Queen Of The Silence

I'm not one who cries at movies, or even gets hugely emotional. That isn't to say I don't feel anything when a sad scene happens but, holey fuck I finally got around to watching Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom after years of putting it off, and damn!

While I didn't cry, watching that Apatosaurus wailing while the lava closes in and the people on the boat watch was gut wrenching. Even hours later, I'm kind of in a bad mood. Not about the movie or storytelling, I actually think it was a well needed and emotional scene.

But just watching the poor dino realizing he's stuck and crying out for help was just sad on a whole other level. I kept thinking the same thing: No! Precious baby, don't you dare leave him behind! Go back! 😭

Thank you for coming to my rant about a fictional dinosaur dying.

I don't feel like finishing this/fixing the shading but I still (mostly) like how it came out.

Meet Accalia, one of my Dungeon & Dragons characters. What started off as an Little Mermaid rip-off for a short series, she has taken on a life of her own.

I kept forgetting to upload this. So I am running Waterdeep for my friends, and since their party is a little unbalanced with there only being three of them and none of them are full-casters, I gave them a lil' side kick.

Another Dungeons and Dragons Character! Meet Blanca Leverett! If you look up the meaning, together it vaguely means White Hare which is what Blanca is! She is totally supposed to be based off the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Blanca is a rogue by trade and has small case of amnesia and a flair for being mad.

Fun fact. That teapot?

So I have been working on a fanfic recently (Cough, cough shameless plug: here) And felt I needed to an update the appearance of an old OC of mine that will eventually, (it's a long series in the works) show up.

Nanobyte.

Firstborn child of AndrAIa and Megabyte. The Apple of her mother's eye and the Ire of her Father's. Older sister to Nidra (Sister) and Nicodemus (Brother) She is the only child AndrAIa let Megabyte name after himself. He expected a son, and being a troll, she did not feel the need to let him know a head of time the baby was a girl.

Her relationship with her father is clearly strained, as she represents everything he is against. Most importantly though he feels it's a betrayal to her code and viral heritage that she decided to become a guardian despite his attempts to prevent her from becoming one (Good thing Bob is the current Prime Guardian and willing to help a girl out.)

Nanobyte has the personality that I feel is a combination of Rapunzel from Tangled, Nimona from Nimona and Korra from TLOK. She is kind, passionate, hot headed, excitable and a believer in justice and hope and that good will conqueror over evil. Hobbies include painting, pottery, singing and training to be the best Guardian she can be and hopefully convince the council she is trustable enough to have her own keytool. Her current residence is Mainframe, in the ruins of her Aunt's tower.

Nanobyte is considered viral by the net, not a virus, meaning she is incapable of infecting things. She does however, have access to a wide variety of powers from her parentage: Flying, control over fire (like almost bending in the Avatar sense but also she can turn herself into a flame and teleport between fires), almost complete immunity to fire damage (explosions don't count), and above normal strength. The sword, I know is weird but that's because that's so she can force her flame powers through it for added fun. Nothing like being cleaved by a flaming sword. She is not Luisa level strong but she can lift a house if needed. For all these reasons, Megabyte almost considers her Hexadecimal reincarnated.

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Encanto (2021), Hercules (1997) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Miscarriage? Relationships: Hades/Persephone, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal/Pedro Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal/Julieta Madrigal, Hera/Zeus

Summary:

Hades and Persephone have spent centuries on centuries waiting for the day when they could finally have a child of their own. And after thousands of years watching all his unborn children die before they can even be born, he will do anything to make sure his little girl survives. Thankfully for him, there is a father in Columbia who is just as desperate as he is to save his children. And who might just be willing to trade for the very thing that would let Hades save his daughter....

“Babe, I didn’t mean it!” said Hades, avoiding the mug that hit the wall behind him. He intended to go after his daughter but his wife stopped him, tearing him a new asshole. “I don’t care if you didn’t mean it! She’s your daughter, not a mortal who went back on a deal Hades! You can’t just manhandle our daughter when she says something you don’t like!” screamed his wife.

“This…this is because of those Mortals, we never should have left her with them for so long!” Pleaded the God. He feared little, but a good husband feared their wife’s wrath. “No, Hades. She is a teenage girl, in an unfamiliar place who was ripped away from the only world and family she has ever known! Clearly something you have had little experience with. Have you met a teenage girl? I have, many, both mortal and immortal. And I can tell you, they all scream at their parents that they hate them at some point or another. The point is you cannot treat her like that! I asked you to give her time, not even twelve hours ago and you immediately go back on your word!”

“I was trying to make a joke, baby!” The God explained, trying to back peddle.

“I don’t care, she doesn’t find it funny, she was already scared and now you’ve traumatized her further. She freaked out this morning when she realized her clothes had been changed, you can’t do that Hades!”

“I was trying to help!” Snarled the god in question, his temper starting to get the best of him. Smoke was billowing angrily around him again.

“No, you were acting like your father!” snapped Persephone. “You're treating her the same way he treated you and your brothers. You’re always going on about how Zeus was a brat who was coddled by your mother, did you maybe think what he did was because of how Chronos treated him? You’ve put your father on a pedestal your entire life as the firstborn son and I’ve stayed out of it but I hear things from my mother and from my aunts and Zeus, even Poseidon, he didn’t have a good time. None of your brothers did. Far from it. Your father wasn’t strict, he was abusive Hades, and this is what you’re doing now to our daughter!”

“My father wasn’t that bad!” He snapped back, causing yet another explosion of fire and smoke. If it were anyone but Persephone, they would be cowering but she held fast, not even fazed. “Yes. He. Was. And your mother enabled him.” She said slowly, through forced teeth. The god opened his mouth but he was cut off by his wife. “Fine, you want to pretend like you had an perfect upbringing and Zeus is responsible for all your heartache? Fine, go ahead. But I’m not going to be like your mother and let you treat our daughter this way.”

She doesn’t wait for an answer, pushing past him and leaving him alone in the wreckage of what was once their kitchen. “I…I…” There is no point in trying to argue further, she’s already gone.

“Mirabel?” Persephone opened the door to the bedroom, hoping to find her there but instead she was met with nothing. “The Princess didn’t come back this way, Your Majesty.” Said one of the guards posted by her door. “In fact, we haven’t seen her since you both left to have breakfast.” She cursed internally. She might be Hades wife, but she couldn’t summon mortals or souls in this domain. Items sure, but not people. That was strictly his thing, being that this was his Underworld. She considered getting her husband but quickly decided against it.

She quickly summoned a scrying orb from their chambers and flicked it on, looking for their daughter. Oh no, she was outside the palace. Somehow she had gotten past all the guards and had fled out into the Underworld proper. That was bad, very bad.

“Oh Mirabel, what have we done?" Persephone whispered, her brow furrowed with worry. She knew the Underworld was a dangerous place, even for a goddess. There were countless hazards and threats that could harm her vulnerable, mortal-born daughter. Shades, furies, even the very landscape itself. And while people might respect and fear Hades, and not want to risk going against him, they had not made the announcement yet to their people that their daughter was even home. They would just assume she was some lost mortal (It happened on occasion, usually drunk college students trying to summon Hades and instead ending up here.) in the Underworld.

She needed to send someone after her, someone who knew the landscape best. But not Hades, and not Cerberus or the guards of the palace, because that would just scare her more. Thankfully she knew just the imps for the job. “PAIN, PANIC.” She called, summoning the fraternal twin demons to her aid.

The two small, imp-like demons appeared in a puff of smoke, bowing clumsily before Persephone. "You called, ‘Seph?" The blue one, Panic, asked. With Hades, they had a strictly formal relationship, neither of them would dare to call him by a nickname or with such informality. Persephone however, loved the pair and thought of them as her own kids in a way, much to the annoyance of Hades. Ever since the failed invasion of Olympus, Hades hadn’t bothered with the pair much, feeling that they botched his one chance at avenging his parents and taking his birthright. He would put them in the Pit but he knew he would never hear the end of it from his wife. So they mostly just kept her company now…when Hades wasn’t around, that is.

“There is my two handsome imps! How are you?” She cooed, before her expression turned serious. “I apologize, this isn’t a social call. I’m not sure if Hades told you, but our daughter is back home. And in typical fashion, he scared her and now she’s somewhere, vulnerable, out in the Underworld. I was hoping my two favorite little guys could go get her. “

Pain and Panic exchanged a nervous glance, shifting uncomfortably under Persephone's pleading gaze before melting like butter. "Your daughter, huh?" Pain rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, we heard about that. Crazy stuff." Panic elbowed him in the ribs, casting an anxious look towards the door. "W-What he means to say is, of course we'll go get her! Anything for you, 'Seph!"

Persephone beamed, clasping her hands together. "Oh, you two are the best!" She leaned down, planting a kiss on each of their cheeks. "Now hurry, she couldn't have gotten too far. Bring her back safe, okay?"

Pain and Panic saluted sloppily. "You got it, 'Ma!" With that, the two demons disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hopefully, they would be able to find her before anything harmed her.

When he agreed to do another vision, he had hoped he could get out of it or at least delay it by saying his room was not in good condition right now to do one. Mind you it wasn’t, lots of sand piling up and the bridge was destroyed. And also he knew that no one would want to climb the stairs to begin with and there was a reason he had kept the elevator hidden (to prevent people, really his mother from being able to bug him so easily.)

He also mentioned that even if everyone did make the journey, his vision room was kind of small, and couldn’t fit them all. Well, it could but it would be tight quarters. Of course, no one was having that. Especially Antonio who had watched his favorite cousin (sorry Luisa and Isabela) be ripped away from him on his birthday.

“You can do it in my room!” Out of everyone, Antonio had the most open, flat space and was less concerned with all the sand that was going to end up everywhere from the vision (It didn’t just magically disappear after he was done. He had made the mistake of doing a vision in Pepa’s room, one time, and he never heard the end of it, his sister claiming she was finding sand everywhere for months.) as his room was an animal themed one and had beaches and sand galore everywhere already. Clean up would not be needed. So he relented. And now the entire family was around him in a circle, some sitting, some standing, waiting for him to start.

It was a bit nerve wracking to be honest, Camilo and Antonio and even Luisa had never even seen him do a prophecy and his mother…well, she didn’t like the sand whipping around. Which fair enough, it got everywhere and it hurt a bit if you walked into the circle, but still. Julieta and Agustín were standing the closest to him, gripping each others hands as they stared at him desperately.

‘Do it for Mirabel, do it for Mirabel’ he chanted, internally. Standing in the middle of the circle he had drawn, he began the process. Raising his hands, the sand began to rise, whipping around him. A similar scene as before began to play out. Mirabel, standing in a crowd watching her family take a picture without her, then it shifted into a crowd, Antonio standing at the front reaching for her, and a faceless man, Hades, trying to drag her into a pit with Cerberus. “It’s just the same thing!” He shouted over the noise and sand.

(“What do you think sisters, do you think I should show him?”

“Atropos , stop toying with them, you already know the answer. Unless you’d like to lose our best chance at retirement !"

“Fine!”)

“No! There has to be more, Bruno there has to be more!” Shouted Agustín. “Wait! Do you see that? Look! It’s a butterfly, just like the ones on Mirabel’s skirt!” The mustached man shouted, pointing out the small glowing butterfly that appeared in the sand. “Follow the butterfly!” Confirmed Alma, not caring about the sand hitting her and choosing to enter the circle to grasp her sons hands. “Mamá..” She shushed him. “Focus! Bruno, we need to see!” He squared his shoulders, turning back to the image. He followed the butterfly, watching the image shift into an man and woman who appeared to be of Mediterranean descent (He couldn’t tell what nationality exactly.), easily in their nineties, before it turned into an envelope with a name and address on it.

Herbert and Maggie Armstrong,

164 Oakwood Lane

Sunnyville, CA

USA

Bruno could hear Julieta over the sand repeat it to herself over and over, in an attempt to memorize it before the image changed again to show Mirabel, arms out and walking towards them, a saddened Hades and what he assumes to be Persephone behind her, holding each other. And then the vision ended, the sand falling, leaving behind the final image etched in a green tablet.

The family stared at Bruno in stunned silence, processing the new information from the vision. Alma was the first to speak, her voice trembling with emotion. “I don’t understand this, and how those two people we saw could help but if what we saw is correct, we need to go to America.”

“America? How? Do you know how expensive that would be, let alone finding how to get there? Aside from the fact that we have not been outside of the Encanto since we were born, the country is still filled with violence and unrest. And the world is still recovering from the second World War!” Pepa, exasperated and even more confused than she was before.

“Well, clearly there has to be a way, if this vision is any indication.” Suggested Félix, frowning. In the background, Camilo was also frowning, but for a different reason. He was looking at the vision in his Tio’s hands with deep scrutiny. “Hey, uh what are these tablets made of, by the way?” he asked. "It doesn't look like glass."

“Uh, I don’t know? Stone? I never thought about it.” Bruno offered, distracted by everything else. “Wait, that is a good point, these don’t look like glass…Tio, can I see this?” Asked Isabela, holding her hand out expectantly. Confused, he handed it over without a word. Isabela turned it over, running her fingers on it, eyes narrowing.

“I think, we have our answer on how we can get to America….money wise that is.” she said slowly, looking at the family.

“Uh, how? Mind explaining sis?” Luisa glanced between her family, just as in the dark as them. “Well, if there is one thing good thing that came out of being Abuela’s perfect little doll (She could see her grandmother wince.) is that I spent a lot of time looking at engagement rings with her and Mariano. This isn’t glass, or just green stone. It’s pure Jade.”

“What? That can’t be correct!” Alma all but ripped it out of Isabela’s hands, looking it over. “Hmm! We could take it to the jeweler in town! He could confirm if it is or not! And then, if they are, we can pawn them….maybe not here, we do a lot of trading rather than using money but I’m sure we’re going to have to pass through other cities and towns on our way to America. Tio, how many of these things do you have lying around? I know I still have the one you gave me about Mariano…you know I’m just realizing you said the man of my dreams would be betrothed to another, not married…” Dolores said trailing off, eyes glazing over.

“I tried to tell you! Also, uh, a few, maybe a dozen or so. But what if people ask us why we have a bunch of jade tablets with images on them?” asked Bruno. “You could just break them into pieces, like you did with the other one.” Antonio offered. “Fair, probably still a lot of questions about why we have so much jade, but better than people asking about what’s on them.”

“Right, so if we do this and they are jade, we’ll need a few days, maybe a week at best. Time to prepare, tell the town, get our affairs in order…Fe-”

“No! If you are about to say me and Agustín should stay here, you can forget about it. We have just as much magic as you Alma, as in none. Mirabel is my sobrina and his daughter, I am going with you. We all are. We’re doing this as a family, no one is staying behind.”

“I am.”

Everyone turned. Pedro had mostly been silent. “Unfortunately, I am unable to go with you. I skimmed the agreement I signed…The clauses Alma, not the deal itself! But I do know that one of the caveats is that I am bound to this valley, I can’t leave it.”

“Ca..what other clauses were there Pedro?” she asked, head in her hands. This was just great! The ghost sighed. “I don’t think he thought to put it in the agreement, or maybe he thought you wouldn’t try and get Mirabel back, but it states that I, and just me, am not allowed to try and stop him from completing his side of the deal, before, during and after. Or the gifts and house would be forfeit.”

“Screw the gifts, we-” Pedro held up a hand. “It also states my soul would be forfeit as well and I would be doomed to an eternity into his Pit of Souls, whatever that is.” He finished explaining, cutting off his daughter.

Everyone was quiet. “It’s fine, don’t worry, I’ll watch over Casita and the town while you’re gone…I’m not sure how…uh, wait, I know animals can see and hear ghosts, so if Antonio leaves one of his bird friends, we can use them to pass along messages!” Everyone averted their gazes, not responding. The boy in question looked at his family, first excited at the idea of being able to help but now confused. “Mamá? Papá?” he asked, looking at Pepa and Félix with hurt.

“Toñito, you’re still a baby! It’s dangerous out there, you need to stay here!” Pepa leaned down to look her son in the eye, watching his lip tremble.

Antonio's face fell, his eyes filling with tears. "But I want to help save Mirabel! She's my Mira!" he cried, his voice thick with emotion. Pepa pulled her youngest child into a tight embrace. "I know, mi amor, I know. But it's too dangerous - we can't risk anything happening-”

“NO! I’M GOING TOO!” Antonio was known for being a shy and quiet kid, so hearing him yell was shocking. He crossed his arms, scowling. Bruno pinched the bridge of his nose before addressing his, only by ten minutes, older sister. “Pepa, I know you don’t like it, none of us do but the vision shows Antonio along with the rest of us, and even if you tried to keep him here, he would probably try and go on his own. Would you rather leave him, risking the chance he runs off to God knows where as soon as we leave, or having him with us, safe and in our sights? And his gift would be an asset.”

“…I hate when you are right.” The middle-triplet said after a moment of silence, not wanting to look at her brother, scowling. “You mean all the time Pep’?” Bruno smirked, and Pepa’s gaze softened. “Aye, I haven’t heard you call me that in forever, not since before the wedding….”

Bruno groaned. “I don’t know how many times I need to tell you, that wasn’t a prophecy! I was making a joke because I knew how stressed you were!”

Pepa sighed, wrapping an arm around Antonio and pulling him close. "I know, Bruñito. I know."

She pressed a kiss to the top of Antonio’s head, her expression softening. "I just worry, that's all. But you're right - if the vision showed Antonio there, then he needs to come with us." She looked up, meeting the gazes of her family. "We'll all go. As a family….except Papá, of course.”

Pedro nodded solemnly, accepting the limitations of the deal he had made. "I understand. I may not be able to join you physically, well you know, but I'll be with you in spirit." He gave his family a reassuring smile, though the pain in his eyes was evident. "Take care of each other out there. Bring our Mirabel home."

“We will. Familia, we all have our assignments: Julieta, start cooking. We will need food in case of injuries out there and a stash for emergencies here. I will inform people to see Dr. Cruz for anything not serious or can’t be solved from waiting it out. Casita can give it out if people come to the house. Agustín…you are the only one with experience being outside of the Encanto, and I know you have old camping gear laying around, find it. If you can’t, go around town and find some.” Alma paused, thinking. “Félix, help him. Isabela, I want you to bring this tablet to the jeweler, confirm if it is jade. Luisa, go see Senior Ríos (Alma could see the way Luisa immediately became red in the face, she would have to ask about that later.) and get some donkeys and horses. Maybe even carts if he has them. Take Antonio with you.”

