The chariot arrived at Aphrodite's place and Kori helped herself through the manor, looking for her best friend. She found Eros in a fountain, having a bath with his siblings while their mother sat nearby, grooming herself in the mirror.

"Oh hello, Kori dear." Aphrodite said with a quick look her way.

Eros heard his mother and excitedly looked to find his best friend coming in.

"Hi, Aphrodite." Kori casually said as she sat by the fountain.

"Hey, Kori." Eros said, swimming closer.

"Hey Cupid!" She took a look back at Aphrodite and leaned closer to Cupid, whispering: "Come on, get dressed! I just saw this amazing place!"

"Ooh, where are we going? It better not be anyplace dumb."

"No. It's really cool." She rolled her eyes and splashed water at him.

"So where is this really cool place?" Aphrodite startled them. Kore didn't think she'd heard.

"Oh.... uh ... around the water hole."

"The water hole?! What's so great about the water hole?"

Kori dunked her friend and gritted at him.

"I'll show you, when we get there."

"Oaah" Cupid finally caught on. "Uh, mom, can I go with Kore?"

They went over to his mom, asking permission.

"Well..."

"Pleeeease?" The friends asked in chorus, putting on their biggest smiles.

"Alright. But be back an hour before dinner."

"Alright!" The friends celebrated and Cupid flew to his room to put on some clothes.

Kori waited for him in her chariot and they were off to the watering hole.

"So, where're we really going?"

"Shh! Just wait."

The chariot dropped them at the watering hole and the driver went off to the parking. With no chaperone, Kori was finally eager to tell her friend.

"We're going out of Olympus!"

The cherub flew up in terror. "Are you crazy? Why would we go there?"

Kori rolled her eyes and pulled her friend down.

"Relax, you chicken! It's a place around aunt Hestia's house and it's really beautiful. You HAVE to come see it."

"Ok, but how are we going there?"

"Well you can fly, and I can have my plants take me!" She demonstrated her powers by willing vines under her feet.

"Come on let's go!" Kori went ahead and Cupid sighed before flying after her.

The farther past Olympus they got, the more nervous Cupid became. Soon Hestia's house was in sight but Kori didn't go closer, lest she be caught.

"Come on, this way." She lead a detour through the wild grass.

"This is creepy." Cupid stuttered.

"Shut up, we're almost there. Look!" Kori pointed over the cliff at the giant mansion made of black marble.

"Woah!" Cupid gasped, amazed. "Who's house is that?"

"Hades, duh!"

Cupid tripped on her vines.

"H-h-h-Hades?! Do you think he's really in there?"

"Cupid, don't be such a guppy." Kori said over her shoulder as she went closer to the edge of the cliff.

"I'm not a guppy. This is great. I mean, I really love this." Cupid hung in the air, looking about him in the dark forest. "Excitement, adventure, danger lurking around every corner--Aaaah!" he screamed as he bumped into something, but turned around to realize it was only Kore.

"Cupid, stay quiet! We don't wanna get caught!"

"Yeah, sure. No problem. I'm okay."

They both laid on the ground, looking over the cliff. Right under them was a glittering black lake.

"Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire life?"

"Wow, cool! But, uh, what is it?"

"I don't know,"

Meanwhile, Cupid saw movement in the lake.

"What was that? Did you see something?"

"Hmm?" Kori asked carelessly. "I wonder where he is.."

"K-Kori..." Cupid stuttered, eyes frozen on the movement in the water.

"Cupid will you relax? Nothing is going to happen."

A second later, someone popped out of the lake. Cupid had just opened his mouth to scream when Kori clamped her hand over.

"Shh!" She looked at him and they nodded in agreement to stay quiet.

Kori let go of him, and they resumed looking over the cliff, now staring at the lord of Hell standing in the 'water'.

"Wow! Isn't he beautiful?"

"Beautiful? Apollo is beautiful. He... he's terrifying."

"Oh Cupid! You get scared of the wind." Kori sighed dreamily as she watched Hades swim.

"Look at him. His black hair. Have you ever seen anyone on Olympus with hair like that?"

"No..."

Meanwhile, Hades smirked to himself feeling someone watching him, hearing them talk about him, and turned in their direction. The kids ducked, but then realized they were too far for him to see, and that he'd turned away again.

