Pomegranate seeds

by DemonWriterX


Golden fields

A cold spring.





Charon steadily pushed the boat through the murky waters before coming into the welcoming light of a cave door: the one that lead to the mortals, and to the one who stood on the sandy beach waiting for his arrival. He noticed her eyes widened and her pupils grew large from the sight of him. She waved towards him excitedly.


“Hello!” she yelled out as he set the boat on the shore. He slowly stepped off and found that the wall-eyed mare, Cassandra, was already in front of him. “How was your trip? Was it good? I bet it was!” she giggled. She always seemed to know what he was thinking even with his flat expression. He never showed happiness, sadness, anger, annoyance...any type of emotion, but she always seemed to know what he was feeling inside and what he was thinking.


“I managed to set up a picnic, and I got you your favorite muffin!” she said happily, trotting along the shoreline to a small blanket. He followed her and sat down beside her as she opened a small woven hoof- basket revealing a single muffin. “Here you go.” She smiled, placing it in his hoof.


He stared boredly at the small muffin decorated with blueberries, and glanced at the grey mare.


“Go ahead-I already ate on the way here,” she chuckled embarrassedly. “I always get hungry on the way. I guess I’m a bit of a glutton, huh?”


He stared at her and put the muffin down. She blinked confusedly at him and pushed the muffin back towards him. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you hungry? I know you are hungry.”

He said nothing, as usual, and never moving his eyes from hers he pushed the muffin back towards her again. She opened her mouth to convince him to take the muffin when she was interrupted.


“Charon!” called a loud voice. They both turned to see the four goddesses make their way down towards the rocky slope towards them. Cassandra immediately went to her hooves and bowed accordingly towards the powerful goddesses, which Athena politely waved her hoof at.


“It's okay, please get up, there is no need for formalities,” Athena stated, making Cassandra lift her head, giving them a polite smile.


“Oh I don’t know-” Hebe started prepping her hair slightly. “I still enjoy a nice bow now and again. Weren't you and your daughter at the temple recently?” she asked towards her.


“Y-yes, Goddess Hebe, we were,” She smiled nervously gazing up at them.


“Um, aren’t we forgetting what is important here?!” Hermes impatiently mentioned, flapping her wings in irritation she flew up to Charon. “We have some words to say to this guy!” she said, puffing out her chest and trying to intimidate him. He blinked slowly at her.


“Wow!” Aridane suddenly exclaimed. “He reminds me so much of my older sister! Do you like rocks too?!” she said bouncing in place.


“Umm-I think I’ll just go, see you tomorrow Charon,” Cassandra said, flying out of the cave hastily, not even bothering to take her blanket or the basket. Charon watched her go before facing Athena. She banged on her spear as she took a step towards him.


“We know that your master, Hades, has kidnapped our friend,” she said sternly, her eyes narrowed at him. “We demand you take us to the underworld.”


Charon stared at her, holding the same bored expression. Athena glanced at her friends from the sudden long silence, who all shrugged. She turned back at him.


“Uh, Did you heard me?” she asked. He nodded. “Okay, so do you mind doing the right thing and giving us a ride to the underworld?”


“Yeah Silent Joe!” Hermes exclaimed,crossing her arms in front of her chest.


“Please-” Athena said quietly. “You must take us….”


Charon slowly tilted his head to the side, closing his eyes for a moment. Thinking it over. With their breaths held, the four friends watch as Charon brought his head down, his eyes open. He poked his hoof into the sand and drew a number. The four goddesses leaned in. Seeing the number, Hebe let out a small scowl.


“50?...what in the heavens does that mean?” She asked.


“I believe that is the price he is negotiating,” Athena mused. Charon nodded, confirming her words.


“What a crook!” Hermes growled. “He charges mortals just one bit!”


Charon pointed at the number, making three intense motions.


“I don’t think he is going to budge, darling,” Hebe said.


“Don’t worry girls, I know how to haggle,” Aridane said, motioning the girls aside. She stomped towards Charon, holding a glare. Charon stared at her as she took a deep breath.


“We refuse to pay 50! I demand that you lower the price to 40 bits!”


Charon looked down to the sand and drew the number 45.


“Hmph, forty-five!? Are you cuckoo in the head? Make it fifty-five!”


“ARIDANE!” shouted Athena, Hebe and Hermes.


“What? Too low? Fine! Make it sixty! Take it or leave it!”


“Aridane!” Hermes dove at her ,covering her mouth as she dragged her back. “Now we’re paying more!”


“Hmmmf! Uhmmm fmmmp!” Aridane struggled. Athena face-hoofed as she slowly walked up to Charon, who drew the number sixty, circling it as if to emphasize that it was the final price. Athena let out a long, deflated sigh.