“Camilo, Pepa, I want you to go around and ask people in town if anyone has kept a prophecy from Bruno. Unlikely, but we need as many of these as possible. Bruno, go get the ones you do have. and Dolores, I want you to find any information you have on this…Underworld, and also how we can get to America. Try the traders. I’m going to talk to the town.” The Matriarch finished handing out their tasks. Everyone was in agreement. “Check my library ‘Essy’! The bookshelf with the little stuffed donkey on the top shelf.” Luisa called over her shoulder to her cousin as everyone began to scatter.

They were going to get Mirabel back, or die trying. Hades be damned.

Mirabel wasn’t sure where she was running too, in all honestly. She just knew she had to get out of here. Unfortunately for her, she had no idea where to even begin. She was surrounded by unfamiliar territory and had no indication of where an exit to this place was. She could spy the golden city in the distance, she wondered what it was. She could go there, but she didn’t know what THERE was!

As she fled blindly through the winding, rocky paths, Mirabel couldn't help but glance nervously over her shoulder, half-expecting the towering, rage-filled figure of Hades to come barreling after her. But so far, there was no sign of pursuit. It seemed her “father” - if she could even call him that - and Persephone were content to let her go for now. She had to force herself to keep moving, it was hard when her hand was burnt from where she had been grabbed. It hurt, a lot.

She ran for what must have been miles, through the twisting, narrow paths of rock and stone, lost and inconsolable. Smacking right into someone and causing her to fall to the ground with a loud grunt as essentially ran into what was a wall. She hissed, as rock and stone dug into her legs and arms.

“Well, well. What do we have here sisters? Looks like a mortal got lost. Such good timing, I was feeling hungry for seconds.”

Mirabel jerked her head up. A tall woman with long black hair and pale skin stood over her. Her face was smeared with a blood-red substance. She was absolutely beautiful, until Mirabel looked down and saw that her lower torso had been replaced with a large, serpent like tail. The woman smiled a large, cruel grin revealing a set of sharp fanged teeth.

Mirabel's eyes widened in fear as she stared up at the monstrous woman looming over her. "P-please, I don't want any trouble," she stammered, trying to scoot backwards on the rocky ground. "I'm just trying to find a way out of here." She glanced behind the…woman? and noticed three other creatures just like her and the body of a man, his body drained and torn apart. She looked back at the woman’s face. That wasn’t just red like blood, it was blood.

The woman's grin only widened, her serpentine tail swaying back and forth behind her. "Oh, but you've already found trouble, little mortal." She let out a bone-chilling laugh, her red-stained lips curling into a cruel smirk. "You see, we don't get very many visitors down here. Especially not pretty young things like yourself."

Mirabel tried to take a step back, but the woman’s tail lashed out, wrapping around her waist and squeezing like an anaconda, causing Mirabel to gasp as air was forced out of her body. “I haven’t had a teenage girl in a while, usually it’s just frat boys. I’m going to enjoy this.” Baring her teeth, the woman lunged to bite her only to be stopped by a scream.

The Lamiae's head snapped up at the sound of the scream, her gleaming fangs halting just inches from Mirabel's terrified face. Her serpentine eyes narrowed as she searched for the source of the disturbance.

"Who dares interrupt my meal?!" she hissed, her grip on Mirabel tightening painfully.

Two small, imp-like creatures, suddenly appeared in a puff of smoke, landing clumsily between the Lamiae and her prey. One was skinny and blue with a long nose and the other was stout and red. The woman paused, eyes narrowed. Everyone knew who Pain and Panic were, the sniveling little lapdogs of King Hades.

“Y-you must release her at once!” Said the red imp. The Lamiae gnashed her teeth together, irritated by her meal being stopped. “And why would I do that? What authority do you two think you have?” She grinned viciously, looking at her meal and licking her lips. “She’s the Princess. We’ve been sent to collect her on behalf of the Queen.” The blue one said simply. The monsters face turned to horror, dropping Mirabel and then kneeling, as well as a serpent could. “Your highness! I apologize, I did not realize you had returned home already! Please forgive me!” She bowed, cowering. No one was stupid enough to go against Hades.

“Well, it’s not her you need to ask for forgiveness, it’s me.”

How he appeared without a sound, she didn’t know. But she did know she never wanted to see Hades again. The Lord of the Underworld strode forward, arms clasped behind his back. Hades approached the cowering Lamiae, his piercing gaze boring into her. "You dare lay a hand on my daughter?" He growled, the air around him crackling with barely restrained power. The Lamiae trembled, her serpentine body recoiling in fear. "I-I'm so sorry, my lord! I didn't realize - " He raised a hand, ready to strike her down.

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Mirabel cried out, her voice trembling with fear and anger. She couldn't stand to see anyone else hurt, even if they were a monster that had threatened her....and eaten someone. Hades paused, his hand frozen mid-strike as he turned to look at his daughter. The Lamiae, seeing an opportunity, quickly slithered away, disappearing back into the shadows.

Hades' expression softened slightly as he gazed at Mirabel, his hand dropping back to his side. "Mirabel, you shouldn't be out here alone. It's dangerous." His voice was gruff, but there was an undercurrent of concern. Mirabel glared up at him, hugging herself protectively. "I don't care.”

“Baby girl, it’s not safe. Come, let’s go back to the palace.” Hades said, trying to corral his daughter. “What, are you going to burn me again if I refuse? Maybe hit me this time?” She looked down at her wrist, blackened and aching.

Hades recoiled as if struck, his expression crumpling with guilt and remorse. "Mirabel, I...I would never hurt you! Baby girl, I love you!” He said, running his hand through his flame. Mirabel just held up her wrist as evidence of otherwise. Mirabel flinched as Hades reached towards her, half-expecting him to lash out again. But instead of grabbing her, he gently took her injured wrist, his touch surprisingly gentle. "Let me see," he murmured, his brow furrowed in concern as he inspected the angry, blistered skin. Pain and Panic hovered anxiously nearby, their eyes darting between the two nervously.

"I'm so sorry, Mirabel," Hades said, his voice thick with remorse. "I never meant to hurt you. I was just...I was so desperate to have you back, to make up for all the time we lost." He sighed heavily, his piercing gaze lifting to meet her wary stare. "I know I have a terrible temper, and I let it get the better of me. I’m…I’m new to this, and I know that’s no excuse. I’m sorry, I mean it baby girl.” Mirabel didn’t respond, looking away. “Please, let’s go back to the palace. You shouldn’t be out here.” Mirabel shrugged. “Not like I have a choice, is it?” She muttered under her breath.

Usually Hades would get angry at such back talk but instead he felt defeated. Persephone words just kept coming back to him. “Your father wasn’t strict, he was abusive Hades, and this is what you’re doing now to our daughter!”

“Baby girl…” He started. "We can keep an eye on her boss." Pain interjected, earning a scathing glare from Hades. "What are you doing, you idiot?" Panic hissed, elbowing Pain harshly in the side. "Shut up!"

Hades turned his piercing gaze back to Mirabel, his expression unreadable. He didn’t like those two, but he was finally listening to his wife for a change. Forcing her back would just worsen it. “She dies or gets injured in anyway, and I am putting both of you in the Pit. Understood? Have her back for dinner.” He looks at his daughter, still silent before frowning and summoning his royal seal and handing it to the less stupid of the pair, Panic. “In case anyone doubts you, don’t lose it.” He reaches out to touch his daughters cheek, but stops himself. “I’ll see you at home baby girl.” As soon as he disappears into smoke, the pair of imps start arguing.

“What were you doing?” Hissed Panic to his brother. “I dunno, she reminds me of us, and how Hades treats us. She doesn’t deserve the same treatment.” Said the shorter of the pair. "She reminds you of us, huh?" Panic sighed, running a clawed hand down his face in exasperation. "Yeah, well, news flash - we're demons. She's a literal goddess. Hades' daughter, no less." He jabbed a finger into Pain's chest, scowling. "You really think you can just treat her like one of us and get away with it?"

Pain shrank back, his ears drooping slightly. "I-I don't know, I just...I felt bad for her, okay?" He glanced over at Mirabel, who was watching their exchange with a mixture of confusion and wariness. "She shouldn't have to deal with Hades' temper, you know? Not like we do."

“I’m sitting right here, you know.”

They both froze, immediately falling over each other to apologize for their oversight. “Don’t, don’t do that. Groveling? Or whatever.” She said, bringing her knees to her chest. "So...you two work for him?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction Hades had disappeared. The blue imp, Panic, straightened up, puffing out his chest. “N-not…well kinda, yes, technically, we’re indebted to him but he doesn’t really call on us to for work anymore after the whole Olympus incident. Mostly we just keep Ma’ company.” 

“Ma’?” Mirabel asked with a raised eyebrow. At once both imps were stumbling over each other. “Well I meant…so…I mean…Don’t tell Hades? Seph’ knows obviously and doesn’t mind but he doesn’t like it when we call her that. Says we’re over stepping our boundaries. And then hurts us….”

Mirabel let out a dry laugh. “Well, we have that in common I guess….He hurts you too, huh?" she asked quietly, her gaze dropping to the rocky ground beneath them. Pain and Panic exchanged a nervous glance, their usual bravado fading. "Well, I mean...yeah, sometimes," Pain admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it's not like we don't deserve it! We mess up a lot and Hades has...a bit of a temper."

“No one deserves that.” Mirabel said quietly, her gaze fixed on the ground. The two imps fell silent, unsure of how to respond. After a moment, Panic cleared his throat awkwardly. “Maybe not but we’re used to it.”

“Well you shouldn’t be!”

The pair froze. Sure ‘Seph came to their aid when she could, but other than her no one had really ever shown any sympathy for their mistreatment. They were used to being treated like second class citizens. “Maybe not….look, we got like…eight hours until we have to get you back to the palace for dinner, maybe we should go elsewhere? The area we’re in is not the best. Especially for mortals. At least let us take you to Elysium.”

As if on cue, an old haggard woman with long claws and gaunt cheekbones dressed in tattered clothing began approaching them, spying Mirabel as an easy target only to be stopped by Panic flashing the seal. “Hades Daughter.” He said simply.

“Ah, my mistake, have a good day your Highness.” And immediately walked off. Mirabel sighed and got up, dusting her skirt free of lint. “It’s either that or go back to the palace, so sure because something tells me I won't be able to find a way out of here even if I tried. Take me to ‘Ely-see-um’ or whatever.”

"Alright, follow us then! Your new pals Pain and Panic will be your own personal Charon across the Underworld!” Mirabel raised another eyebrow. “Pain? Panic? Those are your names? Really?”

“Yep Princess, and don’t you wear it out!” Pain said, bowing with a dramatic swish of his hand. Mirabel smiled, for the first time in over a day, or really in a long time. An actual genuine smile, not the forced ones she put on around her family. She hated Hades (indifferent currently on Persephone) but these two? She liked them.

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Encanto (2021), Hercules (1997) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Miscarriage? Relationships: Hades/Persephone, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal/Pedro Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal/Julieta Madrigal, Hera/Zeus

Summary:

Hades and Persephone have spent centuries on centuries waiting for the day when they could finally have a child of their own. And after thousands of years watching all his unborn children die before they can even be born, he will do anything to make sure his little girl survives. Thankfully for him, there is a father in Columbia who is just as desperate as he is to save his children. And who might just be willing to trade for the very thing that would let Hades save his daughter....

He waits until his wife is dead asleep, (Ha dead, get it?) before he rises slowly from the bed and out of their private quarters, towards the bedroom down the hall. He pauses outside the door, giving the guards a curt nod as they saluted him before he gestures at them to be quiet.

He opens the door slowly, peeking his head in. He can see her, curled up near the edge of the bed, asleep, likely too exhausted from crying. She’s still wearing those clothes; the ones from the mortal realm and he frowns, as he notices all the embroidery on her skirt. A symbol for each member of her mortal family, even the non-magical ones…well, except the one living in the walls it seemed. Which, fair enough. He steps into the room proper, approaching the bed slowly and once he is close enough, with a flick of his wrist, the outfit turns into a set of pajamas, a pair of pants and a tank top and her glasses (Ah to be in a mortal body and require such things) lift from her face and are placed on the nightstand next to her bed.

He considers just removing the outfit from existence all together, but he knows how that will go, so he just conjures it back into reality and drapes it over the privacy screen and sets the shoes by the bed. Sighing, he lifts her, untangling her limbs and moving her so he can place her properly on her bed. He draws back the blankets and lays her down gently before tucking her in, watching her face furrow in her sleep and he can’t help but brush a curl out of her face.

“I love you, baby girl, please don’t ever forget it.”

Hades sighed again, brushing his fingers through his flame. It would be fine, she just needed time to settle in. He knows she misses them but this is where she belonged. With a kiss to her forehead, he slowly retreated, pausing in the doorway to address her again.

“Good night baby doll….I’m sorry it had to be like this.” The God said as he closed the door. Stalking back to his own room, and slipping under the blankets next to his wife, he can only hope that she’s able to forgive him in time.

“Ha, ha! You are so funny ‘Seph….no, absolutely not.” Hades said, sipping his coffee and reading his ‘Underworld Daily’ newspaper with his trademark scowl. He might not need to eat or drink, given that he was a God (Well, maybe the occasional sip of ambrosia, here and there.), but like many other gods he enjoyed indulging in life’s, or rather in his case, death’s pleasures. He liked his coffee, and a bit of breakfast in the morning. Persephone was cooking; Something she did rarely as usually she allowed the servants to cook for her but she was insistent this morning that she cook for her daughter, on her first, full day home in the Underworld. She was going all out: Eggs, bacon, hash browns, even some waffles thrown in.

“What harm would it do? It would just be six months out of the year!” She said, turning around briefly from the bacon she was cooking to look at her husband with a pointed look. “Because, that’s six months without my daughter! It’s bad enough that half the year I am relegated to only seeing my wife on weekends, let alone our daughter, because your mother refuses to cut the ‘umbilical cord.” The God said, rolling his eyes at the thought of his mother-in-law. Demeter needed to let go, but unfortunately for him, he mistakenly put the deal he made to marry his wife in divine writing. That woman refused to budge and it was enforceable so they were stuck like this for eternity or until his mother-in-law chose to (Unlikely given how stubborn she was.) to cease existing. “But she loves them Hades!” Persephone said, heartbroken for her daughter.

“Doll…babe, I know she does. But she’s a God. She’s going to out live them, and what if she decides to settle down and get married to a mortal? It’s bad enough she’ll have to outlive the rest of her family, but what about children? Our grandchildren? They won’t be gods! Mind you she won’t be having any kids because you bet I’m going to put a stop to that before any boys even think they have a chance with our little princess! But still!” Persephone didn’t respond. That was the main argument Hades made when she agreed to bring Mirabel home early instead of waiting for her natural end. It was a sentiment she unfortunately agreed with. Any children she had while in a mortal body, would be mortal. And not necessarily a demi-god, either.

Persephone bit her lip, turning back to tend to the sizzling bacon. "I know, Hades. I know." She shook her head sadly. "But we can't keep her locked away down here forever. She'll resent us for it." Hades rubbed his face. “It’s not forever…just until she sheds her mortal body.” He said, flicking his eyes towards the plate of food his wife was putting bacon on to. “You already had breakfast! These are for your daughter, and that’s still eighty years!” Said his wife, holding the plate away from him as she sees him eye it. “I know it’s going to be hard…Babe, I know. But it’s better to rip the band-aid off now, before it gets worse.” Gaia Be Praised, she hated when he was right.

Persephone nodded reluctantly, placing the plate of freshly cooked breakfast on to the table. Usually they ate in the main dinning room, which featured a long, almost comically so table but she much preferred the small kitchen and dinning nook in their private quarters, it was more intimate and private and didn’t require her shouting from across the room to speak. "I suppose you're right. It will only get harder for her, the longer we wait." She sighed heavily, rubbing her face. "I just hope she can forgive us, in time."

Hades reached out, gently grasping Persephone's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "She will, babe. She's strong - just like her mother." He flashed her a roguish grin, his piercing gaze softening with affection. "And she has your big heart. She'll come around."

“….My mother let the news out. They want to meet her.” Persephone said slowly. She knew she had to tell him even if she didn’t want to. Immediately the God spat out his coffee as his hair exploded, causing a loud boom to emanate throughout the palace. "Of course they do! I’m sure Zeus is absolutely thrilled!”

“Oh, when will you forgive him? It’s been eons.” The God of the Underworld laughed darkly. “Forgive him? When will I forgive him she asks? Never! He murdered our parents, imprisoned my brothers, and banished your grandparents and aunts as well, I might add! The rest of the Pantheon may like to pretend it didn’t happen, but I don’t!”

The one thing he loved about the Mortals was their need to distort and twist the stories of his family’s lives. Some of it came from the humans, yes and their short lifespans but other parts were deliberately skewed by his brother in his arrogance to cover up what he did. The biggest thing was the relationships of his family, of who was married to who and who was the child or parent of another. Despite what people thought, Hera and Zeus were not siblings and (Why were mortals obsessed with incest??) and in fact had different parents all together.

In the beginning of the universe, four beings were brought into existence from the Big Bang: Rhea, Uranus, Cronus and Gaia. All were separate entities, none of them were related, except for maybe in a hypothetical sense of all being created at the same time. Rhea married Uranus, not Cronus, and birthed all daughters: Hestia, Demeter, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Hera, Mnemosyne and Themis.

Cronus and Gaia however birthed all sons from their union: Hades, the first born son, Oceanus, Poseidon, Hyperion, Coeus, Crius, Iapetus and then Zeus, the baby. Sure, Cronus was maybe not the best Dad, after all Hades got his temper from him, but he wasn’t a bad dad. Very strict and what people would call nowadays, militaristic. He liked things done a certain way. But Zeus didn’t like that, no. Mom always dotted on him, letting him get away with anything while dad tried his best to reign him in. But Zeus was the baby and wanted everything done his way.

So what did he do when Dad kicked him out of Olympus in order for him to learn some independence? Convinced their brother, Poseidon to overthrow their parents, murdering them (Hades didn’t care if it was not intentional, they were still dead.) in the process and then imprisoned their brothers, who refused to pick sides. And what about Hades? He had been the most adamant and against it, actively fighting back. But Zeus was an asshole and didn’t want to imprison him as well, no that would be too kind. Zeus decided that Hades would get to spend all of eternity tending to the Underworld.

Of course Rhea and Uranus got pissed off, and being a gentleman, and not wanting to piss off his new wife and her two sisters that went along with everything, Zeus decided to just banish the rest of the family to somewhere deep in the cosmos. Never mind that most of his brothers and Hera’s unlucky sisters had children of their own at that point, some being literal children at the time, losing one or both of their parents in an instance. And then he made up a story to make it seem like he was this, wise, kind God who did mortals a favor. It made him furious.

And: Hades was first born, if anyone should be in charge of Olympus, it was him.

