Kori had fallen asleep after talking with Hestia, and this time woke up alone. She got off the bed and walked around the room, but this time kept her hands to herself. Kori went over to the window, white with frost. As she looked in closer, she found that each piece had its own shape; all of them fitting like a puzzle. Kori had never seen anything like it before.

Pulling herself away from the window, Kori went out of the bedroom. The hallway was dimly lit from fire torches hanging along the walls, casting a blue color over the room. Luckily, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and Kori quickly went in. Immediately she felt embarrassed having run in, as the room wasn't unoccupied.

"Good to see you running about," Hades said as he looked over his scroll.

"Oh! Lord Hades!" Kori regained her manners and curtseyed. "I didn't expect anyone else here."

"Well, you'd taken over my bedroom..." Hades raised a suggestive brow.

Kori grew tired of apologies and boldly went closer into the room.

"Well if it was an issue, you could have kicked me out," Kori said as she sat on the next sofa.

"Oh, it wasn't an issue," Hades sipped his hot drink, "now you'll just owe me one."  

"On top of you saving my life."

"We'll just start a tab!" He winked.

"What are you reading?" Kore pointed her gaze at the scroll in his lap.

"Oh, this?" He lifted the item, "A legend. One of the authors in Elysian sent it."

"May I see it?" Kori asked, and he gave it to her.

She could see it, but she couldn't make sense of a single thing. Hades laughed at her struggle.

"They're Elysian letters. I don't suppose they teach those at Olympus."

"A pity, really. Can you read me it?" Kori jumped off her seat and sat next to Hades, not noticing how close.

Hades coughed nervously and took the scroll back.

"Alright, then." And he began reading her the story of Allerleirauh.

"... A wondrous beast is lying in the hollow tree; we have never before seen one like it. Its skin is fur of a thousand different kinds, but it is lying asleep...

"... Then she ran into her den, washed herself quickly, and took out of the nut the dress which was as silvery as the moon, and put it on. Then she went up and was like a princess, and the King stepped forward to meet her, and rejoiced to see her once more, and as the dance was just beginning they danced it together...

"...But the King said, "Thou art my dear bride, and we will never more part from each other." Thereupon the marriage was solemnized, and they lived happily until their death. That's the end of it."

Kori sighed. "Could you imagine how beautiful it must have been? Dancing in gold one day, and in silver next?"

Hades looked her over.

"Well, the dress you're wearing now isn't too terrible."

Kori jumped off the seat, offended.

"Not too terrible?" She flared her skirts. "It's gorgeous. It'd be quite a shame if I didn't get to dance in it." She stopped spinning to look at Hades.

The god of the dead took the hint and got off his seat. He folded one hand behind his back and offered her the other.

"May I have this dance?" He smiled cheekily.

"You may," Kori grabbed her skirt and curtseyed as she took his hand to dance.

"No music?" She complained on their second sidestep.

Hades cocked a half smile and twisted his wrist. Wind blew at his command, blowing through tubes and knocking into metals to create music.

They danced on step in the beginning, but then the mood turned silly, and they danced wildly until they fell on the floor, laughing breathless. As Kori tossed her head back, she noticed the glittering roof above her. Since they were underground, it couldn't be the sky or stars.

"What makes your sky glow?"

Hades followed her gaze.

"Oh, those? They're gems. They only grow underground."

Kori gasped and reached out for them.

"They look like stars! So pretty, I wish I could touch them!"

Hades looked at her.

"Would you like to?"

Kori turned to look at him

"But how can I? They're so far up!"

Hades smiled, and Kori noticed him slightly lifting from the ground. She jumped back in surprise, standing up as Hades kept slowly rising.

"How... how are you doing that?" She nervously reached out to touch whatever he was sitting on.

"It's a magic carpet."

"It's lovely."

"It was my mother's. Would you like to come over, see the gems?

"Is it safe?"

"Sure. Do you trust me?

Kori, still distracted by the carpet, didn't hear what he said.

"What did you say?"

Hades extended his hand out to her.

"Do you trust me?"

Kori took his hand with a sly smirk, "Yes."

Hades took her hand and tugged her gently onto the carpet. Kori almost fell, but stabilized herself with a hand on his chest. She noticed him looking down at her, and she quickly moved away, blushing.

As the carpet took them higher, she noticed there was glass up ahead. Kori was wary of it, but it seemed that neither the carpet nor Hades saw it.

"The... the glass! The ceiling! Watch out!" Kori hid herself in Hades's arms, bracing to be hit by glass. But she didn't hear any glass shatter, only his laughter.

Kori peeked through her fingers as she looked behind them to notice that the glass ceiling had parted for them. It wasn't her fault she didn't know that.

"Don't you dare close your eyes," Hades moved her hands away and motioned for her to look over the carpet.

Kori looked over to see the Styx running below them, a flowing river of darkness. There was also a sea of souls, blue ghosts swirling together. Somewhere in the distance she noticed white clouds and golden gates: the Elysian Fields.

Soon enough they were right below the underground sky; black, with stars of a million colors. There were blues and greens and reds and yellows, and they shone brighter than any star in her sky.

"They're beautiful!" Kori reached out to trace her finger on the nearest one.

"Would you like to have some?"

Kori looked at Hades. He couldn't be serious!

"Take one? How does one take a star!?"

Hades smiled a crooked smile and reached his hand right next to hers. He made a parting motion with his fingers and the the sky split just a little, until the yellow stone fell in his hand. He presented it to Kori, and she took it with delight.

"It's even more beautiful like this!" She held it closer to her eye.

"So?" Hades reminded her.

"So, what?"

"Would you like to take some?" He asked her again.

"Oh, yes please! One of every color!"

Hades took her around on the carpet as she pointed to whichever stone she'd wanted. Kori had collected one of every color.

"Which one is your favorite?"

Kori looked through her pile of gems and pulled out a blue one.

"This one's my favorite," she showed him it.

As is mine, Hades thought to himself as he got her another blue gem.

"Have they got names?" Kori asked him randomly, throwing him off guard.

"N-names?"

"Yes, names. Like I name my flowers."

"Well, I haven't personally made these. So I don't take the liberty to name them." He lied.

"Oh," Kori said distractedly as she ran her fingers over a green gem.

Hades noticed. "Time to go home?"

Kori looked up at him. "Yes, please."

Hades smiled and flew her home on the carpet.