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Aug 5, 2024

TAoT: Chapter 35: The First Apprentice Part 1

UGGH. So, we were set to post a couple of MONTHS ago, but then we had a heatwave, then a power outage during said heatwave, then more heatwaves, and now our dinky little window AC is dying. And there was also a visit to the emergency room. Aaannd a thousand other things have piled up, as well.

This is what happens when we try to post. The AO3 author curse is holding strong. 🙄

Anyway, here we go! The First Apprentice is going to consist of three long chapters, but they will be spread out at different points in the story, when each part is relevant. They won’t be all in a row, just so that we aren’t going too long without a Danny Phantom character within this Danny Phantom story, lol.

We do not own Danny Phantom or Percy Jackson, only this story and our original characters.

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Late one fall evening, back in the early days of Ancient Greece, Thanatos decided to visit Persephone’s garden, in the courtyard of Hades’ Palace. A chill had settled over the mortal realm, which meant that the goddess of spring would be returning to the Underworld soon. But for the time being, the garden would likely be empty of guests, and Thanatos wanted to take advantage of that. He enjoyed the quiet and solitude of the courtyard, especially after a long and tiring day of dealing with uncooperative souls.

However, as Thanatos entered the garden, he quickly noticed that it was already occupied by none other than Hades. The god was sitting on the edge of the fountain, with his head in his hands. A fine layer of frost coated the ground around his feet, and by the aura radiating off of the underworldly king, Thanatos could tell that he was in a foul mood. So he turned to leave… but stopped when Hades called his name.

“Thanatos!”

Thanatos turned back to face the god. “Is something the matter?” He asked, all the while wondering if he should try to find respite elsewhere. Hypnos’ chambers, perhaps? It was usually quite peaceful there, but Thanatos didn’t particularly feel like sleeping at the moment…

“Thanatos,” Hades said again, his hands falling into his lap as he stared at his feet. “I must speak with you.”

Thanatos walked over and came to a stop in front of Hades, waiting patiently for him to speak. But Hades refused to meet Thanatos’ gaze, seemingly more intent on staring at his own sandals. Thanatos wondered how long Hades would keep him standing there in silence before sending him away.

But after only a few seconds, Hades sighed. “I messed up…”

Thanatos frowned, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Hades ran his hand through his hair and growled in frustration. “I’m no better than my brothers,” he muttered bitterly. And when he finally looked up at Thanatos, his eyes were dark and troubled. “A few years ago… I was unfaithful to my wife.”

Thanatos was slightly taken aback. He had never known Hades to behave in such a way. “With whom? Does Persephone know?”

“A mortal woman,” Hades admitted somberly. “Her name is Althaea. Her husband had passed, and she had been praying to me incessantly, and Persephone was away with her mother, and…” Hades shook his head, slapping his hand against his temple with a frustrated growl. “It doesn’t matter. It does not excuse my actions. And no, Persephone knows nothing about this, or else I’m sure she would’ve done something drastic by now. I was hoping that this whole mess would just be a one time thing, and nothing would come of it! It was a mistake!” Hades’ voice rose with his insistence, but then it fell again as he continued his mournful confession. “But Althaea prayed to me again today, and I learned that she has a child. My child.” He groaned and dropped his head back into his hands. “What am I going to do, Thanatos?”

Thanatos remained silent, but after a brief pause he sat down beside his friend, his feathers ruffling slightly as little droplets of water splashed onto them from the fountain behind him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about Hades keeping this from Persephone (he knew both gods considered him to be their good friend, and he respected them both equally). But how Thanatos felt didn’t particularly matter—it wasn’t any of his business.

The fountain burbled peacefully as the two gods sat in silence, neither quite knowing what to say.

“Well, what do you feel like you should do?” Thanatos eventually inquired of his fellow god.

“I don’t know.” Hades admitted. “Althaea asked me for help. She says that she has no more food or money to care for herself and her—our child. As a husband, I want to just forget about this whole thing, but as a father… I want to care for my offspring.”

“Then do what you feel is right,” Thanatos suggested simply. “I am not sure why you needed my input on this matter.”

“Well…” Hades glanced at Thanatos before looking away awkwardly. “That’s… because I need your help.”

“With what?” Thanatos asked him, completely bewildered. “What could I possibly help with?”