Persephone sighed heavily, reaching out to gently place her hand on Hades' arm. "I know, my love. I know how much you resent what Zeus did. But holding onto that anger for so long, it's only hurting you." She gazed up at him, her expression soft and understanding. "I know I cannot convince you to forgive him but you know that he expects us to host them since we can’t bring her to them for decades at least.” Hades let out a forced laugh, the blue flames of his hair flickering wildly. "Babe, I will not have that self-righteous, power-hungry tyrant set foot in my domain. Not after what he did!" He slammed his fist down on the table, the wood splintering beneath the force of his blow. Especially when he liked to pretend like it was all a big misunderstanding.

Persephone flinched at the outburst, her grip tightening on his arm. "My love, please. I know how much you hate him, but this is about our daughter. Not your feud with Zeus." She searched his face, her eyes pleading. "For Mirabel's sake, can you at least try to be civil? Besides…you owe him. You tried to murder his son, your nephew, remember? A few times in fact."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me," he grumbled. "That arrogant brat is just like his father." He fixed Persephone with a pointed stare. "But…fine. Just because I know if I don’t agree, he’ll show up anyway and do that thing were he pretends we’re chummy." He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in resignation. “But I expect you to do most of the entertaining!" He stated, pausing to think for a second. He should really scour the Underworld again, as despite it being thousands of years, he still hadn’t managed to find where Hercules and Megara’s souls were hiding in his domain, even with Cerberus's aid. He knew they had to be here somewhere but the Fates were cryptic and of no help when he asked.

Persephone let out a relieved sigh, giving Hades' arm a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, my love. I know this isn't easy for you." She offered him a small, reassuring smile. "I'll make sure Zeus and the others behave themselves. Mirabel's comfort and wellbeing comes first."

Hades grunted, his lips twisting into a wry smirk. "Good luck with that. You know how Zeus and the rest of that lot are - they have all the subtlety of a rampaging Minotaur." He shook his head, his expression growing more serious. "Just...don't let them overwhelm her, alright? She's been through enough as it is." Persephone nodded, smiling at her husband.

“Now, I am going to go get our daughter before the food gets cold….Hades, if I come back and you’ve taken a single slice of bacon off that plate, you can bet there will be consequences.” She said curtly, noticing his hand trying to subtly move towards the plate. Persephone narrowed her eyes at Hades, her gaze unwavering. "I mean it, Hades. Not a single slice." With that, she turned on her heel and headed towards Mirabel's room, her bathrobe swishing as she moved.

Hades watched his wife depart, the corners of his mouth quirking upwards in a mischievous grin. As soon as Persephone disappeared around the corner, he turned his attention back to the plate that had been set aside for his daughter, his fingers twitching with anticipation.

"Just one little slice," He muttered, reaching a hand out towards the tempting bacon. After all, who would miss it? But just as his fingers brushed against the tantalizingly crisp, golden-brown meat, the plate suddenly vanished in a burst of golden light, leaving no trace.

“I said not one slice!” Persephone called from down the hall. Hades just sipped his coffee sullenly.

Mirabel had awoken to a loud bang, causing her to sit up abruptly in confusion. Sleep still clinging to her, it took a moment to remember where she was. Even longer to convince herself she wasn’t in fact still dreaming and she was going to wake up in her bed at home, in Casita. And as soon as it hit her, she started sobbing again. It wasn’t fair!

“Mirabel?”

Mirabel's head snapped up at the sound of Persephone's soft voice. The goddess stood in the doorway, completely different from when she last saw her. She wore no crown and no elaborate dress and her hair was not sleek and perfect like the night before but messy and pulled up in a bun, and she was in a fuzzy pink bathrobe with matching slippers. “I apologize if I am intruding. I was wondering if you would like some breakfast.” The teenager stared at Persephone, her eyes still red and puffy from crying the previous day, let alone this morning. The mention of food made her stomach growl, a reminder that she hadn't eaten since before this whole ordeal began. She hadn’t even gotten to eaten anything at the party! But the thought of accepting anything from these people - these gods who had torn her from her family - made her feel sick.

“I know this is hard, and you probably don’t want to see us, especially your father right now, but please, come eat something. You’ll feel better, I promise.” Mirabel hesitated, her stomach warring with her heart. As much as she desperately wanted to refuse, the gnawing hunger was impossible to ignore. She averted her gaze, her voice firm yet trembling.

“I am only agreeing to this because I’m hungry, not because I like you people.” The girl said simply, lips pressed thin. She paused, squinting, where were her glasses? She could see without them, but not anything more than ten feet away. Even the Goddess was fuzzy from her doorway. She looked down at herself, quickly becoming horrified.

“Where are my clothes?!”

Mirabel's eyes widened as she looked down at the unfamiliar pajamas she was wearing. Her heart raced, panic rising within her. "What did you do?" she demanded, her voice shaking. Persephone sighed, this was going to be a regular thing. “Me? Nothing, but it appears your father redressed you while you were asleep. Your clothes and shoes are right here.” The Goddess indicated. Moving her hand in a small circle, she made the pajamas disappear, and her other outfit reappear on her body, along with the glasses.

Mirabel's eyes narrowed as she glared at Persephone, clutching the hem of her skirt protectively. "Don't...don't do that." she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance. It might be a kind gesture, and instant, but she didn’t like people dressing her without her permission.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I should have asked first." Persephone said gently, raising her hands in a placating gesture. She was going to kill her husband, even when he wasn’t actively trying not to meddle, he still found a way to do it. "Why don't we go have that breakfast I mentioned? You must be hungry."

Persephone was doing her best, truly she was, but sometimes she just wanted to smack her husband. Mirabel sat on the other side of the table from them, eating quietly and pointedly avoiding looking in Hades' direction. He was trying to give her space, but Persephone could tell he was antsy and impatient to have that father-daughter connection. He was sipping his coffee and reading the paper, but Persephone saw him sneak glances at Mirabel out of the corner of his eye. She glares at him when he starts to open his mouth to say something. ‘Don’t say anything.’ She tells him telepathically, earning an eyeroll and a scowl from the God.

Mirabel sat quietly, trying to focus on the food in front of her rather than the oppressive silence that hung in the air. She could feel Hades' gaze boring into her, the intensity of it almost palpable. Every time she dared to glance up, she would catch him quickly averting his eyes, pretending to be absorbed in his newspaper.

The tension was suffocating.

Eventually, Hades can’t help it. “So…whose birthday did I interrupt?” He asked with a smirk, like it was no big deal, over his newspaper. “Gaia Damn It! Five minutes Hades, you couldn’t make it five minutes!” Shouted Persephone, slamming her own mug down and causing it to shatter before she sighed and swished her hand to fix it. Mirabel's head snapped up, her eyes narrowed in a glare as she fixed Hades with a withering stare. "You rip me away from my family, from my home, and now you want to make jokes about it?" She hissed.

Hades had the good sense to look somewhat chastised, his cocky grin fading as he met his daughter's furious gaze. "I...I was just trying to lighten the mood, baby girl." He said, his voice turning soft. Mirabel scoffed, shaking her head in disgust. "Well it's not working," She spat. She pushed her half-eaten breakfast away, her appetite suddenly gone. "I don't want to be here. I want to go home." Mirabel's words hung in the air, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Persephone looked pained, while Hades' expression darkened.

“Look baby, I didn’t mean to make you mad, Okay? Let’s start over. How about your old man takes you out and shows you around? I can take you to Elysium, or show you the River Styx. It will be great!” Hades said with a fixed smile.

Mirabel stared at Hades, her expression one of pure disbelief. "You think taking me on some...some tour is going to make this better?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I don't want to see any of this place. I just want to go home!" Persephone reached across the table, placing her hand over Mirabel's. "I know this is all so overwhelming, my dear. But this is your home now." She squeezed Mirabel's hand gently. "I wish there was an easy way to make this transition smoother for you, but..." She sighed heavily. "You're going to have to give it time."

“Why can’t you just let me go home?” She begged.

“Baby girl, you’re a God. You’re going to outlive them and any mortal children, if I even allowed you to have kids, you have as well. It may seem like we’re being cruel but we’re trying to make this as painless as possible for you. It’s hard I know, but it’s saving you pain down the line.” Said Hades. Mirabel stared at Hades and Persephone, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I don't care!" she cried, her voice thick with emotion. "They're my family - I love them! How can you expect me to just...forget them?" She shook her head vehemently, a few tears escaping to trail down her cheeks.

"We're not asking you to forget them, Mirabel," Persephone said gently, her heart aching at the pain etched across her daughter's face. "We know how much they mean to you. But you're a goddess now - your life is so much longer than theirs. We just want to spare you the heartbreak of watching them grow old and die."

“I hate you.” Mirabel said, directly at Hades. Persephone was wide eyed. Oh no, this was- Hades exploded, his hair going wild and the entire palace shaking as he stood abruptly from his chair, towering over her, the mist that billowed around his ankles in soft lapping waves, turning into intense tsunamis as smoke and flame filled the room.

Hades' eyes blazed with a primal fury, as he processed what she said. "What did you just say to me?" Mirabel trembled, shrinking back in her chair as the immense power radiating from the god threatened to suffocate her. Persephone stood abruptly, rushing to place herself between her husband and daughter. "Dear, calm down!" She pleaded, her usually serene expression etched with worry. "She's just scared and overwhelmed - you're only making it worse!"

But the Lord of the Underworld was beyond reason, consumed by a rage that bordered on madness. With a flick of his wrist, a tendril of black mist lashed out, wrapping around Mirabel's wrist in an iron grip. The girl let out a strangled cry as she was yanked from her chair, ancient magic burning her skin. Hades loomed over her, his piercing gaze boring into her soul.

"How dare you speak to me that way, you ungrateful little brat!" He snarled, the tendril tightening painfully around her wrist. "I am your father, I have been nothing but kind and you will show me the respect I deserve! Do you know what lengths I went to save your very soul? Hmm? What me and your mother went through to even have you? DO YOU?" Mirabel cried out in pain as the unyielding grip of Hades' magic scorched her skin. Tears streamed down her face as she stared up at the towering, raging figure of her father, his blazing eyes filled with a primal fury that shook her to her very core.

"Monster!" she screamed, the word tearing from her throat. "You're a monster!"

Hades recoiled as if he'd been struck, the inky tendrils of magic instantly relinquishing their hold on Mirabel's wrist. The God's expression shifted from one of unbridled rage to stark horror, the blue flames of his hair dimming as the realization of his actions hit him like a tidal wave.

“Baby gir-” He started, trying to reach for her.

Mirabel didn’t wait to hear what he had to say, she fled, pushing past Persephone who tried and failed to stop her. “I hope you’re happy Hades.” The Goddess said, as she watched her daughter flee, turning back to address him with a stare colder than Tartarus.

“I really do.”

You know, this had been a weird day. Things had already been tense with the uncertainty around Antonio getting a gift or not hanging in the air, like you could physically taste it. He had been holed up within the walls of the house, worried about the cracks and the vision, trying not cry when he heard the family gather for the ceremony. He should be out there, with them. Instead, he was hiding like a coward. He heard gasps, people murmuring about something he couldn’t hear, his mother speaking to his youngest nephew, a dramatic pause and then shouting “We have a new gift.” It was a confirmation, of a few things. The first being that the prophecy was coming true. Whatever the hell the prophecy was. He honestly still couldn’t make heads or tales about it. His leading theory was that Mirabel was going to die, that was his primary belief. Whether the people mobbed her because she thought she was bad luck (being the only giftless Madrigal now), or she committed suicide, he didn’t know. All he did know is while he didn’t recognize the strange faceless fellow, anyone with who picked up a book could tell you who Cerberus was.

He had paced, nervously. Not sure what to do. There was no way to confirm what he thought was true and if she was going to die; how the hell would he explain that to the family? His mother would never accept it, or worse assume it was an ill-omen. Besides, he didn’t know how she was going to die, despite trying multiple times to get an answer. And then the tremors started. They sent him and his rats flying, smashing against the walls. Just as he had stood up, assuming it was just an earth quake, another one came, and then another. He heard people screaming, his mother yelling for people to get to safety as people rushed to safety. He tried to go for safety but he kept being knocked over from the tremors and just when he thought he might die, thinking okay the house is collapsing, it a giant sound filled the air and then it stopped. There were a few loud booms and some yelling but he couldn’t make it out.

He didn’t know what happened after that, just his family returning to the house after about an hour, his mother trying to plead with people to stay calm. He could hear Julieta screaming at someone, a man he didn’t recognize about making a deal without their consent. He could also hear Antonio yelling for Mirabel, and Camilo screaming they had to do something. It was…confusing. And then when the screaming died down, and he returned to his room within the walls, hoping to spy something out the little peak through, he found the wall separating his room from the dinning room ripped open and then being dragged out by Luisa, who proceeded to drag him into the middle of the courtyard where the entire family surrounded him. Everyone but Mir….wait, why the hell was there a ghost that looked exactly like his father’s portrait?!?

"What...what's going on?" Bruno asked shakily, his eyes darting between the faces of his family. “We’ll get to that, but first: do you want to explain to us why you were in the walls? For ten years we thought you were dead! Or gone, or who knows what and the entire time you’ve been right under our noses. Do you know the kind of pain you caused me Brunito? How many nights I spent sobbing? How could you just leave us.” Asked Alma, trying not to cry. Oh look at him, he looked so pale and thin.

“…I…I thought you didn’t care? It’s not like you love me Mama.” He said dismissively. Alma's eyes narrowed at Bruno's words, her expression hardening. "Not love you?" She stepped forward, her voice trembling with emotion. "How could you even say that? You are my son - of course I love you!"

“Because never once in your life have you ever been anything but dismissive of everything I do Mother. Oh Bruno, have a vision about Mirabel, Oh Bruno, why can’t you stop spreading bad luck? Or: Why is it you’re not married yet? What do you mean no one wants to marry you because your mother allowed everyone to treat you like an outcast?” Spat the man. “Bruno, be more like Julieta, Bruno, why aren’t you taller-”

Alma's face fell as Bruno's words sunk in, the pain and bitterness in his tone cutting her to the core. She opened her mouth to respond, but the words caught in her throat, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Bruno, I...I had no idea you felt that way," she whispered, her voice trembling. "If I ever made you feel unloved or unwanted, I'm so sorry." She reached out, her hand hovering uncertainly near his arm before dropping back to her side. "You're my son - you could never be anything less than precious to me."

Bruno regarded his mother warily, the deep-seated hurt in his eyes making her heart ache. "Could have fooled me," he muttered, his gaze drifting away from her pleading expression.

“I’m sorry Bruno” said Pepa. “This is my fault, if I had just been a better sister, if I had actually been there for you, if we all had….We…we should have never stopped talking about you.” She said sadly.

“Yeah, well you did Pepa! My own two sisters, the pair of you. I expected it from Mom, but not you two. Now, this is nice and all and dandy and I assume Dolores is responsible for why I am here right now in the courtyard, but would someone like to fill me in on why the ghost of my father is staring at me?!”

“Yeah Dad, care to fill him in on what you told all of us earlier? I’m sure he’s going to be as thrilled as we were…well he doesn’t have any daughters, but still!” Snapped Julieta, with a glare at her father. “I’m sorry…what?” Bruno was so confused right now.

“I thought he would be taller! At least seven feet tall! He’s like exactly my height! And where are the rats and the dark aura?” Interjected Camilo, disappointed. No one ever told him Bruno was so…meek looking. As if on cue, a few rats popped out of one of Bruno’s pockets, sniffing the area and then letting out a small squeak.

“Camilo, last time you saw him, you were five! Of course he seemed taller, you went up to his waist at best.” Pepa sighed, she loved her son but he was dense at times. “But, what about when he says your name and then you loose consciousness? Is that still a thing?” He was so disappointed. Bruno looked at him blankly. “I don’t know what to tell you. If you are talking about the time when you were seven and ran into me in the hallway at night while going to the kitchen for snacks, that’s because I startled you and then you tripped and hit your head on the banister going down.” Bruno said, even more confused.

“So, wait wh-”

“You need to eat more.” Julieta was temporarily distracted as she looked over her brother. “You need to put on some weight, I can see your cheekbones! How much food did you have access to in there? I wish you would have let me know, I would have kept your secret…I’m going to need to make you a lot of fatty foods to get you back up to a healthy weight.”

“Uh? What?”

“Your sister is right son, you could stand to gain a few. I kept trying to get Casit-”

“CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?”

Everyone was silent at once, everyone looking between each other, not sure who should say it. “Mirabel has been kidnapped by Hades, Son.” Stated Pedro, simply, refusing to look his daughter in the eyes. “Wait…as in Hades, the Hades? The Lord of the Underworld, Ancient Greek and Roman God of Death, Hades? That one?”

“Yes, Brunito.”

“Well, suddenly that vision makes a whole lot more sense…” Uh oh, he should have not said that. If he was being surrounded by vultures before, they were now sharks, going in for the kill. “Wait, you actually did have a vision?! What did it show you? Bruno, we need to know!” Bruno shrunk back as his family members surged forward, bombarding him with questions. "I - I don't know what the vision showed exactly," he stammered, holding up his hands defensively. "It was all so jumbled and confusing. I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

Alma stepped forward, her brow furrowed with concern. "Bruno, please. Mirabel is in grave danger - anything you saw could be vital." She gripped his shoulders. "You have to try and remember." He said. “Look, it’s easier if I show you then explaining it, if you let me get it. If you don’t mind…?” He asked, gesturing vaguely in the general direction of his room. “Please, Bruno, we need to know what you saw!” Sighing, he got up and tapped his foot on the floor, allowing Casita to save him time by propelling him to the second floor and outside his still boarded up door. Thankfully Casita seemed to understand, and wasted no time forcing it open, causing Dolores to wince as the door slammed open and sent boards flying. “One minute!” Bruno said over his shoulder. He quickly entered his room, brushing past the unsettling statues of his own face and the staircase towards the secret wall that hid the elevator.

Once inside, it was a quick journey to his vision room where he quickly (But carefully, those edges could be sharp, he knew from experience.) gathered up the shards from their resting place in the sand and quickly descended back out into the main part of the house. Within minutes, everyone was looking over his shoulder as he placed the pieces together on the dinning room table. After a moment it was complete, and everyone was trying to get a look.

There, laid out before them was an image of not only Mirabel, but of Antonio as well; in a way. On the left side of the tablet there was crowd of people; the villagers and the family. Antonio was at the front, reaching towards Mirabel, dressed clearly in his ceremony outfit. Mirabel was being dragged by a faceless figure with flame for hair and mist pouring off of him, holding a leash in his spare hand that was attached to a large, three headed dog, towards a large pit.

