She followed the goddess quietly watching as she glided up and down the stone halls and stairwells.
"How do you plan on getting anything out of her if you don't talk to her," the Maiden was grouchy and felt this was taking longer than it should.
"What do you want from me, she is acting as though I am not even here."
"Let me out, she and I were close once, I may be able to get something out of her."
Kate sighed, "Fine," she closed her eyes and opened herself to the goddess, the world spun and she had to reach out and grip the wall before she was pushed aside and she was no longer in charge of her own body. The Maiden was just as graceful if not more so than Persephone and soon she was gliding smoothly next to her.
"Would you care to tell me why you let them in?" she asked not skipping a beat. Persephone however stopped just long enough that Hekate was able to be a stride ahead of her. She knew where her realm was and Persephone had taken them through enough of this ridiculous maze. Persephone easily caught up and glared at her.
"What makes you think I let them in?" she asked innocently.
The Maiden raised an eyebrow at her, "Because Hades hates his sister and finds Aphrodite tedious at best, and we both know it. I just want to know why? We used to be so close and now you plot against us."
Persephone said nothing, her face was wrinkled in thought, then, "Do you remember when I first came here?"
The Maiden nodded but seemed annoyed, "What does that have to do with letting them ruin my home?"
Persephone stopped and rounded on her, "You swore to always be here, to always be my friend, because we can not fight the Morai so we would make the best of the situation. So explain to me then why you get to outrun the Morai. Why do you get to stay alone when so many are forced to follow their fate?" her voice had risen so high Kate was surprised it didn't reach Hades and send him running for her.
"He won't, Persephone is well known for her tantrums, unless he fears she is in danger he will stay where he is, he has long since given up calming her down."
The Maiden blinked, "Because Ares is not my fate Persy, he never was."
"And you know this how? Did you go to the Morai, did they show you your fate?" they had started walking again, and it had suddenly become much warmer and Kate could feel this pull in her soul, she just didn't know what it was being pulled to.
"Home, we are being pulled home."
Before the Maiden could answer Persephone they reached a crossroads and stopped. In front of them stood two black onyx pillars, snakes and symbols were carved into each. In between them was a black mist, it swirled in all directions and spit out particles of dust.
"Home," breathed the Maiden, she approached the mist, and a tendril of darkness slipped out and wound itself around her outstretched hand. The moment it touched her she sighed, it felt warm and a little tingly. She made to step through the mist and Persephone placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. The Maiden turned to her angry, she wanted to go home.
"I may not like you or your choices right now, but we were friends once. Hekate your home is not as you once knew it," she truly looked sympathetic but the Maiden just glared at her and pulled her shoulder from her.
"Maybe you should have remembered our friendship before you let them in to destroy my home," she turned from her and stepped through the mist. As she went through the mist she could feel her realm pulling her through. She stepped out of it, she knew her home was ruined but she still hoped she would be able to feel the grass between her toes, but instead of grass she stepped onto dust. Opening her eyes she looked around her, everything was charred, in ruins. Her eyes searched trying to find anything that wasn't absolute ash.
The ground was cracked and dry, and every tree was barren and falling to pieces. Her eyes pooled with tears, and she stepped closer to the nearest tree her fingers shook as she reached out to touch its wounded bark, and gently she placed the tip of one finger on the bark it crumbled to ash. A surge of fury rose from deep inside her. She was furious with herself, Persephone, and most obviously she was furious with the Ares. She should have expected it, he was the God of War but still, she hadn't expected this.
Kate's felt all of this as she looked through her eyes at the total destruction of Hekate's home, there had to be something they could do.
"I feel like this seems too obvious but can't you control the earth?" Kate asked the goddess.
"We can control the earth up to a point, and this is destruction, we can't force it, we don't have that power," the Crone said, her voice was harsher than usual but Kate ignored it, there had to be a way, then her eyes fell on Persephone. The Maiden followed her train of thought and looked at Persephone hopefully.
For her part Persephone was looking around her face had lost all of its anger, she had knelt next to the ashes of the tree and they watched as her eyes welled up. She sighed so deeply and then stood and looked at Hekate.
"I am so sorry Hekate, I never expected them to do this."
"What did you expect Persephone, we all know who he is, what he is. And you let his jealous lover and his horrible mother in to help him."
Persephone hung her head in the deepest shame, "I owe you a debt. I am not my mother, and I can not bring everything back," she knelt on the ground and placed her hands flat, "But I will do what I can," her eyes closed and suddenly she was glowing a bright pink. Small seedlings escaped her through her skin making her arm look as though it was covered in bright green fur. The seedlings made their way down and into the dry and cracked ground. She stood and held her hand out to Hekate, "This part is going to require a little elemental help," her smile was small but hopeful. The Maiden studied her, Persephone was the reason her home was a disaster in the first place. But if she stopped to think about it, she knew Ares would have escaped eventually and she knew that he would be pissed.
"It was a deep betrayal," the Mother was hesitant, but she sounded hopeful, "But we have too many enemies already, it would be nice to have at least one ally."
"How can we be sure she is an ally though," the Crone was skeptical of all of this, Persephone had been so adamant about her feelings for Hekate evading what Persephone perceived as her fate, "Why is she being helpful now?"
Kate stayed quiet, there were a lot of stories about Persephone's supposed kidnapping, some truly believed she had been kidnapped and tricked into staying with the King of the Underworld. But she had also read many versions where Persephone had fallen in love with Hades and she left her fate to play out the way the Morai wanted without any fight. Either way, Persephone seemed lonely in every story, her mother had kept her distanced from everyone, the only gods Demeter allowed near her she had been hand-picked. Maybe she let Hades take her willingly just to get away from her mother. Kate eyed the young girl in front of her, she may have chosen to stay here but she was so lonely. Lonely and naive, so eager to find others to be around her that she was willing to betray her friend to keep her there. She regretted it, she missed Hekate and this was her way, her only way, to make up for what she had done.
"Take her hand Hekate, you know she is sorry, she needs you, and honestly she could be able to help you more than you realize. It wouldn't hurt to have her in our corner."
The Maiden reached out and gripped her hand, she and Persephone spread their free hands wide and looked up to the sky. Large gray clouds filled the sky, thunder rolled, and Hekate opened herself to her magick, the sky opened up and poured. As the rain hit the ground each seedling of grass sprouted creating a stunning carpet of green as far as they could see. The two goddesses smiled brightly at each other, Hekate pulled Persephone into a tight hug.
"Thank you, Percy, you have my forgiveness." Persephone's tear-filled eyes looked up at her and she bowed her head.
"Thank you, my friend," she stepped back and wiped the tears from her eyes, she still smiled but it slowly became sad, "But I still can't say I entirely believe you should try to avoid this, but if this is what you want I am here to help."
Hekate nodded turning back to the field, "Where are my wolves?"
Persephone flinched slightly, "Ummm, I don't know if you want to know."
Hekate turned from the field her eyebrows raised high, "Who has my wolves, Percy?"
"....Artemis."