13- Angela meets demeter

"AHHHH!" She screams in agony. One moment she was relaxing in a meadow of roses, the next and she was in this burning rush of miasma. She was in the underworld, currently riding down the river Acheron, her entire soul burning with pain as the Acheron slowly tries to heal it. She had no idea where she was or what sent her here, but what she did know is she didn't like this river.

With translucent limbs visible only to her she painfully paddles to the edge, yet just as she was about to touch land it suddenly expanded as if to taunt her, advertising the futility of escaping the river of wailing.

She screams once more in frustration yet as she looks around maybe hoping to not be the only one bamboozled; however what she saw this time was a fork in the stream. Seeing those far in front of her, many colors and shades of white and black and gray however once they cross the threshold of the fork, they suddenly begin to return to a pure white. The horde of rushing souls was split by two rivers as Hades made his adjustments. One side was sent to Calatrax, the psudo holding cells while the other half was sent on the usual course.

Fall down the Avernus(waterfall), drift into one of the 3 rivers based on how they die, and then eventually get led to the river Lethe where all of their memories would be expunged and karma reset until finally they would pour into the Beralve, the river of finality signifying the end of their death.

Angela was on a course straight to the Lethe where her entire personality and experiences would be erased. She might not know the name but she knew she never wanted to dip one toe in that misty, slow going river.

With renewed vigor her spectral form paddles with evermore intensity until finally she reaches the banks not even a dozen meters before she started getting erased. She rests on the banks feeling as tired as a soul could get until the last of the Acheron miasma falls off her soul. As soon as the last drop of water falls from her soul a body instantly starts to manifest.

With the blueprint in her soul, her body started to form in the shape of a pretty woman. Her sand white, smooth skin materialized with her pretty pointed face, plump but thin lips, with her golden eyes and blond, short hair forming just after. She was naked exposing her perky breasts and bubbly butt into the smoky air. She looked like an angel, an angel stranded in hell no less.

Standing up , she observes her surroundings only to find something akin to hell, which it was. A red craggily rock was what made the floor, it was hot to the touch. There were supermassive spires reaching all the way into the sky sprinkled throughout along with Large cave openings leading to Hades knows where. It was creepy, the dark sky, the ash raining down obscuring her view to just a few miles the pools of bubbling lava the giant spires stretching into the sky. It was terrifying to say the least and her spine couldn't help but shiver at the sight.

She continues looking around hoping to find somewhere to go. Eventually she sees it, a palace of grand design barely visible through the fog of raining ash. So she heads there planning to ask whoever lives there what this place is.

Though it did feel oddly familiar..

...

Arriving at the foot of the absolutely gargantuan building she's greeted with large pillars on each side of a black brick road leading to a massive double door. There was a beautifully detailed engraving of a skull dead center of the door. Heading toward it with trepidation in each step, alert for any surprises she arrives, the door now a daunting sight. With heavy hands she pushes it open the door assisting the rest of the way. The only word to describe what she saw on the other side was, Wealthy. The entire room possessed a sort of aura that demanded respect and when she looked at that throne all they way at the end her entire soul nearly prostrated in reverence. She entered but never got close to the throne in fear of what it might be. Instead she entered one of the side doors into a large hallway.

'Large to me at least!' She thought, thinking that the being that lives here might be some variant of a giant. She aways hated the way they talked. The hallway was ornate and long with golden etchings and decorations, yet another display of wealth.

She continued cautiously exploring, her soft feet pitter patting around the halls.

'So cool.' was her thought at seeing a colossal skeleton posing on a podium, looking like it was holding up the world. It gave her the chills, seeing how it's bones were braided and layered like armor with the head itself looking indestructible. Thr crack in its shoulder betraying that feeling though.

'Does anyone live here? I haven't see anyone or anything. Other than that dead guy.' She thought hoping that someone who could explain what is happening would show up.