“I..I always assumed it was an interpretation of death. I didn’t know who Antonio was at the time, clearly, but I assumed based on the age and appearance of both him and Mirabel that he had to be Pepa’s son and that whatever was going to happen would happen on his 5th birthday. I thought Mirabel was going to die; maybe the villagers would decide she was a bad omen or the family, or maybe Mom would kill her to protect the miracle, I don’t know, I knew Mirabel cut herself occasionally so suicide also seemed like an option.” Bruno finished explaining, looking at the image with a frown. “I never expected it to be literal; she’s being kidnapped by Hades.”

“How? How could you think I would ever hurt Mirabel?” Alma was frozen, a look of shock and hurt on her face. She wasn’t the best Grandmother to Mirabel, she knew that but she would never hurt her! Bruno didn’t respond at first, flicking his eyes away. “I don’t know, you never seemed to like her after her ceremony, I saw a lot of things from behind the walls. You always seemed so on edge around her, so annoyed, and I know how much you care about that stupid candle over us, so it didn’t seem like a huge stretch Mother.”

“Candle? CANDLE?! Do you really think so little of me Bruno Madrigal, that I would put the candle above the wellbeing of my family?” Alma spat, disgusted. “Yes.” The yes doesn’t come from Bruno, it comes from Isabela, tired and quiet. “Yes,” She repeats. “I think we all collectively assumed that you would sacrifice anyone of us it meant the miracle was fine.” Alma whipped around, expecting to hear her family come to her defense. Instead, everyone was looking away from her, eyes fixed elsewhere. Tears welled in Alma's eyes as she looked around at the faces of her children, grandchildren, even the ghost of her husband, seeing the same mixture of apprehension, guilt, and disappointment reflected back at her. "How...how could you all think that of me?" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“How? How? I’m a lesbian too afraid to come out to my own Abuela, much less the rest of my family and the town. I spent years making you perfect little flowers and wearing pretty, frilly dresses, always having to be your perfect flower! Luisa is a mess who is constantly over working herself and always taking on too much, and hates herself so much because the idealized version of a woman she’s heard from you her entire life has made her think she’s too manly for love. Dolores is in love with Mariano, and was too scared to say anything because she assumed I loved him and the fact you were putting so much pressure on us getting engaged!” Isabela paused to breathe. “Camilo spends so much time as other people, that he worries he’s going to forget what he looks like, Mama is constantly having to make food, from dawn until Midnight for the stupidest of injuries, Tia Pepa is not allowed to feel, Tio Bruno is an outcast and you treat Papa and Tio Felix like they’re not part of the family, just like Mirabel!” Finished Isabela, gasping and panting. She could already tell her voice was going to hurt in the morning.

Alma stood in stunned silence as Isabela's words hung heavy in the air. The Madrigal Matriarch's face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks as she processed the painful truths her granddaughter had laid bare. "I...I had no idea," she whispered brokenly, her hands trembling. "I was only trying to do what I thought was best, to keep our family strong." She shook her head, more tears falling. "But in doing so, I've hurt all of you." Pepa stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on her mother's arm. "Mama, we know you love us and want what's best. But you have to understand - your idea of 'best' isn't the same as ours." Her expression softened with empathy.

“I’m sorry. I never…I never…”

“We know you are Mama, I can see that. I know it won’t be easy, and there is still so much hurt, but I think it’s clear now that everyone in this family has issues they need to work on, individually and together. You know it’s funny, if Mirabel hadn’t of been kidnapped, we might have never of known…it’s…it’s suddenly so quiet in the Casita, I never realized how much of the life came from Mirabel being here. Singing, dancing…” Pepa trailed off, pausing. “But that’s not what is important right now. Finding a way to get Mirabel back is.” No one had to say anything, everyone immediately turned towards Bruno, eyes expectant.

“You want me to do another vision, don’t you? God f-” Bruno paused, taking note of Antonio being in the room. “Okay, fine…okay so next question, why? Why would Hades kidnap Mirabel? That wasn’t exactly explained.” The seer said, accentuating with his hands to draw the fact to…he was still in the dark about this entire thing.

“Your… idiot father made a deal for the house and gifts in exchange for a stillborn child so Hades could use the body to save his own child. Mirabel is the daughter of Hades.”

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Encanto (2021), Hercules (1997) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Miscarriage? Relationships: Hades/Persephone, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal/Pedro Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal/Julieta Madrigal, Hera/Zeus

Summary:

Hades and Persephone have spent centuries on centuries waiting for the day when they could finally have a child of their own. And after thousands of years watching all his unborn children die before they can even be born, he will do anything to make sure his little girl survives. Thankfully for him, there is a father in Columbia who is just as desperate as he is to save his children. And who might just be willing to trade for the very thing that would let Hades save his daughter....

“Let me go! Let me go!” Mirabel screamed, as she was being dragged off by a pair of ethereal guards, dressed in Greek attire. One on either side, dragging her under the armpits as she tried and failed to stop them, attempting to dig her heels in to no avail. She was facing away from the guards, towards Hades who was rubbing his stinging cheek. His daughter had a good hand, he would give her that. He sighed, his face falling as soon as she was no longer in sight, being dragged towards her bedroom.

This….was not what he hoped for.

Hades let out a heavy sigh as he watched the guards drag Mirabel away, her cries echoing through the cavernous halls. He had hoped for a warmer reunion, for his daughter to feel a sense of belonging in her true home. But her defiance and rejection cut him deeply.

Bah, she should have never been raised amongst mortals to begin with.

Mirabel was dragged through the twisting, turning palace, trying to escape to no avail. She passed by similar guards, and other ethereal beings as well, all who gave her sympathetic looks. She didn’t need their sympathy, she needed to go home, to her family. She was eventually led to a large, ornate door that vaguely reminded her of the front door to Casita, if it was twelve feet tall. It was decorated in more flowers, as well as a banner above the door that said “Welcome Home.” in a beautiful, cursive font. It wasn’t written in Spanish, maybe Latin? And yet, somehow she could read it with ease.

“Your quarters, your highness.”

Before she knew it, she was being shoved into the room, and the door slammed behind her. Immediately she turned around to tug on the large, ornate handles but they wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard she strained. She whirled around, her eyes frantically scanning the room, searching for any means of escape.

The room that greeted her was unlike anything she expected in the, what was it called, Underworld? The room was designed to mimic the warm, welcoming aesthetic of the Casita, but on a scale that far surpassed the humble dwelling she had grown up in. The floors were made of richly-hued hardwood, with intricately-patterned rugs in vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold covering the wooden floors.

The walls were constructed of sturdy adobe and stucco, their surfaces adorned with ornate murals and patterns that reminded her of home. In terms of the actual contents of her room, there was a large raised platform with a massive, four poster bed on it in the middle of the room. Orchids and lilies wrapped around the posts of the bed, with golden butterflies intertwined. In one corner there was a sitting area, with large, plush couches and armchairs all arranged around a roaring hearth with bookcases overflowing with books. In another, there appeared to be a dressing area with a vanity and privacy screen. The area was adorned with dress forms and mannequins alike.

Along the left and right side of the rooms, were two doors on each side respectfully. Eyes narrowed, she quickly looked through them, checking for any sign of escape. One was a grandiose bathroom, again a lot like Casita in terms of the flooring and walls but instead of the clawed tub she was used to, there was a massive, in-ground tub that could qualify as a pool. There was also another vanity, and shelves teaming with products; shampoo, conditioner, soaps, oils, everything. The room next to it appeared to be a closet of sorts, if you could call it that. It was easily the size of Casita’s first floor combined, and filled to the brim with clothing of all sorts. Dresses, shoes, pants, skirts, even jewelry of all sorts. The third and forth rooms respectively were a sewing room, with HER sewing machine, or at least one exactly like it, sitting on a table. It was filled with fabrics and sewing materials galore.

The fourth and final room, which gave her a brief hope of escape, was an garden of sorts. It was large and ornate, filled with all sorts of Columbian flora. She thought she could escape out the garden, but as she ran into what she thought was a forest, it was actually just a wall. It was fake, she couldn’t get out.

She rushed back to the main room, there had to be something. But as she searched every square inch, she realized, nothing. Even the giant window that overlooked a river of lava, she could not get out of. Every time she touched the window, a pulsating barrier of blue….magic she guessed? appeared, preventing her. Eventually she had to admit, she was stuck.

Tears pricked her eyes. With a shaky sob, she sat on the edge of the bed, only to immediately stand back up when she felt herself sitting on something. There, on the edge of the bed was a tiara made of a black material, that had several red, ruby like stones embedded in to it with a another gem, that was floating somehow above the crest of the tiara, that resembled lava. She touched it, perplexed. It wasn’t lava (after all, she was pretty sure touching lava would hurt, but it just felt like touching a warm stove) and it didn’t look like she could remove it despite the fact it did not appear to be tethered to the crown.

With a growl, she threw the tiara, watching it hit the floor and go rolling. She wanted to go home. She just wanted to go home!

Camilo hoped Mirabel was not able to see this right now. He’s not sure, after all, he had never assumed Hades, God and King of the Underworld to be real, and he definitely did not expect to learn his cousin, his twin in everyway except blood, was a God. He was currently in Dolores room, in fact all the children were.

Why? Because it was soundproof and the adults were all screaming at the ghost of Abuelo, who had not disappeared once Hades left with Mirabel, in fact he seemed to be permanently visible as the man was not able to hide his being from his wife or daughters, despite trying really, really hard. And now he was being screamed at.

“I-I want Mirabel!” Camilo sighed. Antonio was not taking it well, he knew Mirabel and him were almost close as he was to Mirabel, if not closer. It almost made him jealous at times, how close they were. But he understood, despite not having a ‘gift’, Mirabel was amazing and always had a way of making people smile and laugh. He wanted Mirabel too. In fact, it seemed like all of them did, even prissy Isabela who usually fought with Mirabel.

Everyone was gathered in the sitting area of Dolores room, the girl in question sitting on the edge of her bed, Luisa on the floor by the bed, knees to her chest. Isabela pressed against a wall, splayed out and away from them and him and Antonio on a chaise lounge.

“Hey, hey it’s going to be okay. We’re going to get her back.” He promised. He’s not sure how, to be honest. Tia Julieta, in a fit of desperation tried to claw at the earth once they had been released, only to be stopped, and breaking down, when Tio physically restrained her. And, they were mortals, how did you even get to the Underworld? Without dying that is, and he was pretty sure mass suicide was off the table.

“Don’t promise him things that aren’t possible, Camilo.” said Isabela. She was mostly secluded from them, mainly because cacti kept popping up next to her. He wasn’t aware she could make anything other than flowers, it was a nice change. Flowers were nice, but he didn’t know, they got boring after a while. And you couldn’t scare someone by lobbing a cactus at them, he already had some fun ideas for a prank.

Camilo rolled his eyes, shooting a glare at Isabela. "Don't be like that, Isa. We have to have hope. Mirabel's our family - we can't just give up on her." He moved to sit closer to Antonio, wrapping a comforting arm around his younger brother. Antonio sniffed, his eyes red-rimmed from crying. "I miss her so much already, Cami. What if we never see her again?" His voice trembled, filled with a fear and despair that no child should ever have to experience.

Camilo pulled Antonio close, wishing he could offer more reassurance. "We'll figure this out, I promise. Somehow, we're going to bring Mirabel back home." He shot another pointed look at not only Isabela, but Dolores and Luisa too. "Even if some of us are too busy being miserable to help."

“What is that supposed to mean?” snapped Luisa, trying not to start crying again.

“Look, we all want to save Mirabel yes? Even though we might think it’s impossible. But I think some of us are too distracted by the fact that your secrets got thrown into the street like dirty laundry by a literal god. Dolores has not been able to look Isabela in the face, Isabela keeps making ‘cactuses’ and I know Luisa keeps muttering under her breath about needing to keep strong; I don’t need super hearing for that.”

“So maybe, we should talk about it, so we can move on and focus on saving Mirabel. Obviously it would be better if the entire family is here, but hey, I don’t want to listen to them scream any more than the rest of you. So cousin, minus one, group therapy time.”

“There is nothing to talk about!” exclaimed Isabela, another cactus appearing by her side, earning a scowl.

“Really? Because I remember hearing “closeted lesbian” and “hates Abuela’s guts” from that asshole, whoever his name is. Hayes or something when he referred to you.” said Camilo. Isabela stiffened, her eyes darting around the room as if seeking an escape. "I...I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, her voice wavering.

Dolores fixed Isabela with an uncharacteristically intense stare. "Don't lie, Isa. We all heard what that...that…him, said about you." Her brow furrowed in concern. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Isabela wrapped her arms around herself, her shoulders hunched defensively. "I was scared, okay?" she admitted, her voice small. "I was scared that if anyone found out, they would see me differently. That you all would look at me and only see...this." She gestured vaguely at herself and the cacti surrounding her. “I’m the first born grandchild, Abuela has always expected me to be perfect and emulate her in everyway. How I dress, how to act, who to marry….I need to make these perfect, symmetrical flowers, over and over and I hate them! I hate these stupid flowers!” Another cactus appeared.

"Isa..." Dolores began, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "We're your family. We love you, no matter what." She reached out, placing a gentle hand on Isabela's arm. "You don't have to hide who you are from us."

Isabela's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked up at Dolores. "But what about Abuela? And the town? They'll never accept me if they see me like this." Her voice trembled. "I just want them to love me."

“We already do! People already do. Did you see the people when he told everyone you were a lesbian? Everyone was confused, yeah sure because you and Mariano have been a thing for months and slated to be engaged soon. But no one looked disgusted with you Isa. And I, think flowers are boring. Super boring. So I’m glad you can make something else.” He said, poking one of them lightly. Isabela smiled faintly, before scowling.

“If we’re airing our laundry, why didn’t you tell me you were in love with Mariano, Dolores? I was only going to marry him for the family! Do you know how much pressure you would have taken off of me if you just told us you wanted to marry him? I would have thrown him at you! I would have begged and pleaded with Abuela for you, told her any tale, that I couldn’t stand in the way of true love, anything to move the earth for you. You are my cousin but also my sister and best friend….I am hurt you never told me.”

Dolores stared at Isabela, her eyes wide with surprise and guilt. "Oh, Isa...I'm so sorry. I just - I was so afraid that you would hate me if you knew. It looked like you genuinely loved him and I couldn’t bare the thought of breaking your heart by telling you… and I thought he would think I was too ugly or shy compared to you." She reached out, grasping Isabela's hand.

Isabela pulled Dolores into a tight hug, tears streaming down her face. "You could never be ugly, Dolores. You're beautiful, inside and out." She pulled back, giving her cousin a watery smile. "And Mariano would be the luckiest man alive to have you. I'm so sorry I made you feel like you couldn't tell me. We're sisters, we're supposed to be able to tell each other everything."

Dolores returned the embrace, her own tears falling heavy. "I'm sorry too, Isa. I should have trusted you. From now on, no more secrets, okay?" She pulled back, giving Isabela's hand a gentle squeeze.

“Perfect, now time for all of us to gang up on Luisa and make her confront her issues.” said Camilo, waving his hand.

Luisa stiffened as all eyes turned to her. "I don't have any issues," she said quickly, averting her gaze. Isabela quirked an eyebrow and then cleared her throat, imitating Hades as best she could.

“Poor, overworked Luisa who the town treats like a pack mule, always tired and on the verge of a breakdown and is worried no one will ever love her because she’s not perfect and a doll to mold like Isabela.” said the older sister of the pair.

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t mention you being a doll, but go off.” interjected Camilo.

“Same thing!”

"I just...I feel so much pressure to be strong all the time, you know? To be the one everyone can depend on. I'm the strong one, the rock of the family. But sometimes..." Her voice trailed off, a hint of vulnerability creeping in. "Sometimes I'm just so tired." It was taking everything in her to not cry. “And I’m not like you or Dolores, Bella! Look at me, I look like a man practically, who could love me?” cried Luisa, as the first sob left her mouth.

“Mateo Ríos.” said Dolores, humming slightly to her self. Luisa’s head jerked up, her sobs interrupted by pure confusion. “The donkey herder’s son? Why would you think he would love me?”

“Because my gift is hearing, Luisa. Don’t you ever wonder why the donkeys keep getting out despite Senior Ríos spending so much time trying to figure out how they are escaping? Mateo lets them out deliberately so he can use it as an excuse to be near you.”

Luisa's eyes widened in shock, her tears momentarily forgotten. "Mateo...lets the donkeys out...to see me?" She shook her head in disbelief. "But why? I'm...I'm not like Isabela or you. I'm not small and delicate. I'm muscled and I’m taller than half the men in town- who would want that?"

“Luisa, what does it matter if you’re not small and delicate? If that mattered to him, he probably wouldn’t be spending so much time trying to get up the courage to ask you out. I hear him you know, every morning when he lets the donkeys out. ‘Okay, today is the day I tell her how I feel.’ and then he chickens out.”

Luisa stared at Dolores, her eyes shining with a glimmer of hope. "He...he really feels that way about me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Dolores nodded, giving her cousin's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Of course he does, Luisa. You're strong, you're reliable, you're the one everyone counts on. That's exactly the kind of woman Mateo admires." Dolores smiled warmly. "Just because you don't fit Abuela's mold of what a 'proper' woman should be, doesn't mean you're any less deserving of love."

Luisa let out a shaky laugh, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I guess I have a lot to think about, huh?" she muttered. “Yes, the fact that you don’t love yourself but, also the part about being a pack mule? How much stuff are you doing for people? I know Abuela said to help our community but there is a difference between helping and being taken advantage of.” said Isabela. She looked briefly at her new cacti. She might have just found a use for them, and it was going to be threatening people who badgered her sister over stupid things.

Luisa sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I know, I know. It's just...I want to help everyone, you know? I don't want to let the family down." She fidgeted with the hem of her dress, her gaze downcast. "And I guess I got a little carried away. But I just hate seeing the people I care about struggle, so I try to take on as much as I can."

Dolores reached over, giving Luisa's hand a gentle squeeze while Isabela addressed her sister. "We know, Luisa. And we love you for it, we really do. But you can't pour from an empty cup, you know? You have to take care of yourself too. And believe me, I know some of the ‘crap’ people ask for. They did the same to me before I started putting my foot down. ‘Oh Isabela, my flowers aren’t perfectly symmetrical, I need you to come by at eleven at night to fix them.’ or stuff like that."

Luisa nodded, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. "You're right. I guess I do let people take advantage sometimes. I just want to help, but it's not good for me to be stretched so thin." She sighed heavily, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "I'll...I'll try to be better about setting boundaries. And maybe I'll even give Mateo a chance, if he really does like me like that."

Dolores beamed, giving Luisa's hand an encouraging squeeze. "I know you can do it, Luisa. And I'm sure Mateo will be over the moon." She paused, glancing around at her cousins and brothers. Antonio had mostly been silent, just listening.

