry.” Your worried he would sense how nervous you were.
Persephone dismissed your apology: “nothing to be sorry about – you didn’t know. He’s just not a fan of the title; he’ll use any excuse to avoid being addressed by it.” She beamed at him.
His cheeks grew little warm before he changed the conversation. “So, what brings you to our home?”
You looked at Chase, unsure of how to respond. Understanding, Chase took the lead, “well, actual—”
Persephone cut him off. “It’s such a funny story, dear.” She touched his arm and shot the two of you a look. When Hades turned to her, she continued, “these two have something of yours.”
“Yes,” Chase said, nudging you with his elbow.
You reached into a pocket in your bag and pulled out the small velvet bag Plato had given you. “We were able to retrieve these. Persephone had given me the impression you were worried about them.” You held out the bag.
Hades wiped his mouth and hands with a cloth napkin before carefully taking it from your hands. “What is it?” He was already pulling the bag open, so you didn’t say anything. Delicately, he tipped the bag over so it’s contents would spill into his waiting hand. When the pomegranate seeds rolled into his palm, his face lit up. “You found them.” He looked at you dumbfounded before turning to his wife. “Did you set this up?”
She laughed. “Guilty.”
“How did you do it?” He asked the two of you.
“We spoke to Plato,” you said.
“You must’ve done more than just talk.”
“Not really,” you shrugged, “we just convinced him it would be better if he gave them to us.”
Hades slowly dumped the seeds from his palm back into the bag. “Well, thank you. I am eternally grateful. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get them back.”
“About that,” Persephone began cautiously, “they would like to cash in their favour today.”
He turned to you. “Are you sure what you are looking for is worth using it?” His tone quickly grew serious.
You nodded and Persephone continued. “You know the two I had spoken to you about the other day?”
“Yes, the mortals.” He set down the fork he had just reached for again.
“Well…” She trailed off, waiting for him to connect the pieces.
“You are the mortals?”
“Yes.” Your voice had grown considerably more confident. Persephone launched into your story and the two of you filled in all the necessary details.
Hades listened quietly and when you all had finished, he spoke up. “You want to be brought back to Humanity, I assume?” When you nodded, he tapped his lips in thought. “I will take you this afternoon.”
Chase let out a small cry of excitement. “Seriously?”
A confused look washed over his face. “Of course. I may not particularly like the situation, but it was a mistake on our end, and I do owe you one.”
“Thank you,” both you and Chase said automatically.
He nodded once. “We will go after my lunch meeting.”
. . . . . .
You were back at home, in your apartment by the end of the day and incredibly wiped. Hades had brought you both back up the elevator into the nightclub. After saying your goodbyes, you and Chase finally parted for the night. He had teased you about what your next night out would bring about, but you weren’t ready to entertain that thought yet. You didn’t even bother with anything you had coming up when you stepped in your door, instead, you just showered and went to bed.
The adventure certainly changed your viewpoint, causing a paradigm shift of sorts in your everyday life. Unfortunately, that history paper wasn’t done by the due date and your professor was unwilling to give an extension, but given everything you’d been through over the weekend, you couldn’t bring yourself to care about the single paper. There was always the next one, but hopefully, not another adventure like this came with it.