"Amazing! Look at his frame. So strong! So sharp!" She extended her hand and leaned out the cliff. "If I could just touch... one touch! J... aaah!"

She fell.

"Kori!"

"Cupid, HEELP!" She screamed.

Cupid looked over to see her hanging from an exposed root, but all around her was poison ivy, deadly to the Olympians.

"Kori, I can't come there! I'm gonna go get someone!"

"Cupid, don't leave me! Aaah!" She fell further.

"Just hold on, okay! I'm gonna go get your father."

A few moments later, thunder rolled and the cliff cleared of the plants.

"KORI!" Zeus called out to his daughter.

"Father! HEEELLLPP!"

"Hang on, love. We'll figure something out." He turned to Demeter.

"Can you extend some vines her way that she could grab on to?"

Demeter nodded. "Hang on, honey. Mama's coming." Demeter stood at the very edge of the cliff and commanded some vines to reach Kori. On their way to her, the vines snagged on some poison ivy plants and shriveled and fell. Demeter cried in exhaustion. "She's too far!"

"Let go, Kori." A new voice called from down below.

"You are mad, Hades? She's an Olympian, she'll never survive hell water!" Zeus argued from above.

"You forget her gifts, brother." Hades roared back, and softened his voice to speak to Kori.

"Look at me, Kori."

Kori dares to look down, but squealed at the distance between her and the water.

"It... it's too far!"

"Let it go, love. I'll catch you, I promise."

"Will I die?" She cried, remembering what her father said.

"I won't let you. You have to trust me, Kori. Let it go."

"Catch me, okay?" She sighed and took a breath of faith. Then, she pushed against the cliff side and let go, screaming as she fell.

She fell in the water with a splash and felt herself drowning, the water pulling her in like grabby hands. She faintly heard someone else jump in the water, but Kori was passed out before they breached the surface.

Hades dived in after Kori and scooped her up, but she lay limp in his arms as he pulled her out of the water. Her clothes had disintegrated in the hell water, and a few strands of her hair turned black. He leaned her back over one arm and pushed down on her chest, forcing the water back up. A very painstaking minute later, Kori started coughing up the water.

Hades smiled, relieved. "That's my girl."

Kori sat up a little, staring at him.

"So, did you have a death wish, or simply bored again?" He repeated his statement from the last time he saved her.

The shock wore off and Kori felt her nakedness. Her skin flushed and she pulled her legs close as she snuggled closer in Hades' arms.

"My clothes are gone." She whispered meekly.

Hades laughed. "Well yes. They're made of Olympian material. I have you covered, don't worry."

He held her body below the water as he walked her to the bank where his robe waited. He grabbed it before stepping out of the water, and covered Kori with it as he stood.

"Kori!" Demeter's voice came running their way. Hades looked down and smiled at Kori before setting her down. He'd just taken a step away when Demeter hugged her daughter, crying over how worried she'd been.

Zeus wasn't too far behind. He smiled relieved as he watched Demeter take care of their daughter, and walked over to his brother.

"Thank you, for saving my daughter, Hades." He said with a pat on Hades shoulder.

"Eh, no problem. She's a curious girl, she wants to explore. She's got gifts, remember. She's special,"

with or without them, he thought to himself.

Demeter looked to Zeus to take them back home, and Zeus called his chariot to do so. Demeter, looked over her shoulder to Hades, silently thanking him before they were off.

Hestia watched Hades from his living room as he came inside, drying his hair with his special towel.

"She's infatuated with you, you know? Kori."

Hades simply smiled in acknowledgment and went off to his room.

That night, Kori slept wrapped in Hades robe, too shocked to part with it, and Demeter remembered old times as she watched her daughter snuggled up in that oversized robe. Hades too was reminiscing, but his memories weren't happy. As he stood under the shower, he felt the water running down his back, burning over his scars now that his enchantment was off. What terrible times they'd been.

Kori was lucky to have doting parents. His own father hadn't been so nice, and his heart shook with fear every time he thought of the crack in Tartarus. But for now he let it go, and turned his attention to the gift he would give Kori on her birthday later in the week.