“So what are your issues then? Antonio is five, so he doesn’t have any, so that leaves you Camilo.” Dolores said pointedly to her younger brother.

Camilo chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Issues? Who, me? Nah, I'm perfect, remember?" He flashed them a cheeky grin, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Dolores fixed him with a knowing look. "Come on, Cami. We just got Isa and Luisa to open up. Don't think you're getting off the hook that easy."

Camilo sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Alright, alright. I guess I do have a few things I need to work on." He glanced over at Antonio, who was watching him intently. "It's just...sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough, you know? Like I'm always trying to be what everyone else wants me to be." He paused, thinking. “Like literally, since I can shapeshift. I dunno, it seems like I spend more time as other people than myself, and sometimes I’m worried that, and I know it’s not possible, but when I shift back, I won’t do it right because I’ve forgotten what I look like.” explained the teenager.

Camilo's admission hung in the air, the weight of his words settling over the group. Antonio reached out, placing his small hand in his brothers. "Cami, you're perfect just the way you are," he said softly. "We love you, no matter what you look like." He hugged his brother, around the middle, earning an aww from all the girls.

“So, how are we going to save Mirabel? Because annoying as she is, and as much as she gets on my nerves, I will admit…I do love her and she should be here, not…wherever she is right now…Hell I guess?” said Isabela, genuinely asking her cousins and sister. Her memory on ancient history was spotty at best, she hadn’t been in school in at least four years at this point.

“Underworld. Different thing all together if you go by the stories. Hell is strictly for the evil and damned in Christianity while the Underworld is split into three sections for the dead, again going by the stories. Elysium for the good souls, described as a city in the underworld akin to heaven with no mortal struggles, Asphodel Meadows, believed to be like earth but in hell where people live like they did in life, bound to the same jobs and stuff, and then Tartarus, where people are subjected to eternal torment…and then from what I’ve heard, there is a section for souls who’ve personally pissed off Hades or gone back on a deal. It’s called the Pool of Souls, but I am not sure if that one is real.” said Luisa, recalling her history class. Out of all of them, she had always been the most interested in Ancient Roman and Greek Mythology, with an entire section of her private library dedicated to the subject. Well, she was until Hades showed up, now she wanted to burn all her books.

Isabela bit her lip, her brow furrowed in thought. "But how are we supposed to get to the Underworld? We're just mortals - we can't exactly waltz right in there." She shook her head, her eyes filled with worry. Unless...nah, if Hades existed, what other gods did as well? If one of them killed themselves to get to this Underworld, they might end up in any of the other afterlifes she vaguely recalled. Obviously Heaven, but she thinks there was an afterlife for the Egyptians? She's not sure.

“Well, I have an idea, or an idea where to start.” began Dolores. “I didn’t want to do this to him, I promised myself I would never betray his secret but I think we don’t have a choice. But, I think before I pull out the big guns, we need to speak to the rest of the family.” said Dolores, standing up and brushing lint off her skirt.

“Wait, who is him?” asked Camilo, confused. Everyone else was just as confused, except for Antonio oddly enough. “Is this about the Rat Man who lives in the walls? The rats told me about him.” said Antonio, so casually that everyone had to do a double take.

“I’m sorry, The WHAT Man?”

“You had no right!”

Ever since she was a child, Julieta had heard tales of her father from her mother, about how he was so heroic and how he saved their lives by giving his. Though she never wanted to meet an early end, she always relished the thought of getting to meet him one day.

Now though? She never wanted to see her father again. They, being the adults (or anyone not a grandchild that is) were gathered in the kitchen while Julieta cornered her father’s ghost and yelled at him, Pepa just as pissed as she was and just as vocal about everything going on. Their mother was mostly being silent, but Julieta could see the conflict in her eyes. Felix was having to restrain Agustin, because the man wanted to punch the ghost despite the fact he was incorporeal.

"How could you make a deal like that, without even consulting us? Without telling us?" she shouted, angry beyond words.

“Um, you were an infant? I couldn’t exactly ask you, and he froze time. Look, I know you are angry, but I had no choice. You, your sister and your brother along with your mother would have died. Then what? You would be dead, you wouldn’t even have Isabela or Luisa, and Pepa wouldn’t have her children either. You would ALL be dead.” Said the ghost. Hades really did him a ‘favor’ by not allowing him to hide again.

“I..I don’t care! I just want my daughter.” Julieta began to sob, leaning against the kitchen island as she let her emotions out. Pepa was barely better, her emotions were causing a hurricane in the kitchen, rain and wind hitting those still alive from every angle. Their mother had tried to get her to stop but the redhead had threatened to electrocute her if she asked again. Sometimes Pepa just wanted to feel without worrying about the cloud.

A tin pan flew by, going through Pedro’s form and smacking into a wall, as the wind whipped around them.

Agustin stepped forward, finally released by Felix, placing a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder as she wept, glaring at Pedro. "I know, Julieta. I know." His voice was thick with emotion, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "But we can't give up. We have to find a way to get Mirabel back!"

Pepa shot a withering glare at her brother-in-law, lightning crackling in her cloud. "How? How are we supposed to get to the Underworld and take on a god?"

“Maybe….maybe we have to accept it.” said Alma, speaking up. “Pepa is right, how would we even get to this…this, underworld?” Julieta's head snapped up, her eyes burning with defiance. "Accept it? Mamá, how can you say that? Mirabel is our family, your nieta! - we can't just give up on her!" She shook her head vehemently, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

“Well, then what is your plan? Because I don’t have any ideas, do you?!” Alma shouted, shaking her head. This was turning out to be the worst day she had ever experienced in a long time.

“Hmm! We ask Bruno for a vision.” said Dolores, causing everyone to whirl around and look towards the kitchen entrance where the younger generation had converged together as one. “Dolores what are you talking about? Bruno left, and even still, we don’t talk ab-” Alma was cut off by Pedro, glaring at her.

“Yeah, I don’t like the fact I can’t hide myself right now but you better believe me Alma, I have a few choice words about the fact you decided to allow the village to demonize our son and banned the everyone from speaking about him. And Julieta, Josefina! How could you go along with this? He’s your baby brother, your triplet!” said the ghost, turning the tables on them.

Alma recoiled at her husbands words, her eyes widening in shock. “I thought I was doing the right thing, I thought…I didn’t want to think about it Pedro. I thought he was dead. It was easier to not speak about him because it meant I didn’t have to think about the fact our son was gone.”

“…I blamed Mirabel.” admitted Pepa, earning a gasp from her sister and honestly, everyone but Alma, who seemed ashamed and guilty. “He left right after her birthday, I thought….I….it was just easier to blame her, than to admit I wasn’t the best sister. That I was never there for him. I know it’s not her fault.”

“She was five! She was five, Pepa! How could you blame her, your niece, a literal child for him leaving?” shouted Julieta.

Pepa shrank back, the guilt and shame evident on her face. "I know, I know. It wasn't fair of me. I was just...I was so angry and hurt, and I needed someone to blame. Mirabel was an easy target." She ran a trembling hand through her hair. "But that doesn't excuse it. I failed him, just we failed Mirabel, we all did. And now they're both gone, and I may never get the chance to apologize."

“Well it’s your lucky day then. Because Dolores, who knew the entire time may I add, knows exactly where Bruno is. And he is not dead!” said Camilo, shaking his head at his sister.

“The….how could….where is he?!” demanded Alma. All this time, assuming he was dead and not even knowing where his body was if he was in fact so, and Dolores knew the entire time.

“He’s in the walls.” The girl said simply.

“Persephone, why are your hands so sweaty? You’ve been wiping your hands on your skirt for the entirety of the meeting. Stop it and sit up straight!” hissed Demeter towards her daughter. Persephone quickly stilled her fidgeting hands, clasping them tightly in her lap as she met her mother's stern gaze. "I'm sorry, Mother. I'm just...nervous," she admitted, her brow furrowing with worry.

“About what, my dear?” Like a student being caught talking to their friend in class by the teacher, Persephone immediately felt her face go flush as her eyes snapped to Zeus, who was currently leading the meeting. Despite what the stories said, she was not his daughter. Demeter had made her all by herself by putting part of her essence into a flower, expecting to make another nymph but instead creating a daughter and a new Goddess in the process. A daughter that after thousands of years, was still treated like a child.

“Nothing Zeus, I apologize, please continue. Me and my mother were just discussing something related to the seasons. We’re thinking an early fall this year.” she said, trying to appear casual and like it was nothing.

“My granddaughter is finally going…home.” Interjected Demeter, throwing her daughter under the bus by revealing her lie. Persephone groaned, face in her hands. Immediately the entire table of Gods and Goddesses were abuzz as everyone was distracted by the news. Persephone sighed, she was hoping this wouldn’t happen, because they were all going to want to meet her and just overwhelm her. Zeus laughed.

“Well, well! Big news, you should have told us earlier ‘Seph! When are we going to meet the little girl?” the God of Thunder and Lightning grinned.

“Unless you are willing to visit the Underworld, not any time soon. She needs to ease out of her mortal form naturally, and as we all know, mortals cannot enter Olympus. Which would be…I think the Fates said roughly eighty years.” Everyone became visibly disappointed. It’s not that they weren’t excited to meet her, it was just that The Underworld, even with Elysium, was a bummer, and having a celebration there was sure to be…interesting. But it was either that or wait eight decades.

“Well, I guess we will just have to go to her. Right, meeting adjourned, we have a niece to meet!”

“No!”

Everyone paused as Persephone suddenly yelled. Her face somehow became even more red as she stood up and masked her emotions, trying not to seem frazzled. “I want you to meet her, absolutely. But you know how Hades is and she’s going to need time to adjust to having her world turned upside down, let alone everything else.”

And because if she knows her husband, which she does: he has no tact and she expects his arrival in the mortal world to fetch their daughter to go poorly. "Please, I just ask that you allow me and Hades to wait until the time is right. She's been raised among mortals her whole life - this is all so new and overwhelming for her. I don't want to risk overwhelming her further by bringing the entire Pantheon down to the Underworld."

Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully, his gaze scrutinizing Persephone. "I understand your concerns, my dear. The transition will no doubt be difficult for the child." His lips curved into a benevolent smile, thinking. And she was right, Hades had no tact. "Very well, we shall wait for you and Hades to invite us to her. But do not tarry too long - we are all eager to welcome our newest family member!"

“Of course.”

Persephone was absolutely nervous as she returned home from her meeting, a sense of unease gnawing at her. She was both excited and yet worried to meet her daughter. She was practically vibrating out of her skin, hands still sweaty. She hoped it went well, but she knows her husband too well. As she touches down in the Underworld, and enters the palace, she finds herself trying to steel her nerves. She finds Hades in the throne room, alone, scowling on his throne with his face in his hand. Their daughter is nowhere to be seen, and she knows, it didn’t go well. Exhausted, Persephone asks, "Where is she?" He scowls and responds with a roll of his eyes, "She's been taken to her bedroom by the guards, to cool down. She’s throwing a fit.”

“You ripped her away didn’t you? You didn’t give her a chance to say goodbye, or anything. I knew I should have made you wait for me. I knew this was going to happen. “

The Lord of the Underworld let out a frustrated growl, sinking deeper into his obsidian throne. "I brought our daughter home, isn't that what you wanted?" he spat, his piercing gaze boring into Persephone. "I did what needed to be done - I collected on the bargain that foolish mortal made all those years ago." The Goddess of Spring rolled her eyes. “Yes, but it should have been done with tact and grace! She doesn’t remember us Hades, her soul was still an infant when we placed her into that body. As far as she knows, we kidnapped her.” Hades grunted, not responding.

Persephone let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples. "Oh, Hades, why must you always be so...heavy-handed?" She turned her attention to the grand archway that led deeper into the palace. "Where is she now?" The God of the Underworld shifted in his seat, the black obsidian creaking beneath him. "In her chambers, as I said. Sulking, I imagine." He flashed Persephone a sardonic grin. "You know how she is - stubborn as a mule, just like her mother."

Persephone shot Hades a withering glare, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm going to go speak with her." She swept past him, the hem of her flowing gown brushing against his feet as she moved. “Alone.” she said, noticing her husband starting to rise from his throne and follow her. The God scowled, sitting back down. Persephone hurried through the grand halls of the underworld palace, her heart heavy with concern for her daughter. As she approached the ornate doors leading to Mirabel's chambers, she took a steadying breath, trying to quell the nervous energy that coursed through her. She wiped a sweaty hand on her skirt. Outside the door, two ghostly sentinels stood guard, nodding towards their Queen as she approached.

She hoped the room was to her liking, she had spent months making sure it was ready for her daughter. Persephone considered entering without announcing herself, but decided against it. She knocked softly on the door, waiting to be granted entry. Inside the room, Mirabel sat curled up on the edge of the massive bed, her knees drawn to her chest as she stared blankly at walls of the room, not responding to the first knock on the door.

The knock came again, after a minute of no response.

"Who's there?" she called out, hating how her voice wavered with uncertainty. God, she hoped it was not him. Or better yet, if it was, he was here to tell her: ‘Oh sorry, I grabbed the wrong Madrigal, back to the real world.’ But she highly doubted that and she wouldn’t want Dolores or Luisa, hell even Isabela to be in this place. The door creaked open slightly, and a woman with long blonde hair and pink skin poked her head into the room hesitantly. Her hair was pushed back by a crown made of flowers and she wore a long, sleeveless silk dress covered in a variety of flowers including daisies and roses. She had to be the most beautiful woman Mirabel had ever seen, even more so than Isabela. Her eyes widened as the woman stepped into the room fully, a gentle smile on her face. "Hello, Mirabel. I'm..." She paused, her expression growing pensive. "I'm Persephone… I wanted to apologize, for your…for Hades. " She says the last part with annoyance. That man, he needed to learn to cool his temper.

Persephone. She knows that name, how could she not? She took history in school. The tale of Persephone and Hades. It was a classic. It doesn’t take much to make the connection, unless the tales were wrong. “Are you supposed to be my mother?” She asks it with disdain and disbelief. Persephone nodded solemnly, her eyes filled with a mixture of joy and hesitation. "Yes, Mirabel. I am your mother." She took a tentative step forward, her flowing gown rustling softly. "I know this must all be so overwhelming for you. I wish we could have brought you home under better circumstances."

She paused, biting her lip as she considered her next words carefully. "Your father...he can be a bit…excitable at times. He was just so eager to have you back with us, after all these years." Persephone let out a soft sigh, her gaze drifting to the ornate furnishings that adorned Mirabel's chamber. "I tried to make this place feel welcoming for you but I know it's not Casita."

"Welcoming?" Mirabel spat, her voice dripping with bitterness. "This is not welcoming, and it's not my home. My home is with the Madrigals - the family that raised me, that loved me." She hugged her knees tighter to her chest, her eyes filling with tears. "You…people took me away from them. From everything I've ever known." Persephone flinched at the venom in Mirabel's words, her heart aching. "I know, my dear. I wanted to wait until you passed from mortal means, but your Dad was insistent he wanted you back home while you were still a child.”

Mirabel stared at Persephone, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You wanted to wait until I died? How is that any better?" She shook her head, her lips trembling. "I don't understand any of this. Why did you take me from my family?” She had heard what Abuelo and HIM had said, but she didn’t really understand it. How could this not be her body? It felt like hers!

Persephone, sighed. “Your father is a God of Death, I am a God of Life, we have tried to have many children over the millennium but they all died before they even got close to birth. When you were finally born, you were born a soul. With no body. That wouldn’t necessarily be an issue for a god, but given the fact your father and I are opposites, your very soul began to fade from existence. We spoke to the Fates and they said the only way to save you was to put your soul into a mortal vessel and have you live upon the earth for at least a decade.”

“But why them? They don’t deserve this!” No one did, but especially not her family. It wasn’t fair. She could still see the way her mother looked at her when HE grabbed her. The horror and pain in her eyes. Persephone sighed again, explaining further. “We didn’t pick them specifically, the Fates told us where to go. They told us, rather my husband as I was recovering from giving birth to you, that there would be a man in Columbia so desperate to save his family, that he would do anything. They didn’t tell us much more than that. They never do, they’re always vague and cryptic.”

“That doesn’t make it right! You used them! They might not be perfect but and maybe they forgot about me sometimes, but they loved me! They were my family, and you ripped me away from them!”

Persephone's expression softened, her heart aching at the anguish in her daughter's voice. "I know, my dear. They are and always will be, despite how much your father would prefer you forget your mortal family. And I'm so sorry for the pain this has caused you." She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "Hades was so desperate to save you, and so was I. If there was any other way we could have done this, I would have done it in a heartbeat.” Oh, this was all her fault, she should have went with him at the very least.

“…just leave me alone.”  Whimpered Mirabel, burying her face in her knees. Persephone's heart sank as she watched her daughter start to break, sobs wracking her body. She knew this would be difficult, but seeing the pain and betrayal in her daughter's eyes was almost more than she could bear. "Mirabel, please, I-"

"I said leave me alone!" Mirabel shouted, removing her face from her knees. Persephone hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Very well. I'll give you some time. You should get some rest, you look tired." She turned and headed for the door, pausing only to look back at Mirabel's hunched form. "I know this is all so overwhelming. But I want you to know - your father and I, we love you more than anything. We never meant to hurt you." Mirabel didn't respond, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Persephone leaves her, shaking her head before exiting the room. Hades of course is right outside the door, waiting for her. "Well? How did it go?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Persephone let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through her flowing hair. "About as well as you might expect," she replied wearily. "She's devastated, Hades. Angry, hurt - I can hardly blame her." The Lord of the Underworld grunted, his piercing gaze flicking towards the ornate doors. "I figured as much." Persephone shook her head. “Leave her alone for now love, she needs time to settle. I know you were hoping there would be an instant connection, but if you try and push it, it will cause more harm than good.”

Hades let out a frustrated growl, his blue flames flickering angrily. "Time? That's all anyone ever wants from me." He clenched his fists, the air around him growing thick with tension. "I've waited decades for this moment, Persephone. To have my daughter back home, where she belongs. And eons more to even have a child."

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Encanto (2021), Hercules (1997) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Miscarriage? Relationships: Hades/Persephone, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal/Pedro Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal/Julieta Madrigal, Hera/Zeus

Summary: Hades and Persephone have spent centuries on centuries waiting for the day when they could finally have a child of their own. And after thousands of years watching all his unborn children die before they can even be born, he will do anything to make sure his little girl survives. Thankfully for him, there is a father in Columbia who is just as desperate as he is to save his children. And who might just be willing to trade for the very thing that would let Hades save his daughter….