Hades sighed and ran his hand through his hair once more. “I… want to meet my child. I want to get to know them. But I’m afraid of… messing it up, or… something. So… I want you there with me.”

“Like… emotional support?” Thanatos questioned.

Hades clapped his hands. “Yes! Exactly.”

“I don’t do emotions, Hades.”

“Thanatos…” Hades pouted like an unhappy toddler. “Please? Just this once?”

Thanatos was silent as he thought for a moment. He didn’t know what good having him along would do, but it wasn’t like it was a burden to him. Not much of one, anyway.

Thanatos sighed tiredly. “Alright. I will go with you.”

Hades immediately brightened—well, as much as the King of the Underworld could, anyway. “Really? You would do that for me, Thanatos?”

“Of course, Lord Hades,” Thanatos replied. “We are friends, are we not?”

They left for the mortal world a few days after Persephone’s return, with Hades claiming to his wife that he had to go check on some of his temples on the surface. Persephone, as bright and warm and lovely as always, had smiled and nodded and wished them safe travels. Thanatos had remained silent.

Hades, who seemed equal parts excited and anxious for this meeting, had opted to take the long route rather than just shadow-travel to the woman’s home—perhaps so he could have time to calm his nerves. So, draped in long, dark cloaks that hid them from the prying eyes of other deities, the two gods set off on their journey.

There wasn’t much conversation. They greeted Charon, and thanked him for their passage over the River Styx, but Thanatos otherwise remained silent for most of the trip, while Hades muttered quietly to himself. The king turned to Thanatos a few times, looking as if he were about to say something—perhaps to suggest that they should call off this whole escapade, and return home—but then he would just look away again, without a word.

As for Thanatos, he just stood there and waited for the boat to arrive on the far shores of the river. Going along with Hades meant he would have more work to catch up on once he returned to his duties, but it wasn’t like it would be much of a burden to him. Thanatos was used to the ceaseless work. It was more or less the same, day after day.

Nothing ever changed in his dull, unending life.

They reached one of the hidden cave entrances to the Underworld shortly after the sun had risen, and the morning dew on the plants surrounding them quickly dried up as they journeyed onwards through the world of the living. Hades had been at least somewhat composed back in the Underworld, but what little composure he’d had began to crumble as they reached the border of a small village.

“Oh, Gaea, what am I doing here?” Hades muttered anxiously. “This is a terrible idea! We should turn back.”

Hades turned on his heel and started back towards the cave, but Thanatos placed a hand on Hades’ shoulder, stopping his friend’s hasty movement. “Hades, we have come this far already,” Thanatos stated calmly. “We may as well complete our journey.”

“… you’re right, Thanatos.” Hades sighed in resignation. “Of course, you are right.”

After taking a moment to steel himself, Hades started towards the village again; Thanatos fell into step behind him, silent as a shade. Together, they walked along the outskirts of the town, sticking to the shadows to avoid unwanted attention as villagers emerged from their homes to go about the day’s work.

By mid-morning, they came upon a small house on the very edge of the town. Hades froze at the sight of the little homestead, as though he was suddenly petrified.

This must be their destination, then.

With each step they took towards the house, Hades seemed to become more and more tense. Thanatos quietly followed as they slowly approached, until they came to a stop at the door. Hades stared long and hard at the door, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He seemed conflicted.

Thanatos waited patiently.

Before Hades had managed to settle whatever internal debate had taken him over, the door opened. A woman with olive skin and long, dark, wavy hair in a messy bun stood at the threshold, holding a bucket. An uncomfortable silence reigned as Hades and the woman stared at each other, both seemingly surprised by the other’s presence.

“Hello, Althaea,” Hades greeted at last, finally breaking the silence.

The woman, Althaea, smiled and looked like she might say something in kind, but then her gaze shifted to the side and she finally noticed the death god standing behind Hades. Althaea gasped in terror and dropped the bucket, her face turning as pale as a ghost. She moved quickly to shut the door, but Hades stopped her.

“No! I won’t let you take me to the Underworld!” She cried fearfully. “I can’t go! I’m not ready!”

“Althaea, please calm down. We’re not here to take you anywhere,” Hades spoke quickly, trying to calm the mortal woman.

