Life in the Underworld
“Madre Mia!” Maria gasped. “My waters just broke!”
Regulus's eyes grew wide. He looked at Bianca, who was petting Giallo with a big smile on her face. Oh, to be as oblivious as a small child again. He envied his sister.
The air around him suddenly grew heavy, yet it felt even more familiar than it already did before. The flowers surrounded the exits in a rapid pace, until they were entirely covered with thorns so sharp they looked like they could easily cut through diamonds. He wasn't particularly in the mood to test it out.
“DEMETER, IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO COME UNANNOUNCED ONCE MORE, I WILL NOT PREVENT CERBERUS FROM EATING YOUR DRESS AGAIN-" A booming, enraged voice reverberated around the room.
Just as he was about to put his hands over Bianca's ears, as the loud voice began to hurt his ears, as well as try to help his mother, who stood in front of Bianca and him, despite her state and holding yet another dagger (where did she keep them?!) in her hand, his father appeared in front of them.
He wasn't dressed the way Regulus usually saw him. Instead of the fashionable black tuxedo's of the latest fashion he always wore, he now wore a chiton that looked and felt exactly like the carpet beneath his feet. A helmet just as gold as the golden throne in the room and the dagger in his mother's hands was on his head. It felt more powerful than any other item he had ever seen.
“-My angels?” His father gasped softly, eyes lingering on Maria. “How did you manage to get here, in the heart and soul of the Underworld?”
Regulus stepped towards his father, nudging Bianca softly to come with him. “Please tell papa what you told me.”
Bianca grinned widely in response. “I used the shadows.”
He gave her a small nod of encouragement.
“How did you use the shadows, Bi?”
She gave Giallo a pet on each of his heads. “I wanted to see papa!”
Hades hummed thoughtfully. His head was still partly covered by the magnificent helmet on his head. “Of course my not even two year old daughter would manage to do something no other mortal child of mine has ever done.” He muttered exasperatedly, yet extremely proudly to himself.
Regulus knew all too well how his father felt. It appeared that his little sister's hobby was to eliminate the impossible with a grin on her face. Even though it often times was a headache to deal with the end results of her little adventures, he couldn't be more proud.
"Hades, you lunatic, I'm about to deliver our child in here!" his mother's panting voice cut through the conversation. "A little bit of help would be appreciated!"
The thorny flowers in the throne room morphed into a comfortable bed Maria was guided onto. “Do not worry about the buffoon we both love.” A melodious voice said. “I am the goddess of Spring, I have more than enough experience in creating and delivering life.” She smiled so excitedly that the skeletons around them - who were pacing panickedly, radiating a ‘this is not my job!’ air - suddenly had flowers growing out of their eye holes and in between their bones.
"Not to mention that this place looks far too gloomy! It would really benefit from more life."
Hades sighed tiredly, looking like he had had this argument about a thousand times already. “We're in the Underworld, Persephone. A place of death.” He replied dryly.
Persephone hummed merrily to herself, ignoring Hades’ argument. She looked as if this was the best thing to happen to her since Spring itself. “And what better way to bring life than to literally bring my step-son to life?”
Maria breathed out a tender, astonished gasp. "Son?!”
Persephone nodded happily. “A Goddess just knows these things. Besides, it is not widely known, but besides Spring and all those wonderful flowers, I also am the Goddess of fertility, love, ghost, curses and reincarnation.”
Maria looked surprised. “Love? I thought that was Aphrodite's domain?”
Persephone waved her hand. “Your former mother - Besides feeling it, as reincarnation is my domain, Hades told me. He loves to talk about you, the sap - is mostly known to be the Goddess of love, but she also has other domains. They often overlap.”
With a wave of her hand, she created comfortable looking chairs in fitting sizes for Bianca and him out of thin air, and Regulus noticed her smiling giddily to herself as she turned to face them and waves happily at them. Regulus waved back just as happily, being the only person looking that way.
Hades was reading a book aloud to them about proper Greek funeral rites, with graphics accompanying the descriptions (which Bianca seemed to particularly enjoy. Regulus could appreciate the fact that the letters did not move for once). He didn't really pay attention to what his father said though, since the discussion he was listening to was considerably more interesting.
Bianca and him sat on their father's lap while he was seated on his throne, making the chairs Persephone had created unnecessary, but he still appreciated the gesture.
“Alright, little lion king, I know it's interesting to watch, but I'm going to give your mother some privacy now to be able to peacefully give birth to your little brother.” Persephone said gently, before she looked away again, now focusing on his mother, who was laying on the bed. Her red nightgown had been replaced with a floral one that matched Persephone's own dress.
A sound-proof flower dome surrounded his mother and step-mother, ensuring he couldn't see or hear anything that was happening in there. Regulus supposed that it was for the best; he had heard his mother give birth to Bianca and the sound had not been pleasant. Still, he also was slightly disappointed that he had to wait longer to finally meet his baby brother.
When he looked back on the book his father was still reading, he saw that Bianca had fallen asleep to it. Hades looked at her with so much love in his eyes that he almost felt like he was intruding in a moment not meant for him, before closing the book softly and handing it to a be-flowered skeleton who put it away.
"She is so young." Hades breathed out in astonishment, expressing exactly what Regulus was thinking. "And yet, already so strong... My little lion king, you will soon have two younger siblings. Three is a powerful number, and I have never fathered three full-blooded Demigods. I do not possess the power of prophecy, but I can already envision that the three of you will be the most powerful mortal children I have ever had. Especially when you will be together...”
