Persephone Pluton

"Wow, Amaterasu, I didn't know it was possible but you look even better than usual today!"

"Aw, thank you Amaterasu! You're beautiful as well."

"Thank's Amaterasu!"

"You're so welcome Amaterasu!"

Queen Persephone's eye twitched. She clenched and unclenched her fists, keeping her eyes on the forest ahead of her as she walked.

"Queenie, calm down," Springtime said quietly. She reached out to put her hand on her other self's shoulder, but thought better of it. "We might not share a body anymore, but I've lived with you for thousands of years, and I recognize that face. That's the 'I'm about the drag her soul down to tartarus if she doesn't shut up' face."

Queen narrowed her eyes, glancing sideways toward Spring. "She's seriously pushing her luck. Eros I could put up with. I mean, he was in love with himself, sure, but Amaterasu takes it to the extreme. And her "complementary" double's voice is more obnoxious than yours. That's saying something."

Springtime smiled, obviously not realizing that what Queen had said was an insult and not a compliment. "Thank you, Queenie!"

Queen grunted and turned her glare forward again. She stepped over a fallen branch. "I don't like this arena. It's too... alive."

"You take that back," Springtime gasped. "This place is beautiful!"

"Of course you would think that." Queen rolled her eyes.

"I will admit that it would be prettier if there were... ohmyhades flowers!" Springtime bolted off toward whatever she saw.

Queen put a hand to her ringing ear-- Springtime had screamed directly into it. With a sigh, she followed her other. She didn't bother to make sure Amaterasu was behind them. Frankly, she wouldn't mind if the Japanese bimbo fell off a cliff. In fact, she was hoping for it.

Up ahead and slightly to the left, Queen caught sight of a flash of light, as if glinting off something metallic. They weren't alone.

"Spring!" she hissed, trying to catch the giggling goddess's attention. She was up ahead, busy making a crown of lotus flowers. "Spring, get over here!"

The other god was coming closer, he was close enough now that Queen could identify him as Balder. In just a few more yards, he would catch sight of Springtime and probably kill her.

"Spring!" Queen hissed a little more frantically, hiding behind a tree.

Springtime, oblivious to Queen's call, placed the lotus crown atop her head, feeling immensely pleased with herself. Then she stooped down and took a drink from the natural water spring next to her.

A sudden warmth flowed through both the Persephone's and they gasped in unison. Their eyes snapped to each other. The warmth was familiar, powerful-- Immortality.

Feeling more confident now that she couldn't die, Queen shouted out loud to Spring. "Use your vines, grab Balder!"

Spring, still smiling, shouted "Okay! Are we going to play a game?" and wrapped the unsuspecting god in a thick casing of vines. "Now what?"

Queen wasn't entirely sure what his weakness was, so she shrugged. "Throw him in that spring over there," gesturing to the one a bit further away from the one Spring had drank from.

"Oh yay, swimming!" Springtime cheered, doing as she was told.

After only a few moments, the bubbles stopped.

Springtime frowned. "I don't think he knew how to swim."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nyx

"It tastes so gross!" whined Persephone.

I sighed and gave Yemaya a long suffering look.

"Then drink something," said Yemaya exasperatedly.

Persephone spun around in a dizzying circle. "I don't see anything!"

"Well, spinning around like a top won't help," I ground out.

"I know. I'm trying to stop," snapped the Queen.

"finally," I mumbled.

"Oh, look, something shiny!"

"...Aaaand Springtime is back," mumbled Yemaya.

"We should go after her," I sighed.

Yemaya agreed and we jogged after her, both of us still tired from the journey. Hopefully, Persephone had actually found water; I was quit parched myself.

"Look what I found!" Persephone was kneeling before a large expanse of water, glittering in light. "It's so pretty! And look, nightshade!"

"That's nice," I smiled at her.

Bending down to drink, I paused. "Why would nightshade be growing here?"

The other two shrugged.

"Well, nightshade is usually not something you plant because it's pretty," reasoned Persephone. "Usually it's a warning."

I almost groaned. So this water wasn't safe. Of course not.

"Okay," I sighed again. "Let's find some other water."

We continued walking but it wasn't long before Yemaya pointed. "I think I see another lake," she said softly.

Persephone skipped over it to it, glancing around everywhere.

"Hey, it's the lotus flower!"

"I don't imagine anyone would use it for a bad purpose," Yemaya decided before kneeling and cupping her hands to drink the water. I watched as she thought for a moment before nodding. "It's safe."

I took a long drought of the water, feeling it seep into my system. Being mortal was so tiresome. I could feel it rejuvenating me, filling me to the brim with energy. It cleansed my body.

I let out a sigh and could see the other two were feeling the same by their expression.

"I think we're ready to go on, now, don't you?"