He’s been pacing the palace for hours, deep in thought. He wants to be in there with her, by her side but Demeter and Hera were insistent that his temper was too violate to be around his wife in this trying time. But how can he not be with what is at stake? Thousands upon thousands of years, waiting for this day and everything was resting on it. From beyond the grand doors that made their bed chamber, he can hear her, panting and screaming, and the soft murmurs of his sister-in-law and mother-in-law trying to calm her. He runs a hand through the blue fire that made up his hair, as he tried and failed to calm his nerves. It was fine, it would work this time. It had to.

He doesn’t want to think of the hundreds of others that hadn’t even gotten this far, the sobs of his wife every time they lost another one. It had to work. His musing are interrupted by a giant screech, and he turns, eyes wide as he hears it. It’s faint, and soft but he can hear her, their child. Wailing. But he can also hear his wife crying and he knows it’s not a good cry. Hera be damned, this was his Underworld!

He burst through the doors, heedless of Demeter and Hera's warnings. The sight that greeted him tore at his heart - his wife, his beloved Persephone, lay exhausted on the bed, cradling a small, almost still form in her arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gazed upon the child they had waited millennia for.

"My love," he said softly, crossing the room in short great strides to kneel at her side, and to gaze upon their child for the first time. "What has happened?"

Persephone looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "Oh, Hades," she breathed. "Our child... our precious child..." Her voice broke as a fresh wave of sobs wracked her body. “Her soul is fading.” He looks, in his arms, at his child and can see the child, a girl, the way her form is dissipating.

He stares down at their child, and then stands up, snarling as his hair explodes in a giant fiery explosion. Hera and Demeter are unimpressed and unsurprised. “We told you time and time again, Hades. A child of your combined ilk is not possible. This is the underworld, a place of souls and you are a God of Death. Persephone is a Goddess of Life, and spring. You are opposites. This was bound to happen.”

“No! No! There has to be something we can do….we can’t lose another one.”

Hera tilted her head, sighing. She had no love for Hades, especially after what he did to her son, casting him down to earth, ripping his immortality away and then damning his wife to his pit of souls. But, she felt for Persephone, and she would admit he had mostly behaved since the whole “Let’s try and murder my son and take over Olympus” situation. Mostly.

“We cannot prevent further decay of her soul so long as she is alive, but we can put her in stasis until you figure out a solution. She would be frozen in time, you understand this, yes?”

Hades' eyes narrowed as he considered Hera's words. "Stasis," he murmured, his mind racing. "That may buy us time, but it is not a true solution." He looked down at the flickering form of his daughter, his heart aching. "There must be a way to permanently sustain her - maybe if I…no that wouldn’t work.” The man began to pace again, thinking.

Demeter sighed, looking down at her granddaughter. She hated Hades for convincing her daughter to marry him and taking her away from Demeter (The other Gods might call her a helicopter parent behind her back) but she wouldn’t let her Grandchild suffer for the sins of her father. “What about the Fates? They may be able to shed some light.” she said, flicking her eyes away. Hades groaned. “Okay doll, love the idea but heh, unfortunately, I don’t play well with the Fates.” he said, pacing back and forth.

“Because of what happened last time?” said Hera, glaring at him. The God of Death huffed. “Hades, my love. It may be the only way! I know you’ve had mixed experiences with them….not entirely unwarranted mind you, but you must at least ask!” said Persephone, looking at her child with sorrow in her heart. Oh he hated when she looked like that, it drove him mad. He would do anything for her.

“Okay babe…I’ll ask. For you…and for her.”

He hates being here, but it’s a necessary evil. He sees the three of them, pulling another string to cut. He can do this, anything for his wife and especially for his baby girl. He fixes his robes and straightens his shoulders. Hades saunters up to the Fates, his blue flames flickering as he tries his best to appear casual and unfazed. "Ladies, you know I hate to intrude and I know by now, you know all this but before you start with the interrupting stuff, just let me talk okay? I'm in a bit of a pickle here. My little girl - my precious Persephone junior, name pending - well, her soul is starting to fade. And as you know, because I know that you know: I was hoping you might be able to help a guy out." He flashed them his most winning smile, the one that had charmed countless mortals over the millennia, and them once or twice as well.

The Fates eyed him warily, their bony fingers never ceasing their work on the great tapestry of fate. "Ahh, yes, the child of the Underworld and Spring," mused Clotho, the spinner. "Such a delicate balance of life and death. We knew this day would come."

Hades leaned in closer, his eyes narrowed as he fixed the Fates with an intense stare. "Alright, you old biddies, let's cut to the chase. What do I need to do to save my little girl?" His voice dripped with a mixture of desperation and the trademark bravado that was so quintessentially Hades.

“And why should we help you?”

Hades threw back his head and let out a laugh, his blue flames flickering wildly. "Why should you help me?" he chuckled, a devilish grin spreading across his face. "Oh, my dear Fates, I thought you'd never ask!"

He moved closer, his eyes glinting with a dangerous edge. "You see, I have no intention of letting her die. Now, I know you ladies have a... shall we say, interesting history with me." His gaze narrowed as he recalled past transgressions. "But I'm a changed god, I tell you! I've turned over a new leaf. Well, mostly."

Hades leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice to a smooth, velvety tone. "And you know what they say - blood is thicker than water, my dear Fates. I may not have the best track record with you ladies, but family is family, and we’re family. And this little girl" - he paused, thinking back to the flickering form of his daughter - "well, she's the future of our family legacy. The next generation of the House of Hades. You can't let that legacy die, can you?"

He flashed them a roguish grin, his blue flames dancing mischievously. "So whaddya say, ladies? You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I know you've got a soft spot for keeping the family line going. What do I have to do to save my little girl? Please."

“…A mortal body.” said Lachesis, she disliked Hades but she had to respect him for being humble enough to beg for his daughter's life. She can see him blinking, confused. “You need a mortal body. Your daughter is just a soul, she has no flesh and blood body of her own. In order for her live, she will need to survive, in a mortal body for at least a decade or two, before she can survive in the underworld. And I don’t mean find a dead body and shove her in and then drag her down here, she needs to LIVE on the mortal plane for at least a decade.”

Hades let out a low whistle, running his hand through his ethereal blue flames. "A mortal body, eh? Well now, that's a tall order, even for a god like myself." He paced back and forth, his mind racing. "You realize how tricky that's gonna be, right? Keeping a mortal body alive and kicking for a decade or more? That's a lot of work, ladies."

He paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "But for my little girl..." His eyes softened as he thought of his daughter and wife, both so fragile and vulnerable in different ways. "I'd move the very heavens and earth to save her." Hades fixed the Fates with an intense stare, his voice dropping to a low, serious tone. "Alright, you ancient crones, you've got my attention. Tell me what I need to do."

The Fates exchanged a knowing glance, their gnarled fingers still working tirelessly at the great tapestry of fate. "The child must live among mortals for at least a decade, without your interference, Hades," Clotho intoned, her voice like the creak of ancient parchment. "Only then will she be strong enough to survive in your realm. And, while she may be taken to your realm after the decade mark, to survive she must naturally ease out of the mortal body. No prematurely pulling her out.”

Hades narrowed his eyes, his blue flames flickering with barely contained impatience. "A decade, huh? No meddling, no popping in to check on her? And even longer in a mortal body. Sounds like a real long haul." He let out a frustrated sigh, drumming his fingers against his thigh. "Alright, alright, I get it. The delicate balance of life and death and all that jazz. But you're talking to the Lord of the Underworld here, ladies. I think I can manage that.”

“Good. There will soon be a man in the lands of South America, Columbia to be specific. He is slated to die soon at the hands of raiders, his thread is nearing the end. He will do anything, and I mean anything to ensure his wife and newborn children are safe from harm. We cannot tell you more than that, but he will be the key to having what you wish. But it will take time. Oh, and you need an empty body, one that had a soul at any point in it won’t do.”

Hades listened intently, his mind already whirring with plans and strategies. A mortal body, Colombia, a man desperate to protect his family - this could work. He just had to play his cards right. "An empty body, you say?" Hades mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Well now, that's a tall order. Those don't exactly grow on trees, you know." He fixed the Fates with a pointed stare. "But I suppose you wouldn't be telling me this if you didn't have something specific in mind."

Clotho nodded, the barest hint of a smile playing at the corners of her ancient lips. "Indeed, now go. The hour is upon you. You will know where to go, the blood and carnage that you feel when senseless slaughter occurs will guide you.”

Hades nodded slowly, his mind already whirring with possibilities. "Blood and carnage, you say?" He flashed the Fates a sardonic grin. "Well, you ladies certainly know the way to a god's heart."

He turned on his heel, his long strides carrying him swiftly towards the exit. As he reached the threshold, he paused and glanced back over his shoulder. "You know, I have to admit - I'm impressed. Looks like you old hags still have a few tricks up your sleeves." His eyes glinted with mischief. "I'll be sure to send you a postcard from Colombia. Maybe a nice little souvenir, hmm?"

Without waiting for a response, Hades strode out of the chamber, his blue flames trailing in his wake. He had no time to waste.

Pedro was frozen. No, time was frozen. The birds in the sky had stopped, midflight, the fire of his old home in the distance was still. It was confusing, one minute he’s being stabbed and the next he is watching the frozen face of his wife and newborn children and of his neighbors all around him, each one frozen in time. What was happening?

"I froze time. It's not exactly within my domain as the god of death, but all gods have some control over time, even if it's just for a few minutes.”Pedro whipped his head around. Standing behind him, looming over him was a man nearly eight feet tall, with ash colored skin and blue hair made of flames. He wore a toga made from a black cloth and mist seemed to come off his form, trailing around the bottom of his outfit. “Pedro Madrigal, right? Charon sent along your file, very impressive.” Hades said, making a clipboard with a stack of papers appear, quickly looking it over, flipping through the pages.

“Let’s see: Born to loving parents, you had three siblings, all older, you were a carpenter in life and married Alma Sánchez, now Madrigal, had three young children, triplets, and have now died to raiders, in an attempt to save said wife and kids. Says here you tried to reason with them, appeal to their humanity, yeesh.”

Pedro stared up at the imposing figure, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and confusion. "Who...who are you? What's happening?" he stammered, his voice shaking.

Hades let out a booming laugh, the blue flames of his hair flickering wildly. "Who am I? Why, I'm hurt you don't recognize me, Pedro. I'm Hades, Lord of the Underworld." He leaned in closer, his piercing gaze boring into the mortal man. "And as for what's happening - well, let's just say I’m about to make your day!”

“I…you are not Jesus…”

Hades laughed, genuinely. “Jesus? Oh no, he’s not real…well he was. One of Zeus’s half-breed children, a Demi-God. Tried to start a religion and demolish the worship of the Greek and Roman Pantheons. It worked, buut, he was destroyed as a result. Unfortunately his religion stuck around.” Muttered the God, rolling his eyes at the cross he noticed around Pedro’s neck.

Hades waved a dismissive hand. "But never mind all that. We have more important matters to discuss, Pedro Madrigal." He fixed the mortal man with an intense stare, his blue flames flickering ominously.

“You want to save your kids, right? Those three, adorable little newborn triplets, and that wife of yours, right?”

Pedro stared up at the imposing figure of Hades, his heart pounding in his chest. "My family...yes, of course I want to save them! But how can you help?" He glanced around at the frozen scene, the raiders poised to strike. Hades let out another laugh, practically having to hide how excited he was. "How can I help, he asks!" The god leaned in closer, his piercing gaze boring into Pedro. "I'm the Lord of the Underworld, my dear mortal. Saving lives is kind of my thing - well, usually it's taking them, but desperate times and all that."

“How, how could you help them?” he asked, desperate.

“By giving you a miracle! Again, usually not my field, Pedro my boy, but I am still a god. I will create a safe haven for your family, a house made of pure magic to protect them. The valley we are in will become encased by the mountains. They will be safe from the raiders.”

“But, what if more come? What if other people try to harm them?”

“Tell you what, what I want out of you will be a pretty big deal, so I’ll add a caveat. Gifts. Magical gifts that is, for all of your descendants once they reach a certain age. Powers to protect their home from anyone else who would do them harm.” Pedro stared at Hades, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and desperate hope. "Magical gifts? Powers to protect my family?" He shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the god's offer. "But what is it that you want from me in return?"

Hades smirked, he could tell the man was desperate, just like the Fates said. "Ah, straight to the point - I like that, my friend!" He leaned in closer, his piercing gaze boring into the mortal man. "What I want from you is simple: a body. Well, more specifically, a female body, preferably newborn.”

Pedro's eyes widened in horror at Hades' request. "A body? A newborn?" He shook his head vehemently. "No, I can't - I won't give you my daughters! That's... that's monstrous!"

Hades raised a hand, his piercing gaze silencing Pedro's protests. "Now, now, don't get your toga in a twist. This is for a good cause, I assure you." He flashed Pedro a roguish grin. "You see, I have a little girl of my own, just like those two little girls of yours, and she's in a bit of a predicament. Her soul is fading, and I need a mortal body for her to inhabit in order to save her."

“But-”

“Look, I am not asking for one of your daughters. I need a body without a soul…like a stillborn child.” Hades grinned, why didn’t he realize sooner? “Yes, one of your descendants, the first stillborn female born to your family I don’t care who, it just needs to be female, don’t want to give my little girl an identity crisis.”

Pedro stared at Hades, his heart pounding in his chest. The idea of sacrificing a newborn, even a stillborn, to save this god's child filled him with a mixture of horror and desperation. But if it meant protecting his own family..."A stillborn child," he murmured, his voice trembling. "You...you promise you'll protect my wife and babies? Keep them safe from harm?"

Hades nodded solemnly, his blue flames flickering. "You have my word, Pedro Madrigal. I will create an impenetrable sanctuary for your family, and bestow upon your descendants the power to defend their home for generations to come." He fixed Pedro with an intense stare. "All I ask in return is that first stillborn female child. A small price to pay for the safety of your loved ones, don't you think?"

“What’s from stopping you from going back on your word?” he asked, hesitantly. “Smart man. One second.” With a flourish of his hand a contract appeared from nothingness, with a floating golden quill. “Feel free to read it over, pretty straight forward.”

Pedro scanned the contract with trembling hands, his eyes darting back and forth across the ornate parchment. The terms seemed clear enough - Hades would create an impenetrable sanctuary for his family, and bestow protective gifts upon his descendants, in exchange for the first stillborn female child born to his lineage.

As horrific as the idea was, Pedro couldn't deny the desperation welling up inside him. The raiders were poised to strike, his wife and newborn babies in mortal danger. If this bargain with the Lord of the Underworld was the only way to save them...He looked up at Hades, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resolve. "Alright, I'll do it. Protect my family, and you can have the first stillborn…granddaughter I guess? Most likely, in my family.”

“Perfect. Sign here, here and initial there. And tell you what, since you did me such a favor, I won’t drag your soul to the Underworld with the rest of the pathetic souls. You can stay here and play house or whatever you mortals do.” Pedro's hand trembled as he signed the contract, his heart pounding in his chest. It was a stillborn child, it would be dead anyways, what was the harm?

As he placed the final flourish on the contract, a brilliant light flashed, and suddenly the frozen scene around them shifted. The once barren valley was now transformed, the mountains rising up to encircle the valley in an impenetrable wall of stone. Pedro's eyes widened as he at the raiders, vaporized into dust and a large house, a casa, beginning to form from nothingness. His wedding candle came alight; It was a miracle, like the God said.

Hades let out a low chuckle, smirking at the sight before him. "There, you see? I am a god of my word, Pedro Madrigal." He gestured grandly at the protected valley. “Now, I will be back at a later date to claim my price, have fun!” Pedro watched him go, as time resumed. He turned towards his wife, and children. He did it for them, what harm would it do?

Hades is pacing again, as he listens to his wife fritter on about this and that. It had been so long! Just waiting to get the body had been tedious, let alone waiting for her to grow. All of the man’s granddaughters had been healthy, save the last one which was finally a stillborn, female baby. That had taken thirty-five years, and then it had been another fifteen. He wanted to take her as soon as she was ten, she belonged here, with her real parents, but Persephone had wanted to wait until she was just a bit older, preferably waiting until she died of old age, but he didn’t want to wait that long. He wanted his baby now, while she was preferably still a baby. Well, she was technically fifteen but still!

“Do we have to?” Persephone asked. “I don’t want her to hate us.” she said, worried, pressing into her husband’s side. “Babe, it’s gonna be okay, she’s gonna come home, she’s gonna finally be with us. Besides, they’re a terrible family anyway, we’re doing her a favor.”

“They aren’t that bad Hades, maybe they forget about her sometimes but her parents, her mortal parents absolutely adore her.” she said, flickering hers towards the scrying orbs. “She loves them, it will hurt her to be ripped away from them.” Hades sighed, “Doll, baby she belongs at home. Her soul is finally strong enough. I want our little girl.”

“Oh I know dear…just, try not to overwhelm her, be gentle with her.” said Persephone, leaning into her husbands chest. “I won’t doll, it will be great. Now, I would love to stay and chat but I got us a daughter to collect.” Persephone could only sigh. She would go with him, but she was needed in Olympus for an meeting. She just hoped he wouldn’t be too…too Hades.

“La Familia Madrigal!”

She watches the flash of the bulb go off, and can feel her stomach twisting. It was better that she wasn’t in the photo, she would just ruin it. Like she did everything else. It’s times like this she is bitter she never got a gift. Mirabel sighed, turning away from her family, trying not to hide the tears and self-hatred on her face. It was fine, everything was fine.

She was not fine.

Maybe she should go to bed early, she was feeling tired all of a sudden. Sighing, she started to make her way out of Antonio’s room only to be stopped when a giant earthquake rocked the room, sending people flying and the animals of Antonio’s new room scattering towards to God knew where. People screamed from the impact. Immediately, her family was on the defense, trying to calm everyone. Mirabel watched in shock as the earthquake shook the Casita, her family scrambling to regain their footing. Abuela's voice rose above the din, commanding order and telling them everything was fine. That order was quickly retracted as a second earthquake rippled through the room. People began running, as the earth shook, people grabbing children and loved ones as they ran.

People were pushing and shoving each other as they scrambled for safety. Mirabel found herself lost in the crowd of people, not able to rejoin her family in the chaos of it all. "Quickly, everyone outside! We must get to safety!" Shouted Abuela, trying to lead the flow of people.

Mirabel followed her family and the wave of people as they spilled out of the Casita, out of Antonio’s room and out of the house itself, fear etched on their faces. Every few seconds a tremor would go off, causing more screams and panic. The tremors were growing more violent, shaking the very foundations of their home. Suddenly, just as everyone had exited the house, a deafening crack rent the air and Mirabel's eyes widened in horror as a massive fissure began to open up roughly five hundred meters from the house.