“No chance on going back to fifty?”


Charon shook his head.


“Thought so….” she muttered bitterly before reluctantly taking out a leather pouch, dumping the gold coins in front of him.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Kore felt as if they had been walking forever. As she flew, the tunnel started to narrow. She landed once there was no room for her wings and began to walk across the rocky trail, still Hades, who was humming a happy tune. His upbeat nature was making her nervous, as she still don’t know where they were going.


“Um..” She said, interrupting his made-up song. “How much longer?”


“Getting impatient, are we?” he smirked, giving her a sideway glance. “Would you care for a beverage? You must be thirsty.” He snapped his fingers, making a goblet full of punch float in front of her. She cringed slightly.


“No thank you--I’m not thirsty.” He snapped his fingers again, making the drink disappear.


"Well, how about some salted peanuts?" He snapped his fingers, making a batch of fresh roasted peanuts appear in a small bag in front of her. "Careful, they're hot,” he teased, letting out a small chuckle. She pushed the floating bag away.


"No thank you." Even if she was getting a little hungry, she wouldn't eat anything he gave her unless he let her go. She let out a small yelp as she tripped on a stray rock, only to be caught by Hades' red tail. He lifted her up gently as he turned to her.


"Careful, my dear! I don’t want you to receive a sprained hoof when we are almost there," he said, tickling under her chin playfully with the furry end of his tail. He saw how her cheeks flared up pink, like a carnation in spring, before she swatted his tail aside.


"Where are we even going?" she asked again, becoming exasperated from asking the same question.


"So impatient my dear! All good things come to those who wait~!" He grinned, giving her a boop on the nose with his finger. "I should know~!"


Her nose scrunched in a slight annoyance, making him let out a soft sigh.


"But if you wish to know, we are already here..." He smiled, stepping aside just enough for Kore to walk past him. She saw a bright light. The sight of it made her run forward, overjoyed at finally being able to leave the dark and cold underworld, to be invited in the gentle warm rays of Apollo's sun. She skidded to a stop as she was greeted by a lush and vast green field, patches of it decorated in narrasasis. A large oak tree stood tall in the middle of the field, with dark green leaves of vitality. However, as she looked up, all she saw was white. There was no sun, but there was light. It felt inviting and it filled her with a happiness that made her to stay there forever, but...It was not the world she knew of.


"Do you like it?"


She turned to face Hades, who had his hands clenched together, waiting to hear her response with excitement.


"It's beautiful!" She exclaimed her tail wagging slightly as she buried her hooves against the grass. "Where are we?"


He let out a large grin and walked up beside her as he extended his hand towards the horizon, motioning through the vastness of the field.


"These are the Elysians Fields. Consider this as the resting place for all the ponies who did good deeds for the world."


"It’s so… peaceful,” she whispered. It was so quiet.


"It has that effect....But I always found this place boring to be in," he said, floating above her and swimming in the air. "But you love this sort of thing, don’t you?" he asked, hovering above her head.


"Where are all the good ponies?"


"They’re around… they don't tend to come out when they know I'm coming." He muttered, flying off towards the tree.


"Oh..." Kore's ears flattened as she watched him silently fly off. With his robes hanging off of him it almost seemed as if he was a dreary storm cloud. She frowned slightly trotting behind him. He landed next to the trunk with a small thud, his shoulder made contact with the wood as he leaned towards Kore, holding a small grin.


“What would you like to do, my dear?” he asked, losing his melancholy. “Play Cards?” he put out his hand making a deck of cards fall out of his sleeves making the cards form a pyramid. Kore stifled out a small giggle. “Or perhaps chess?” with a flick of his wrist a chessboard appeared in the palm of his claw. “Maybe make some flower crowns?” he snapped his fingers making a crown of daisy fall on his head. The sight of the dark lord wearing something as frilly as flowers made her burst out a small laugh. His grin widened and his heart quickened hearing her infectious, wonderful, beautiful laughter. He wanted to hear it more, it was like eating cotton candy, he couldn’’t get enough of it.


“How about-” Kore smiled sweetly. “How about we sit together…”


“T-together?” he repeated a slight pink blush appearing on his face.


“Of course-” she replied looking down still holding her smile. “I-if you don’t mind, it might be boring for somepony like you….”


“Nothing will ever be boring if I’m with you.” he responded quickly, Kore felt her cheeks flare up. Hades snapped his fingers making a pot and two small cups appear in the air.


“And while we sit together- we can have some tea.”


“....that sounds lovely.” she said taking the small neighponese cup in her hooves. She had never tasted something so sweet after that first sip.