She spent hours wandering around the endless hallways and rooms of various purpose. There was the kitchen of which she plundered spectacularly, the delicious goat cheese and savory minotaur meat made her absolutely delirious and she was honestly thinking of going back for more. But before she could she suddenly heard a sound, a heavy thumping of feet followed by another thump that sounded like landing on a bed of hides.

'Someone's here!' She excitedly thought. Her extreme curiosity and wonder would finally be sated. She could finally meet the being that owns all of this and she let out a squeal of joy at the prospect.

With quick steps she runs to the room she heard the noise, the door wide open.

'W-what?' It was Hades, she knew just from looking at him. He was right there, on his massive bed that almost looks small holding his big body. She found him, the man that's occupied her mind for years, she finally found him. Without any other thought she rushed toward him unthinking of the possible dangers.

With feral intensity she jumps on him like a beast and starts shaking him like a kid on Christmas. Hades feeling the interruption to his long needed rest simply turns his body and swats her away, his hand the size of her head she's launched to into the wall. The wall cracking from the force of her body smacking it as she bounced off like a tennis ball.

'Guess he's a deep sleeper.' With a groan rubbing her head, she stands back up deciding she'll just have to wait for him to wake back up.

Sadly, his sleep was far from an afternoon bap.

....

....

She was sitting at her potters wheel spinning wet clay into a cup. Surprisingly this place had no cutlery, plates, cups or bowls so she had to make them all herself. If Hades woke up right now he would find his kitchen shelfs filled with poorly made plates and cups. This would be her last piece of pottery, she's just not good at it no matter how much she tries. Some people just don't have talent for certain things.

It is what it is, she thinks. It's like an investment when you try to learn a new skill in the way that if you don't get returns after YEARS of practice, you should take the hint and pull out and stop wasting your time to focus on something else. But still even if she wasn't gifted in the field of art she stilled enjoyed it greatly.

She refocused on her work as she saw her symmetry slip.

It was at this time that a person visited the empty palace save for the sleeping King. She showed up in a flurry of flowers behind her. Angela quickly flinched in fear before the being, woman, revealed herself.

Saying she was beautiful would be an understatement. She was perfect. Her gorgeous brown hair raveling down her shoulders, her leafy green eyes with a allure only nature could provide, to her plump assets on both fronts. She was just like Hades. She figured they were the same species that much was obvious.

"And who might you be, little one?" The massive woman asked with her hands on her hips leaning down at her, a wry smile on her face. In this position her breasts were directly in front of Angelas face, leaving her stunned.

Gathering her wits she speaks. "I-i'm sorry if I've trespassed I truly thought only Hades lived here. My name is Angela." With a respectful tone she regards the woman before as someone related to Hades, who is someone she is deeply curious about.

"Oh he does, the prude is so lonely he won't even admit it, *sigh*, anyways what are you doing here? I doubt he brought you here since the only guest he's ever 'welcomed' is Hestia. So... to restate my question, tell me WHO you are." With eyes just a little more sharp she demands to know who or what she is. No one and she means NO ONE, gets into Hades palace or even finds it without his permission. Unless they're Gods of course.

Feeling the rising pressure of the woman before her she quickly spits out the information.

"He saved me! B-before. When I was a clinger he put some golden stuff in me and reincarnated me,after that I lived for a while and then somehow ended up back here a while ago." She was being very honest. After all she didn't want to be enemies to a friend of Hades.

"Then why are- Oh -Ahaha!" Letting out a pretty laugh she clutches her stomach as she progressively starts to laugh like a villain. Composing herself she wipes the golden tear from her eye.

"Aha-ha tha-ha- that's got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard!" Still calming down she takes a deep breath. "So let me get this right, he gives you a portion of Hyperion's soul, effectively turning you into a pseudo-God and then- ha- and then, he kills you!" She bursts out laughing once again as she nearly collapses finding this the best joke in history.

"It's not that funny." Angela says trying to calm her down, not finding the same humor in the situation. Learning the the person who gave you life was also responsible for your death, not very funny in her opinion.