“Mother, what is happening?” called Tia Pepa towards her mother. Alma could only shake her head confused. Everything was going right, Antonio had gotten a gift, what had happened…this must be Mirabel’s fault. Before she could turn and say anything, a bright blue light emanated out of the fissure and a figure of ethereal being, eight feet tall with blue hair made of flames, clothing black as night and smoke trailing off his form, stepped out of the hole with a large, very large as in gigantic, three-headed dog by his side.

“Well, what do we have here? Someone having a party?” Hades said, stepping out. He swept his eyes across the crowd, a little under a thousand mortals, he surmises. “Ooh, wait are those birthday banners I see? Looks like maybe I chose the wrong day to claim my pound of flesh. Whose ever birthday this is will probably remember it for years.” And probably be traumatized, as he was about to take away one of their family members away, forever.

"Who are you?" Alma demanded, her voice trembling slightly. "What is the meaning of this?"

Hades let out a booming laugh, the blue flames of his hair flickering wildly. "Why, my dear woman, I am Hades - Lord of the Underworld!" He swept his piercing gaze across the crowd, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "As for the meaning of this little display..." His eyes glance around the crowd, he can’t see her, but he can feel her. His daughter. Somewhere in the crowd. “I am here to get what your husband promised me.” he said with a vicious smile.

Alma's eyes widened in horror as Hades' words registered. "Promised you? What are you talking about?" She stepped forward, her back straight and her chin held high, despite the trembling of her hands. "I know nothing of any promise made to you. Leave this place at once!" Hades laughed. “Figures, hmmm. One moment.” With a flick of his wrist, the suddenly visible ghost of Pedro Madrigal appeared, glowing slightly ethereal and eyes wide with fear. He appeared right in front of Alma, only to be suddenly tugged and dragged to Hades, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders and patted him on the head like he was a good friend.

He can see the crowd gasping, the woman Alma becoming so pale that he thinks the Fates may cut her thread right now. He doesn’t quite like Alma, the rest of the family is fine if a bit forgetful but Alma? He knows she straight up dislikes his daughter, not considering her part of the family. Which she wasn’t, she was HIS daughter after all. But she was also a God in the making, she should have been worshipped or the very least treated like one of the family by the old lady. “Why don’t I let your husband explain?” he said, looking at Pedro. It would hurt more coming from her own husband, and he felt the need to torment her for his ill-treatment of his baby girl.

"H-Husband?" Alma stammered, her voice laced with disbelief and growing horror. "Pedro, what is the meaning of this?" She stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "What promise have you made to this...this creature?" She couldn’t believe it, she thought she might have a heart attack. She hadn’t seen her husband in fifty-years, and now here he was, or at least his spirit was.

Pedro's mouth felt as dry as the Sahara as he glanced around at his family, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and confusion. How could he even begin to explain the bargain he had struck with the Lord of the Underworld all those years ago? He looks to his eldest daughter, briefly before looking away. He was going to rip her heart out, into pieces.

"I...I made a deal," he stammered, his voice trembling. "To save you all - my wife, my children. From the raiders. I was already dead but you weren’t. He appeared before me, stopping time and then..." His eyes flickered over to Hades, the imposing figure of the god filling him with a mixture of dread and regret. "He offered me a chance to protect you, to give you a home, to give you magical gifts that would protect our family for generations. All I had to do was..." His voice trailed off, unable to complete the horrific bargain. “All I had to do was promise him the body of my ….first stillborn, female descendant. Which is…one of our nietas, Alma.” He can’t name her, it’s too hard.

“What are you talking about? We don’t have any stillborn daughters in our family, or any stillborn children for that matter.” said Julieta, piping up. Hades laughed. “Of course you do, you just don’t realize it. My end of the deal was I got the body of the stillborn so I could save MY daughter from dying. There is an issue with progenies when a god of death and life have a kid, you see and she can't survive on her own, she needs a mortal body. My daughters soul was placed into the body at time of birth, so her soul could get stronger, letting her live amongst you mortals until she was strong enough to come home. Which, unfortunately for you, is today. Stillborns don’t have souls to begin with, really I was going you a favor. You would have had given birth to a corpse. But instead you had the privilege of raising a goddess!" said the God.

Alma's face drained of color as the words sank in. The realization of what her husband had done hit her like a shockwave. "No..." she breathed, her hands trembling. "You couldn't have. Tell me you didn't, Pedro!" All this time, she thought the miracle was born of her husband’s love for his family, and in reality, is was born of a deal with a devil!

Pedro hung his head in shame, unable to meet his wife's anguished gaze. "I had to, Alma. I had to save you, save the children. This...this creature promised to protect us, to give us a home." He gestured weakly at the imposing figure of Hades. "I couldn't let you all die. It was just a corpse, I thought he would take it when she was born, I didn't realize he intended to raise her in our family." The man said, ashamed. He had grown to love her as his own granddaughter, and it pained him just as much as the rest of the family what was going to happen.

“Wait, Abuelo, you said it’s one of your granddaughters…which one?” asked Camilo. He asked but he knew. Surely, it had to be Isabela. And everyone else agreed, immediately, everyone in the town turned towards Isabela. She was a beauty, almost a goddess in terms of appearance.

Alma felt her heart sink as she followed their gaze, her eyes landing on her eldest granddaughter. "No, it can't be Isabela," she breathed, her voice trembling. "She's our precious flower, our gift. Not her, please, not my Isabela." Hades laughed. “The closeted lesbian who secretly hates your guts Alma? No, not even close. I’m sure everyone probably assumes that because my wife is a Goddess of Spring, but no. You are far too annoying for my tastes.”

Isabela was frozen, first from the idea she was secretly a Gods child and now from being outed over the fact she was both a lesbian and hated her own grandmother and her need for perfection. How did this...this immortal being know such intimate details about her? She had worked so hard to hide those parts of herself, to be the perfect granddaughter that Abuela had always wanted. And now, in front of her entire family, it was all laid bare.

Her eyes darted around the crowd, looking for any sign of judgment or disgust, but she was met with only confusion and concern. Except for Abuela, whose face had twisted into a mask of barely-contained fury. Isabela knew she should feel relief that her secret was out, that she no longer had to hide who she was. But all she felt was a crushing sense of dread.

“Wait, then who is it?” yelled someone from the crowd. “Also wait, Isabela is a lesbian? I guess that makes sense, she’s always hanging around the Baker’s daughter.”

Hades chuckled, the blue flames of his hair flickering wildly. "If it's not little Miss Perfect Isabela, then who could it be?" His piercing gaze swept across the crowd, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Hmm, let me see..."

He forced the crowd to move, pushing them away with magic so the three remaining granddaughters all stood next to each other, side by side in fear and confusion. The rest of the town, and family couldn’t move, only look towards them. Mirabel felt frozen, and not just from being physically restrained. Surely….no, no. It had to be Dolores or Luisa, she was just the Giftless Madrigal!

“Maybe it’s Dolores? Dear, shy Dolores, always the second best, runner up, the shadow of her ‘perfect’ older cousin. Born a week after Isabela and always struggling to be heard. The one madly jealous of her cousin, and who has been trying to subtly prevent the engagement of Mariano Guzmán and Isabela.” Dolores felt her face go red, as from the corner of her eye, she sees Isabela suddenly summon a cactus of all things by her feet. She’s expecting anger, but she sees relief. She thinks back to what the God said, ‘closeted lesbian.’ she realizes now that Isabela doesn’t love Mariano and that gives her hope. Provided she’s n-

“No, I don’t think so. Good luck on your new relationship, though.” Dolores found herself propelled towards her family, removed from the trio who was now a duo.

Hades strokes his chin. “Or maybe, Luisa? Poor, overworked Luisa who the town treats like their personal pack mule, always tired and on the verge of a breakdown. Strong little Luisa who is worried no one will ever love her because she’s not small and dainty like Isabela.” Luisa gasped, shame filling her face. No one was supposed to know! She…she could handle any pressure, she was like Hercules!

“Mmm, nope!” Luisa suddenly found herself with the family. Wait, if it wasn’t her that could only mean…“Mirabel?!?” said Alma, in disbelief, staring at her youngest granddaughter. And the rest of the crowd seemed to be having a similar reaction. Mirabel was the runt of the litter, the giftless one. Surely, the God was toying with them all.

“No, no!” Julieta’s eyes were wide. She had already been panicking when she first learned one of her children were going to be taken away, after all, she had three of the four granddaughters in the family. It was a 3 in 4 chance of it being one of her babies. And now, somehow it was her youngest. Maybe it’s because they’re older or because Mirabel doesn’t have the same abilities as they do, but it’s the worst possible scenario in her eyes.

Mirabel felt her heart sink as Hades' gaze fixed upon her. All eyes turned to her, expressions ranging from shock to horror. She felt like she couldn't breathe, the weight of the revelation crushing her.

"No, this can't be happening," Mirabel whispered, her voice trembling. "There must be some mistake." She looked around desperately, seeking comfort from her family, but all she saw were faces filled with dismay. Hades strode towards her, kneeling before her. The arrogance and haughtiness the God displayed had melted into a tender softness, as he placed his hand on her cheek.

“Hey baby girl. Me and your Mom been waiting a long time to meet you.” He said gently. Oh it was good to finally see his little girl.

“No! You can’t take her, she’s OUR daughter!” Hades sighed, standing back up. The man, Agustin Madrigal was enraged, trying to thrash against the invisible restraints with little to no success. “Julieta and Agustin, was it? I do have to thank you for raising her for me, but I think it’s time we go home, don’t you think so?”

Julieta was struggling not to sob openly. "No, please, no!" she cried, wanting to rush towards Mirabel and take her far, far away from this…thing. "You can't take her!"

Hades raised a hand, his blue flames flickering menacingly. "I'm afraid I must, my dear. She is, after all, my daughter." He flashed Julieta a twisted grin. "The bargain was struck long ago, and I always collect on my debts." Alma stepped forward, her eyes blazing with fury. "You will not take my granddaughter!" she spat, her voice trembling with rage. "That deal was made without our knowledge or consent. It is not binding!"

Hades let out another booming laugh, the sound reverberating through the valley. "Oh, dear Alma, this agreement is indeed binding. Your husband SIGNED it, after all. And as the God of the Underworld, I assure you it is enforceable. Let's be honest, you don't truly care for Mirabel; I've witnessed your interactions with her. So tell me, Alma, if I were to take away your gifts, which one would you miss the most? We both know it would be the gifts."

Alma's eyes widened in horror at Hades' words. He was right - she didn't treat Mirabel the same as her other grandchildren. But how dare he use that against her! "I may not have been the grandmother Mirabel deserved," she admitted, her voice trembling with barely-contained rage. "But she is still my family. And I will not let you take her from us!" The crowd could do little, their bodies frozen.

"Look, this has been great but we do need to go." Hades said, looking at his nails. Before anyone else could protest, he whistled for Cerberus, and the dog came bounding over. With one arm around his daughter's waist, he lifted her up onto the dog's back and waved goodbye, mockingly to the rest of the family. The hound then leaped into the hole and started to dig its way towards the underworld, as the hole began to close.

Mirabel struggled, trying to claw her way off the giant dog and out of the hole but Hades pushed her down, keeping her on the dog. “I wouldn’t do that, Cerberus can go pretty fast, in fact you should hold on. Otherwise, you will just fall for miles and prematurely destroy your mortal body.” said Hades. She tried to struggle but the speed of the dog soon became too fast, and she found herself gripping on to the dog for dear life. Hades seemed unfazed, standing rather than sitting on the dog.

As Mirabel clung to the massive three-headed dog, the descent into the Underworld, she couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of fear and confusion. This had to be a bad dream, she couldn’t be the daughter of a God. And even if she was, she didn’t know this man! She wanted her parents, her real parents! The people who raised her!

The descent into the Underworld was dizzying and disorienting. She dared not look down at the endless chasm they were plunging into, afraid she might puke. Hades stood calmly beside her, seemingly unaffected by the breakneck pace of their descent. His piercing gaze was fixed towards her, a strange mixture of excitement and something akin to tenderness in his expression.

The deeper they got, the hotter the air seemed to get. She could almost feel steam coming off of her. It didn’t burn, but it was a bit uncomfortable. Just when she was wondering how far they were going to go, they suddenly burst through a ceiling, as Cerberus fell, easily a mile or two from the rocky, cavern sky of the Underworld and then landed with a thud onto the ground below, with not so much as an injury.

"My...my family," Mirabel whispered, staring back through the rapidly closing chasm above them. She could no longer see them, they were far too deep into the earth, but she still had to look back regardless. Hades placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, his piercing gaze filled with an odd mixture of empathy and determination. "I know this is all very overwhelming, baby girl," he said softly, his voice surprisingly soothing. "But this is where you belong - with your real family. With me and your mother."

“I am not your baby girl!” She shouted, removing his hand from her shoulder. She can’t help it, she glances at her surroundings, trying to find an exit, or something.

They had emerged in a vast, cavernous realm that seemed to stretch on endlessly. The air was thick with an eerie, coppery scent and an overwhelming sense of foreboding. Towering obsidian cliffs rose up on all sides, their jagged peaks piercing the gloom like the fangs of some ancient, slumbering beast.

A river of molten gold flowed sluggishly in the distance, its surface roiling and bubbling ominously. Mirabel shuddered as she caught glimpses of shadowy figures moving within its depths, their mournful cries echoing through the cavernous walls. In the distance, she could see what looked to be a glowing city of light, a beacon in this dark place None of that mattered, what did matter was the giant palace she stood in front of.

Mirabel's gaze was drawn to the massive palace that loomed before them, an contrasting entity in the midst of this bleak and foreboding realm. It was large, and made of the same dark rock as the rest of the landscape but vines and twisting roots snaked up the obsidian walls, with massive trees, their branches heavy with lush foliage, erupting from the very foundations of the palace, their leaves rustling softly in an unfelt breeze. Blooming flowers of every imaginable hue adorned every surface, their petals glistening with ethereal dew. Mirabel caught the scent of jasmine, lavender, and a dozen other floral fragrances that she couldn't even begin to identify. It was an oasis in the middle of the underworld.

It reminded her of Isabela’s room, tenfold. “I can see your expression, I know it’s a lot. But it makes your mom happy so I put up with it. Regardless, welcome home, Princess.”

Mirabel stared up at the magnificent palace, her mind reeling from the sheer scale and splendor of it all. This was her home now? It seemed impossible, a surreal dream that she couldn't possibly be living. "Home?" she whispered, the word feeling foreign on her tongue. "This is not my home." She tore her gaze away from the palace, fixing Hades with a defiant glare. "My home is with the Madrigals. That's where I belong. And I am not a princess, or your daughter."

Hades let out a heavy sigh, the weight of centuries etched upon his weathered features. "I know this must be difficult for you to understand, Mirabel." He knelt down in front of her again, bringing himself to eye level with his daughter. Gone was the imposing, intimidating figure - in its place was a father burdened by the gravity of his actions and his love for his child. “But me and your mother love you so much.”

Notes:

Have some AndrAIa lore dump that while be relevant in this story but also not because I may or may not have planned a sequel. Or 5.... Also Megabyte being a grump, lmao.

PLEASE NOTE: Going forward, this is going to be edited in a way to remove stuff that violates the TOS. Nothing super graphic just smut basically. I know we have mature filters but I am not sure how Tumblr feels about smut so. Things removed will be replaced with blackouts or redacted, if you would like to read the uncensored version, please see the FF.net or A03 (Recommended) link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57835603/chapters/147208144

Chapter 6: You Cannot Fix What Is Not Wrong

Enzo Raphael Matrix(1) was bored. He had been scared initially when he had been throw into the holding cells, worried for his friends and family. But you could only be scared for so long before it gave way to other feelings. Anger, resentment, acceptance. Now he was just bored.

It had been a cycle, and he had nothing to do but bother the troops guarding his cell for attention, much to their annoyance. Feet against the wall, laying upside down on the bed with his head hanging off, he was whining as he repeatedly tapped his foot against the wall.

“Will you stop that!”

It was more of a request than a demand from the binome with a mustache that he can’t remember is called Chancy or Custard. He thinks it’s Custard.

“I’m Bored.” he said simply, refusing to stop tapping the wall.

‘Custard’ let out an scream, his sanity slowly whittled into nothingness every moment he was left in charge of this kid. "You're our prisoner, not our guest. You don't exactly get to be entertained."

Enzo (1) rolled his eyes, the tapping increasing in speed. "Come on Custard, can't you at least let me out for a bit? I promise I won't try to escape or anything."

Chancy let out another small scream, barely contained behind clenched teeth. Or what equated as teeth for a binome."For the last time, it's Chancy! And absolutely not, I'm not letting you out of that cell. You're a prisoner, how many times do I need to tell you?!”

Enzo (1) let out an exaggerated sigh, finally relenting on the incessant tapping. "But I’m boreeeed.” he repeated, whining.

Chancy shot Enzo (1) an exasperated look. "Well, you're just going to have to deal with it. You're lucky we're keeping you alive at all."

Enzo (1) crossed his arms, pouting petulantly. "This is so unfair. I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You're associated with the Guardian and those other troublemakers," Chancy retorted. "That's reason enough as far as Lord Megabyte is concerned."

The copy opened his mouth to argue further, but was cut off by the sound of the door to the holding cells sliding open. Both he and Chancy turned to see another Binome stride in. A bit portly around the middle with a fading hairline, the other man seemed tired.

“Captain! Please tell me you have new orders. Anything but guard duty.” ‘Custard’ begged.

“‘Fraid not, Lord Megabyte still hasn’t ordered any attacks yet.”

“Still? It’s been a cycle since he took over the Principal’s Office and still no plan for wiping the rebels out?”

“No, I heard from some others that he’s been having Herr Doktor run tests on him; something wrong with his code apparently.”

“What about Megabreath?” Chancy breathed in once, then exhaled slowly. He knew he had been given strict orders not to kill the kid but that was becoming harder by the second.

“Nothing that concerns you kid! I swear to the User, I am going to delete you.” he growled, walking right up to the energy field separating them. Enzo (1) just started tapping the wall again with his foot causing the man to scream.

“Lieutenant, what’s the issue? The Lord told us to leave them alive.” The captain said, irritated. If there was one person not cut out to be a Neo-Viral, it was Chancy. The man had no sense of keeping cool and collected. Yet Megabyte kept him around for some reason.

“He’s being annoying!” the man gritted out to his superior.

“So take a walk solider, they’re not going anywhere. Honestly, use your head!”

The pair walked off, leaving Enzo alone with his thoughts. If he was big and smart like his bigself, he would try to break out. But he was just a small sprite with nothing to help him escape. Sighing, he sat up on the bed and turned to look over at Phong.

