Finally back on track! Let's get started :3

???'s POV

Footsteps crunched on the ground, the mucky ground sucking at the shoes of the girl who trudged through the Underworld. Trees stuck into the sky, and vulchers cawed remorsefully. The girl felt herself shudder in fear.

She was older now, more grown up. Why was she so afraid of all of these simple things despite this change? Did fears last forever after all?

The girl shook these thoughts from her mind. She had more important things to think of, such as the fact that she was about to face someone she was dreading. She knew it was necessary; she must save them.

There was a deafening growl nearby. The girl swallowed fearfully, realizing she had no weapons. Shaking with terror, she turned around but then relaxed; it was just Cerberus, Hades' guard dog. His massive heads swung angrily and his eyes blazed with fire. The girl grinned at him and ran her hands along his tummy. Cerberus stopped snarling and began to pant happily. The girl reached into her back pocket and retrieved a tennis ball. She threw it to the dog and Cerberus quickly bit at it.

Unfortunately, he had not taken its small size into account and the ball got stuck to his teeth. The girl felt her lips twitch in amusement as Cerberus began clawing at his teeth. She gave Cerberus one last pat on the head before moving along.

As she reached the palace of Hades, the girl ran her hands through her hair nervously. The mosaic windows held pictures of Hades and Persephone surrounded by fire. Each mosaic was identical except for minor differences such as different shades of red and orange surrounding the bloody sky. The girl ran her hands along the brick walls of the castle and found that they were slimy and rough, as though blood had dried on top of the surface. She shuddered in disgust and knocked on the door.

There was a clicking sound, then the giant doors swung open with a screech. The girl felt her fear deepen and her heartbeat quicken. She knew she had to take that fateful step forward, but she didn't want to face her fate.

Still, their lives were more important and she knew that. She had been born to save them, thus she must follow her calling whether she wanted to or not.

The air inside the palace was different than it was outside. The Underworld air was hot and sticky, like she was constantly wading through a river of warm, sticky liquid. Inside the palace, however, the cold struck her like a wind strikes a match. She felt the heat leave her body and a chill set in her bones as though the life was being sucked out of her. It felt so... wrong. She wanted to leave as soon as possible.

To her left was a great dining room with a giant, dark brown table. There were plates set for every chair, and each plate contained a pomegranate. The girl found herself feeling jealous of the Hades kids who could eat pomegranate seeds to stay alive. That would be quite a terrible way to live, though she thought to herself.

She passed a series of doors, all of which were locked. The girl wondered if she would ever find the god of the Underworld, or if he had summoned her in order to trap her. No, that wouldn't make any sense. Surely, she was here for a reason.

Soon, she reached a giant room with a very long couch, flat screen T.V., fireplace, and staircase leading to a second floor. A kitchen was in a room to the left of the staircase, and the girl heard the banging of pots from inside there. She brushed her blonde hair out of her face and locked her fingers in case her powers were needed; then, she pushed open the door.

To her relief, it was just Persephone. The woman was humming and making some sort of food out of ambrosia, pomegranates, and various herbs. The girl found her mouth watering at the delicious aroma emanating from the various ingredients splayed across the counter.

"Hello, Lady Persephone. Lord Hades summoned me; do you know where he might be?" The girl asked timidly. Persephone turned around, and gave the girl a sad look. Her eyes were haunted and dark, as though she were barely hanging on by a thread. The girl felt a flash of pity for the wife of Hades. She seemed so miserable, and she knew that perhaps in time she could help Persephone out.

"Ah, yes, check his bedroom. Just go up the stairs, and it's the second door on the right," Persephone said, her voice quiet and far away. The girl hesitated, nodded her thanks, and pelted up the stairs. As much as she wanted to help Persephone, she had a bigger task at hand.

When she reached the top of the staircase, she found that the first door on the right was open a crack. Curiosity was a trait she had inherited from her father, and her legs were itching to carry her to the room.

Snooping is wrong, a voice in her head whispered demandingly. Still, the girl was too intrigued for her own good and opened the door.

She found this room rather cozy and nice. The whole room was painted a dark gray with various posters for bands like My Chemical Romance and Pierce the Veil lining the walls. The bed was covered in a black bedspread, miniature skulls dotting it like polka-dots and little figurines sat upon a dark cherry wood dresser. The girl walked over to the figurines and picked up one of them. It was a figure of Hades. The girl found herself smiling softly at its cartoon-like figure and animated scowl.

"Not a very good look for me, is it?" The girl spun around, the figurine still in her hand. Hades stood in the doorway, his dark eyes glimmering. She flinched and set the Hades figure back onto the dresser.

"I'm sorry for looking around, Lord Hades, but I couldn't help myself. May I ask who's room this is?" The girl asked, looking around. Hades got a somewhat somber look on his face. He sighed softly and sat down on the dark bedspread.

"This is my son's room. He doesn't come around often, but when he does its always ready for him. We don't get along very well anymore, and I do wish he'd visit..." Hades trailed off, memories swimming through his eyes like salmon swimming upstream. Then, the cold look returned to his dark eyes once again. "That isn't important though, what is important is why I've summoned you. Are you ready for your training?"

"That's kind of the problem. Why exactly am I here? What's my purpose? What's this training even for?" She asked quietly. Hades ruffled her hair softly.

"Ah, young girl, you've had such a short life. You have so much potential, but certain... obstacles could possibly end your story quite sooner than expected. With my training, I can prevent this. However, you're needed for a purpose, which I've already explained. What you are fighting, I cannot say. I know this frustrates you, but it's for your own good. If I were to tell you, you'd refuse to fight. No, you must follow your destiny. The most I can do for you is train you to make sure that you don't die before your time," Hades said softly. The girls head spun. She could die?

"Wh-What if I don't want your stupid training?" The girl spat. Hades' eyes raged with bright orange flames.

"Stupid mortal! If you don't train, you'll die for sure. If I help you, you'll have more of a chance to live. I don't enjoy messing with Fate, so this offer does not come lightly. If you're wise, you'll accept it," Hades hissed. The girl sighed softly.

"What do I have to do in exchange for training?" The girl asked.

"Actually, a quite simple task, one you'll probably find idiotic but I just don't know what to do. I need you to help me rebuild a relationship with my son, all of which can be handled before you go save the two children of the Three," Hades said softly.

The girl sighed and sifted through her options. If she didn't accept the barter, her death was imminent, but if she did, she could be risking a lot. Bets and trades, especially with gods, were risky and nobody ever kept their word. The most she could hope for is that he would stay true to his word.

"First, if we make this deal, you must swear on the River Styx that you will keep your word," the girl said, "I heard what you did to Percy Jackson, I'm not taking any chances." Hades sighed.

"I swear on the River Styx that I will stick to my word, and not ask for anything more than I already have," Hades grumbled reluctantly.

"Good. Then I swear as well," the girl said. She stuck out her hand and Hades took it, shaking it firmly.

"Let's get to training. You have one week until you face this foe, and believe me, Perseus Jackson will not be able to defeat her on his own," Hades said. He stood up and walked out of the room. The blonde-haired girl followed, accepting her fate.

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Not as long as last chapter, but oh well! Things are getting back on track slowly :) If you think you know who's POV this was, leave me a comment below. I won't give anything away, but i'm curious as to if anyone figured it out. Have an incredible week guys, I'll be back soon ;3

Until next time,

-Callie