"And to make it worse! Once you die, you come back here, only to find the one person who can send you back, SLEEPING! Ahahaha!" At this point she was literally rolling on the floor in laughter finding it the funniest joke in the universe. Angela facepalms as she groans in annoyance unable to stop the roaring woman. Sitting there at her potters wheel waiting for a few minutes so she can calm down.

"Ah-haha- ohhhh, wow. Seeing him mess up again does bring a smile to my face." With a pretty smile she finally calms down and looks at the Demi-God before her. I'll give him this, he knows how to pick them. Demeter was a God, and as such had some ability to see people at their core. She could tell Angela was a good person, that much was obvious. Then again she'd hope Hades isn't stupid enough to pick a deranged lunatic to give the power of a god to. The conversation then moves on to what the young girl has been doing all alone for what Demeter knows must've been nearly half a decade.

"So you've been her all by your self. What have you been doing all alone like this?" She was curious, most mortal would have gone mad from isolation and even if she was a Pseudo-God it would still have an impact on her. Unless she distracted herself with something else.

Feeling like she could finally talk, without being made fun of, she opens up about her time here, no matter how boring it was. It was nice to talk with someone, something she spent most of her time doing while alive and found it a most depressing change when she arrived here. Alone.

"I make pottery." She says with a smile. She didn't regret spending her time like that, even if a monkey could do it better.

"And?..." Demeter asks. If that's all the girl had been able to do the entire time she truly felt bad for her.

"Well nothing. There's nothing else to do. There aren't any flowers to make paint out of, no vegetable's to make a garden, there is stone to carve but I'm too weak to even crack it. So yeah, all I've done for however long I've been down here is make pottery, and bad potter at that." The smile she had reminiscing the time she was down here, spinning the wheel, was a big one.

"Oh you poor thing. Don't worry I can help with all of that, except the carving thing." With the snap of her fingers a multitude of a plants spawn from the floor, cracking the obsidian as they break free from its constraints. To Demeter this was an everyday thing, like opening the fridge to find cold food, but to Angela it was so alien she could hardly process what she just did.

"I'm afraid all your going to get is dark colors though as that's the only thing that can survive in this hellish place. Then again, Death Roses are my favorite." She plucks one and takes a sniff, her eyes closing in bliss. Another rose grows from the ground, it's stem reaching all the way up into Angela's hand until it breaks off, the black flower laying softly in her hand.

"Some nymphs think Hades made these in order to mark the deaths of important people. They think that if Amaltheia were to die, that a meadow of these would sprout from the ground. Of course I know why he asked me to make them, he wanted to test out his magic, and now these beautiful roses exist that pop up whenever a magical creature dies." Taking another whiff she exhales dreamily

"Plus, they smell good." Angela was at a loss for words. She just summoned an entire forest of plants in this ceramics room, knocking over pots and plates she was waiting to dry. And then she just took a hit of a flower like it was a drug. What were these beings of such power? And then the name of what she presumes to be another woman shows up, her interest piqued she askes more.

"Who's Amaltheia?"

"Hades lover. Turns out they had a one time thing, and boom, out pops a kid." She was talking extremely relaxedly and Angela doubts this is how she usually acts in front of Hades.

"Anyways, she's not important, lets transplant these flowers, I can feel a atrium we can move them to." With the wave of her finger all of the plants and flowers were up rooted or cut and telekinetically lifted in the air as she moves to leave the room.

And she walks out the room leaving Angela alone with a black rose in her hand. Quickly perking up she runs after the giant woman her soft feet pattering on the obsidian floor. Catching up with her she asks another question.

"So who're you? You're the same as Hades right?" She quirks her head as she looks up at the tall woman.

"Oh please, don't compare me to that stupid man. But yes, we're both Gods, and I'm Demeter one of Hades 3 sisters." She says with a smile. Angela and Demeter continue to walk down the ornate black and gold hallways until they get to the Atrium, a open courtyard that looks out into the dark sky. They both look around at the black, dull tile and the near empty sky save for the burning embers falling down.