Megabyte had either been kind enough, or didn’t care enough to put both sprites in a shared cell. It made him feel a bit better. Phong however had been quiet the last few days. Medics had been in to stabilize him and make sure he didn’t just delete program (Megabyte needed him alive, other wise he wouldn’t have bothered) but the elderly sprite seemed lost in thought almost.

"Phong?" Enzo called out hesitantly. "Are you ok?"

The sprite in question slowly lifted his head, his wise eyes meeting Enzo's. "I am as well as can be expected, my child," he replied wearily.

"Do you think the others will come for us?" Enzo asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

Phong let out a heavy sigh. "I am certain they are doing all they can to mount a rescue. But Megabyte has the entire Principal Office locked down. I fear it may not be so simple."

“Is that why you are so quiet? ‘Cause you’re scared of what’s going to happen?”

“I will admit, I am afraid but no young sprite. I apologize, I have been thinking.”

“‘Bout what?”

Phong paused. He didn’t know how to tell it to such a young sprite, or if he should at all. There were just somethings that Enzo shouldn’t know about yet.

He’s worried for the others yes, but he’s more worried about Dot and extension AndrAIa. He thinks back to the Wedding, what would have happened if Bob had not shown up. The Wedding Night.

Despite insistence that he had standards, the old vector sprite couldn’t help but worry that in his pursuit for revenge, the virus intended to harm the pair more than just torture and deletion. He remembers the look on the Viruses face, looking at ‘that’ video file. He had not been able to see the entire video (or the other one really) from where he had laid but he had seen enough to know what the virus was looking at.

If he was capable of torture, mayhem and destruction, why not [REDACTED]?

Phong let out a heavy sigh. "I do not wish to worry you, my child. These are simply an old man's concerns. Let us have faith that our friends will find a way to rescue us."

Enzo nodded, though he could see the worry etched on Phong's face. The elderly sprite was always so calm and collected, to see him this unsettled was also unsettling for Enzo.

“Phong?” he asked timidly, pressing his back against the cell wall.

“Yes, my child?”

“What’s a ‘whore?”

To say he was angry would be an understatement. He was enraged, infuriated, rabid, incensed; he could go on. With a snarl, he over turned a gurney that had been shoved into the corner of the Medical Bay, not able to contain his anger.

A cycle of scans and tests, and still no answer to his problem. In the mean time, his plans for vengeance had been put on the back burner as he tried to deal with the increasing need for AndrAIa her that had been building within him. The virus, nor the doctor by extension, had not been able to sleep properly in a week, his body overworked and overtired.

Every thought was now related to the Game Sprite in some way, shape, or form and he couldn’t take it anymore. He felt like he was going to explode.

“I thought I told you to find the problem!”

Herr Doktor who up until now had been trying his best not to nod off from lack asleep, found himself wide awake as he became the target of Megabyte's outburst, quickly backing away from the fuming virus, still holding the .doc file that contained the results of the most recent scan.

"I apologize, mein Herr! I'm trying mein best. If you could tell me vhat I am looking for..."

“I told you! Any changes in my code!” The virus reached down to pick up the doctor by his neck and began to squeeze; not enough to harm him but to state his dissatisfaction.

"A-ah, mein König, Maybe ve should start vith your symptoms rather than lo-looking at your code. It vay be easier." choked the Binome, struggling to breath a bit.

By now, the mad scientist had gotten out of his lord that something had happened when he encountered the Game Sprite in the hallways of the Principal’s Office. Unfortunately, his lord was reluctant or unwilling to provide any more detail than that.

With a snarl, Megabyte dropped the smaller creature, allowing him to quickly scurry backwards and out of grabbing range. The virus puzzled for a moment, debating the idea. Herr Doktor was probably right, starting with symptoms would probably be easier, or at least give them somewhere to start.

"Very well, let's start there then. What would you like to know?" he asked, trying to reign in his temper.

Herr Doktor straightened his rumpled lab coat, clearing his throat nervously. "Vell, for starters, vhat exactly happened vith the Game Sprite? You mentioned something...unusvual occurred between you two."

The virus paused, his clawed fingers tapping against his chin as he considered how much to reveal. "It was...strange," he began slowly. "There was a burst of light that came from her that began flowing into me, causing me- us, to glow. I've never experienced anything like it before."

Herr Doktor's eyes widened, taking a moment to jot something down on his organizer.

“Vhat else Mein Herr?”

Megabyte's brow furrowed as he tried to put into words the strange sensations he had felt. "It was...odd. The light only lasted mere nanoseconds but when it was gone, I felt a surge of emotions that I've never experienced before - a sense of contentment, even happiness.”

He paused, a look of frustration crossing his face. "But it didn't last. As soon as the hacker intervened and she fled, the feeling faded leaving me feeling…I don’t know. Now I just feel...off. Unbalanced, in a way I can't quite describe."

Herr Doktor nodded thoughtfully, jotting down more notes. "Interesting. And have you noticed any other changes? Anything physical or in your behavior that is out of the ordinary?"

Megabyte frowned, thinking back to the previous cycle. "I've found myself...distracted, in a way I'm not accustomed to. My concentration has been poor, and I find my thoughts constantly returning to AndrAIa." He let out a frustrated growl. "It's maddening. I can't seem to focus on anything else."

A look passed over the Doctor’s face, one that Megabyte couldn’t place. It was a look that was part confusion, that he understood, but also part something else, like the doctor knew something he didn’t.

“What?” he barked, the need for answers overwhelming.

“What do you feel when you think about her?”

“What? What does that that have to do with anything? I already told you, content. What more do you want?”

Herr Doktor shifted uncomfortably under Megabyte's piercing gaze, but pressed on. "Mein Herr, humvor me. In detail.”

“Fine! Happy, warmth, like I am able to infect the entire net at once, like I am going mad because I cannot bare the thought of her not being near!”

Herr Doktor's eyes widened as Megabyte rambled off his symptoms in increasing frustration. He hesitated for a moment, pondering how to broach this delicate topic.

"Mein Herr, I believe...I believe what you are experiencing may be a form of..."

He paused, trying to find the right words. "Infatuation. Perhaps even...love."

There was silence, and then, a deep guttural laugh that sent chills down the Doktor’s spine. He knew his lord enough to know what kind of laugh this was. This was not an amused laugh like when someone said something he thought was funny (usually revolving around Dot Matrix) or one done out of politeness. This was a laugh that meant someone had done or said something so stupid, that it infuriated the lord to no ends.

Megabyte's laughter rang out, dripping with derision and contempt. "What did you say?” he hissed. The claws, while now always out do to his new form, seemed to extend further as fury overcame his face.

Herr Doktor swallowed nervously, realizing he may have made a mistake. "M-mein Herr, I’m not saying that’s w—what it is! I was just speculating!”

The virus didn’t bother to grab the doctor again, instead choosing to tower over him before leaning down and getting inches away from his face.

"You dare to suggest that I, the great Megabyte, am capable of something as pathetic and weak as love?!"

Herr Doktor cowered under Megabyte's furious glare, his metal frame shaking with fear. "N-no, my lord! Of course not! Please, forgive me for overstepping!"

Snarling, Megabyte grabbed the doktor once more and threw him into the wall, causing the smaller man to scream in pain and terror.

With a roar the virus began to destroy anything he could get his hands on. Megabyte was in a full blown rage, destroying everything in sight. Overturned medical carts, glass vials, the wiring in the walls - nothing was safe from his fury.

The doctor cowered against the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible as Megabyte's rampage continued. He knew better than to try and intervene - the virus was far too volatile in this state. All he could do was wait and pray that the outburst would pass quickly, and without him being a target.

After what felt like an eternity, Megabyte finally seemed to run out of steam, coming to a stop and panting heavily. Silence filled the air, one man too afraid to speak and the other lost in thoughts.

“Herr Doktor?”

“…Yes, m-mein herr?”

“I won’t delete you today, but don’t you ever suggest something so stupid again because I can promise you I will make your deletion a painful one. Understood?” The virus never looks at him, eyes fixated on an invisible target only he can see.

'“J-Ja.”

“Good. Now have the men prepare my limousine, it’s time I had a chat with the Game Sprite.”

Breathe in,

Breath Out,

Smile brightly, nod politely.

Don’t think about him it.

Everything is okay.

I mean, who cared if she had barely slept in a week, was avoiding her friends at any chance she got and was struggling to not to spiral into a episode self-hatred and depression?

As she walked the halls of the base, she gave small waves and hellos to the people working, trying to not notice the way they stared at her.

Like they had always stared.

“..Freak…”

“..not trustworthy..”

“..dangero-”

She can hear them all speaking about her. It’s nothing new. She has always been an outsider in this place. But now since the incident in the Med-Bay and rumors getting out about what happened in the P.O. (Thanks to Mike the TV who had been ever so kind to listen in on her and her friends and then spread the information like wildfire.) it had been worse than usual.

She hadn’t felt this isolated than ever; not even when she was in actual isolation. She stops and hisses, pushing the thought away. She wasn’t going to think of that place, it was behind her.

She shakes her head and continues forward, moving throughout the halls of the base and into the main chamber where her friends were gathered around a table. She can practically taste the tension in the air. She tries to hide her tiredness (And the thoughts of teeth on her neck) but finds it hard.

Everyone was confused about why Megabyte had not attacked yet and subsequently, was on guard. He had been radio silent the last cycle and aside from the ABCs protecting the Principal’s Office, there was no indication that he was even in Mainframe. He had made no appearances, no speeches, nothing.

Someone speculated that maybe he had escaped to the Supercomputer to infect it but Bob pointed out a portal of any kind required internet access and the wifi tower was still down(confirmed by Glitch who still couldn’t get a signal out of the system.)

So that left them on edge. In the mean time, they were trying to best come up with a plan to get back into the P.O. They likely couldn’t get back in through the Core, Megabyte had likely figured out that’s how they escaped and had men guarding the entrance. Besides, Phong was old and injured last time anyone saw him and Enzo was young; they were more likely than anyone to succumb quickly to the Core.

The group is chatting tersely, trying to pinpoint a plan when she approaches the table. There is a schematic of the P.O laid out, with various notes and items circled on it. She can see the flicker of worry in Bob’s eyes as he takes stalk of her.

“Did you sleep?” he asks silently. Her pursed lips in response tell him that no, she hadn’t.

(Razor sharp claws running over her skin.)

“Where were you?” Enzo is on edge more than any of them and quick to instigate a fight in order to release the pent up anger building up inside of him. It’s tiring but she’s used to it.

“Just out for a walk.” she lies, the smile threatening to fall. Each day it’s becoming harder to pretend around him.

“That must be nice. We’ve been here actually working!”

AndrAIa's smile faltered at Matrix's sharp tone. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. Conceal, don’t feel.

"I know you're all working hard, Sparky. I just needed some time to myself, that's all." To sleep; or at least she tried to until the thoughts became too much.

(A deep, baritone voice purring into her ear)

“Yeah well that’s all you seem to have time for. You’ve been avoiding me for the last cycle.” The renegade says accusatorily, eye flaring briefly as anger seeped out.

“Oh no, User forbid I be too busy and tired to FAQ your ass while in the middle of an active warzone!” She regrets the words as soon as she says them. Why was this happening? She’s supposed to be good at pretending and yet she keeps slipping up, it was never this hard before to lie.

Enzo recoiled briefly, taken aback by AndrAIa's uncharacteristic outburst before the shock turned into that familiar, tiring (so, so tiring), anger she was so used to at this point.

(Touching her between the [REDACTED].)

“You really think that’s what I fucking care about right now?” the Renegade leaned forward, anger spilling out of his voice. “Enzo and Phong are still FAQing at Megabyte’s mercy, and you think I give two shits about the fact that you’re not putting out?”

‘Yes’ But she does not say it. AndrAIa knows that while he is concerned for the others, he’s extra ornery because she’s been uninterested or just not in the mood to lie there and get it over with like she always does in exchanging codes the last cycle. She knows he uses it as a way to cope when stressed; his go to after alcohol and shooting things but she just can’t seemed to get in the mood because his hands were wrong and not the ones she wanted.

“Enough! I swear to the User, none of us need to hear this.” Bob interjects, a look of desperation on his face as he tried to end this very uncomfortable conversation. He doesn’t need those images in his head. AndrAIa felt her cheeks flush; momentarily forgetting about the others during the spat. She can see from the corner of her eyes Dot is looking down at the .doc she has open, trying not to look her in the eye, face red with embarrassment. Mouse just seems to be amused.

Matrix's grunted, turning away as he backed down reluctantly. A mix of frustration and hurt on his face. "Whatever," he muttered, turning his attention back to the map on the table. AndrAIa breathes deep, pushing it all back and a calm smile comes over her face.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked, her voice carefully level. She knows there will be hell to pay later, behind closed doors but she cannot focus on that now . "How are we getting Enzo and Phong back?"

Bob cleared his throat, exchanging a wary glance with Dot before speaking. "Well, we've been going over the schematics, trying to find any weak points in Megabyte's defenses. Unfortunately, he's really bolstered security throughout the entire building."

He pauses, tapping his fingers on the table as he thinks. "There are still a few service tunnels and access points that may be lightly guarded, but getting in undetected is going to be a challenge. And once we're in, we'll have to deal with getting Enzo and Phong out without triggering Megabyte's full wrath."

Matrix leaned forward, his cybernetic eye whirring as he analyzed the map. "We'll need a distraction - something to draw Megabyte's forces away from the holding cells so we can get in and get them out."

“We still haven’t decided what we’re going to do about Dad, or the rest of their people on the inside.” said Dot. That was another issue they weren’t sure how to deal with. Enzo might be safe because he was a child, and he needed Phong, but what about the rest of the team that had been in the War Room? They were either infected or deleted at this point; Megabyte would not show them the same courtesy.Then again, he might not care enough about a group of Binomes and chose to allow them to leave (after all, if you kill all your future subjects, who will you have left when it comes time to take over?) And Welman had the advantage of being a null; he could not be deleted, no matter how much Megabyte tried. He could feel pain of course, but that was different.

It was a conundrum. Obviously, to them Enzo and Phong were a priority, but to the families of the Binomes inside the P.O, waiting on news of their loved ones safety, they did not feel the same.

"Well, we don’t know if anyone else is still alive Sis. We should focus on just getting in before finding survivors. We could lead a frontal assault on the P.O.," Matrix offered, cracking his knuckles. "That would definitely draw Megabyte's attention." Everyone knew that he wanted a rematch with Megabyte more than anything; partially for what had been done to Dot but also for pride reasons; to put the virus in his place once and for all.

“Sugah, I’m sure after last time we came in swinging through the front door, he ain’t gonna let us stroll back in without a blood bath.” said Mouse.

Dot shook her head, a frown on her face. "I agree, it’s going to be more difficult this time if we attempt it and it’s too risky. We can't just charge in guns blazing. We need to be strategic about this."

By this point, AndrAIa had started to zone out, exhaustion creeping in. She was too tired to think straight, the call for sleep overwhelming. She leaned against the table, allowing her eyes to close for a moment. She..she just needed to rest for a moment.

AndrAIa's eyes slid shut as she leaned against the table, the exhaustion finally catching up to her. The others continued discussing their plans, their voices fading to a dull hum in the background as she allowed herself a moment of respite. And then, she’s pulled under.

She’s huddled in the corner of the cell, a book tightly held to her chest as she tries to protect it to no avail from the hands that rip it away. It’s a good book, she’s read it over and over since she got it. It’s a bit torn from constant use but in this place, it was all she had. A hope, a dream, that when she is an adult she will find it and be free.

“Where did you get this? ” a figure says, shrouded in shadow. The voice is familiar but an unwelcome familiarity and is feminine in nature. Each word drips with malice that AndrAIa knows is because she’s done something wrong.

She doesn’t tell her about the guard who had felt sorry for her and slipped it past the bars in the middle of the night. He was the only kind person in this place.

“I…I found it?” she offers weakly knowing, that it’s a terrible lie. Though the figure is shrouded, she knows that the woman is staring at her with hatred and malcontent.

“Lies!” The 0.8 year old screams, flinching as a hand strikes her cheek, the pain already forming into a bruise. Why did she have to always make her mad? She was trying to be good, she really was.

“You don’t get to have presents. Don’t forget, they’re dead because of you. You’re an abomination who deserves to be punished….Looks like I'll have to find new guards, such a shame. Cleaning up the blood will be such a bother.”

The woman pauses, noting the title of the book and then lets out a dark laugh.

“Oh, you poor, stupid thing. Just a child; Not even remotely of age and yet you think that the Goddess will bestow such a blessing on you one day? After what you’ve done? Foolish child.”

“But-”

“No excuses. Remember your purpose for being here. You are dangerous, and even if you were to find someone in adulthood, would it truly be fair to them? Do you want to subject them to the pain and suffering of being bound to a monster like you?”

“I a-am not a mOnStER!” she wails, curling in on herself.

“Yes, you are.”

“No!”

AndrAIa's eyes snap open, her entire body going rigid as the memory resurfaces. Fear and adrenaline lick through her; why now? On top of everything else going on, why was she thinking about that? She doesn’t want to remember. But then it hits her, the truth. Why IT had happened.

“DrAIa?”

She knows someone is calling out for her (she doesn’t know who, everything sounds staticky as she panics), hands reaching to touch her but it’s too much. The memory is burning into her, sending her into spiral that she hasn’t experienced since she escaped. “I need to get out of here“ is the only thing on her mind.

She bolts, pushing past figures left and right, blood pounding in her ears. Everything in her code says to run and to not stop; so that’s what she does. She doesn’t get far before something pommels her to the ground. Someone large and strong, pressing her against the floor, their hands pining her own.

She snarls and thrashes, unwilling to be contained. Other hands reach to touch her and it’s too much. In a quick motion, she detaches one of her arm fins out of reflex, causing it to go flying and it must hit someone because she hears a scream and then hands reactively releasing her. She is blind with panic and cannot think so when yet another hand grabs her hand, she turns and racks her nails across…a face? Yes, a face but she doesn’t know whose. The hand relents and she pushes further.

This time, nothing stops her and she runs and runs, and runs, flying past sprites and binomes alike, out of the base and into the streets of Mainframe, hair whipping in the wind, lungs burning with need to breath but she can’t breath, she can’t.

She’s always known she was a monster, so it suddenly makes sense why this happened.

This was her punishment; her penance for what she had done. There was no other answer. A monster for a monster.

She runs until she cannot breath anymore, falling over from exhaustion. Is she crying? She can’t tell anymore. She hears a thud but pays it no mind. Hands grab her once more and she thrashes, but unlike last time they do not let go; instead they wrap around her and pull her close. They feel familiar and wrong but so right. She relents, pushing her face against a chest that is metal and rough, marked by degradation and she breaks down for the first time in a long time and sobs. She sobs until she cannot feel anymore.