He gave him a serious look. "I will not always be able to be there for your siblings, no matter how much my heart desires to. There are ancient laws I technically already have broken. It is of no importance since I'm far too powerful for my family to intervene, which they will not, as they are, and will remain unaware of the existence of your siblings and you until you are at least twelve years old and thus powerful enough to properly protect them and will radiate a powerful aura. However, this means that you must be there for them when I am not.
He sighed regretfully. "I understand that you are only six years old and that this is a heavy burden to place on anyone, let alone a child, but as your name implies, Regulus Phylax, you are meant to be a protector. Not of anyone; only a tool would do so, and no worthy child of mine would ever be a foolish tool to be controlled by another. You will be the protector of your younger siblings. Of Bianca and Niccolò.”
Regulus nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "I understand, papa." Regulus would damn this whole world and far beyond before allowing anything to happen to the ones he loved. He would never again lose someone dear to him. Especially not if he could help it.
When Hades saw the look in his eyes, he softly stroked his hair, causing his curls to fall before his eyes and his cheeks to flush. "I know, my little king; I love you, your siblings, and your mother as well." He gestured at the throne room around them. “We, the denizens of the Underworld, have the capability to love and hate just as fiercely, and our emotions are never not strong. This is both our greatest strength and greatest flaw. Never forget that."
Regulus nodded again. “I won't.” He smiled at the helmet on his face, all in all, it was a hilarious sight, despite the power it radiated. “Does your helmet have a name?”
Hades pulled it off his head. “Like everything worthy, it has multiple names.” He replied. “Nowadays, it is commonly known as ‘the Helmet of Darkness’. It is my Godly symbol of power.”
He scrunched up his nose in judgment upon hearing the name. How could such a powerful, Devine, artifact have such an unworthy and simple name it was mostly known by?
“That's an… interesting name.” He settled on saying.
Hades’ laughter boomed through the throne room, making Bianca stir in her sleep. “It is." He agreed. “Alas, it is the name it has been given.”
The dome around his mother and step-mother disappeared, and Regulus could hear the cries of a newborn baby.
Bianca woke up.
"Let's meet your little brother, shall we?" Hades, carrying Bianca and Regulus, approached Niccolò's wailing sounds.
His mother appeared healthier than he had ever seen her before, wearing a flower crown and dress that matched Persephone. Young Niccolò also matched them, looking like he was in a floral burrito blanket.
When Niccolò opened his eyes, Maria shot a teasing look at Hades. “He looks even more like you than Regulus does. He even got your eyes!”
Hades grinned victoriously. “It was bound to happen eventually.” He replied smugly.
Regulus had to agree. If he himself resembled his father, his little brother might as well have taken an edited bottle of polyjuice potion to appear like a baby version of their father.
Persephone hummed airily. “And here I was hoping that the little ghost king would have your beautiful eyes too, Maria.”
“Ghost King?” Regulus asked, frowning slightly at the pale baby in his mother's arms.
Persephone nodded. “Your father may be the king of the Underworld, but as I told your mother earlier, ghosts are also my domain. I helped to deliver this sweetheart, so I got to pick his nickname.”
Hades glanced dreadfully at the two women in front of him. "It is true that Maria's eyes are dazzling but Persephone, Maria, please do not flirt. At least not in front of the children!"
Persephone gasped dramatically. “I would never flirt with another woman when you're also there, let alone someone as beautiful as her! We're married, Hades! That would just be scandalous!”
Maria and Persephone shared a look before looking at the man they loved and bursting into laughter when they saw the look of someone who regretted his entire life on Hades’ face.
When Hades continued to stare distraughtly at them, looking like he was thinking about casting a ‘Finite’ to try to unjinx himself (Regulus was all too familiar with that look), Persephone smiled sweetly. “Don't worry darling, Maria and I will just be friends.” She gave him a teasing wink. “After all, we have the same taste in men!”
Maria nodded just as teasingly. “A great way to start a beautiful friendship!”
Regulus cleared his throat, having heard enough about whatever these three had going on - and for the love of Magic, he hoped they wouldn't actually get all three involved together. He could only handle that much disgusting flirting - and wiggled out of his father's arms.
“Does Niccolò have a second name?” He asked.
Bianca leaned forward to Nico, at which Hades held her tighter in his grip. Regulus did not envy her; he knew what it was like to be stuck in the dead grip of their father. Even now he was much bigger than before, it had been a challenge to slip out of Hades’ arms.
“Nico!” She shouted excitedly.
Maria chuckled. “His name is Niccolò, little flower.”
Bianca pouted adorably. “Nico!”
Hades hummed. "The name Niccolò comes from the Greek name Nikolaos, which means "Victor of People" or "People's Champion." Giving our son this name would be a tribute to Nike, the Goddess of Victory, and would definitely benefit him in possible future conflicts and battles."
Persephone's eyes sparkled. "Our little ghost king will be unconquerable." She expressed gleefully. "With Nico as his nickname, given by Bianca, meaning 'victory of the people', Aniketos, which means 'unconquerable,' would be an appropriate second name. It is a name fitting for a soul I helped bring into the world, as well as one of my stepchildren."
Maria smiled warmly at the babe in her arms. “Niccolò Aniketos di Angelo.” She said, “Welcome to the world, little ghost king.”