"You'd think he'd lighten things up a bit, maybe give it a little sun, considering his ability to make this place whatever he want's." With the wave of her hands she simply drops the plants on the ground their roots flopping down with them, and then sits down on a half wall at the edge of the court. Tapping her foot on the ground the previous tile like ground transforms to a black and gray soil with bits of red rock in it.

"There you go, you mortals always need something to do so why don't you plant them yourself, I'll even teach you how to care for them." Angela's nude form enters the atrium looking at the renovated space. Looking at the dirt, a type she's never seen before she askes the woman another question.

"Why is it black, and why is there rock too?"

"Yes, it is quite strange. But like I said before these are the only plants suitable to survive in the Underworld and this is the only soil capable of supporting them. Hades calls it soul-sand or something but really its just black sand with crushed up netherack to give it solidity." She says not knowing that she just answered one of Angela's major questions.

"The Underworld?" Angela was so confused she was dizzy. She died, ended up in a river about to be erased, escaped into a lifeless wasteland only to end up in a palace belonging to the very being she was wanting to speak to. Only to find him sleeping and unable to wake him, she waits. For years. Who sleeps for years at a time?. And now, one of his sisters shows up demonstrating immense powers and mentions something that feels so familiar to yet so foreign as well.

Hades, she needs answers.

"Ah-ah-ah, no more questions. Get to planting before I change my mind and leave." With her legs crossed and hand on her chin she speaks to Angela like she's a child. Angela feeling like Demeter doesn't have as much patience as she thought begins to plant her garden.

Picking up a strange plant with a ribbed stem with spikes along its leaf she plants it in her garden with side notes coming in from Demeter.

"This pretty little thing is called a Wicked Brittleberry. It only grows in low light, and loose soil and after at least a month will produce up to 20 Brittleberries." Angela, finished planting a few Brittleberry plants grabs another, this one looking like a tulip, but more red with a black base looking like burnt paper as she plant an entire plot of these.

Her and Demeter continue, with Angela picking up the strange new plant and Demeter helpfully educating her on what they're called and what they produce along with a few fun facts once in a while. Eventually she got to the Death Roses, to which Demeter seemed to perk up.

"You know, the Death Rose was the first plant that I didn't make by myself. That's why it's my favorite. Me and Hades never really got along but we both loved our magic, which is why we decided to combine them ending up with these magical little things." Twirling a rose within her hand she looks at it as if reminiscing.

"That was before things got so complicated." And with that her face fell. Angela had no idea what she was talking about but she could tell that Hades family had some serious issues.

"What do you mean?" Angela continued to plant her flowers as she engaged in conversation with the Goddess, still wanting to find out more about Hades and this new world she's been sent into.

"When me, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, and Hera, our siblings, were eaten by our father we were all together, all the time. And sure Hades had some distain and general dislike for Hera, which y'know everyone had, but I personally think that Hades hated us all equally, well maybe Zeus a little more but still. You get what I'm trying to say don't you?" Demeter now laid on a reclined pool chair made of wood as she looked over at Angela. For some reason she felt she could tell her whatever she wanted without receiving the expected judgment or pity.

"Of course, to you, Hades was a constant, something you could always fall back on no matter what," Angela pats the base of a potted plant, compacting the soil to hold up the bulbous thing.

"And now that, from what I assume, you and your siblings aren't always together, along with Hades having been sleeping here, you're afraid the family might be splitting apart." Standing up she casts a glance at Demeter's stunned face as she goes to pick up another bunch of Whistling Thistles.

She was right, Demeter thought. Hades was the strong one, her older brother, the one to shoulder all the burdens, Especially when it came to father. And now that he's asleep, she has to deal with it all by herself. If only he was awake maybe he could've dealt with Prometheus better, or maybe not let Zeus eat Metis.

"*Sigh*. I hate to admit it but you're right. I wish he would wake up already, Hestia and Poseidon are getting antsy not seeing him in over a century." Leaning back on her chair she looks up to the dark sky, and wonders how much longer he'll be dreaming for.

It's only a matter of time before something bad happens.