“Then why did you bring him?!” Althaea shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Thanatos.

“He’s just here as my friend,” Hades explained. “He’s not going to do anything to you, I promise.”

Several tense seconds passed as Althaea looked between Hades and Thanatos, until finally, the woman seemed to relax just a bit.

“Why are you here, Hades?” Althaea asked hesitantly. It was clear that she was being careful not to look Thanatos’ way, perhaps for fear that the two gods might change their minds about letting her live. Or perhaps she wanted to act like Thanatos wasn’t there, ominously looming over their shoulders. Thanatos didn’t care if she looked at him or not; he was used to being ignored.

“I’ve heard your prayers,” Hades answered, trying not to sound uncertain in front of the mortal woman. “And I, uhh… I am here to answer them.”

Althaea stared at the god in disbelief for a brief moment, before tears started to leak from her eyes. She stepped forward and threw her arms around Hades, who awkwardly returned the hug. Thanatos took a step back, unsure of what was going on. He didn’t care to be involved in whatever this was, so he would let Hades handle it; he was just here for Hades, anyway.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Althaea said between sobs, and her eyes shone with tears as she raised her head and smiled gratefully at Hades. “You have no idea how relieving it is to hear that.”

Hades offered a small smile in return, but it quickly fell away as he got to the true reason for his visit. “In your prayer, you… you mentioned a child?”

Althaea nodded as she stepped back and wiped her eyes. “Yes, I did. A daughter.” She then turned around and walked into the house, calling, “Dianthe!”

Thanatos stood beside his friend in silent support as the other god shifted nervously on his feet. Thanatos had seen Hades with his godly children, Melinoe and Zagreus, enough times to know he had a soft spot for children. So he didn’t understand why Hades was so nervous now.

Althaea returned to the doorway, and smiled at Hades as she said, “Lord Hades, meet your daughter, Dianthe.”

There was some movement behind the woman, and then a small child peeked out from behind her skirts. The girl couldn’t have been more than three years old, and her shockingly blue eyes instantly caught Thanatos’ attention. If this truly was Hades’ child, then he wondered where the eye color had come from; neither Hades nor Althaea had blue irises.

“Dianthe,” Althaea gently chided the child. “Quit being shy.”

The little girl hesitantly stepped out from behind her mother, her hand clinging tightly to her mother’s skirts as she came into view. And with just a glance, it was rather obvious that she was indeed Hades’ daughter. Her skin was ghostly pale, just like his, and contrasted sharply against her mother’s olive complexion. Her hair was also black and silky, and as straight as a reed. In fact, except for her eyes, she looked like a miniature version of her father.

Althaea gestured to Hades. “Dianthe, this is your father, Hades.”

Dianthe stared up at Hades with big, wide eyes. Hades stared right back, taking in his youngest child’s appearance with wonder. Hades briefly glanced at Thanatos, as if looking for reassurance, before crouching down to Dianthe’s eye level.

“Hello, Dianthe,” the god said softly.

Dianthe took a step back, trying to hide herself behind her mother once more. But Althaea shook her head and gently pushed her daughter forward. Dianthe, for her part, did not back away again as she stared at Hades in a childish mixture of shyness and curiosity.

“Ay… Ay-dee?” Dianthe finally spoke, sounding out her father’s name. Then she beamed. “Aydee!”

Hades smiled at his daughter’s butchered attempt at saying his name, and held his hands out to her in welcome. Dianthe giggled and toddled forward with her arms outstretched towards Hades. It looked to be second nature to Hades as he scooped his daughter up, and the little girl giggled as she was swung up into her father’s arms. Thanatos could’ve sworn there were tears in Hades’ eyes, but that easily could’ve been a trick of the light. Regardless, he was glad that his friend had finally found his courage. And perhaps it hadn’t been such a burden to Thanatos to come along after all.

After Althaea invited them into her humble home, Thanatos stood off to the side while Hades and Althaea discussed matters amongst themselves, such as what Hades could do to provide for her and their child. Well, Hades was trying to, at least. Althaea seemed more interested in discussing the weather or something just as inane as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Thanatos didn’t care much for their conversation, so he just looked out the window overlooking the nearby fields and tuned it out.

Maybe he should check his list while they talked… he wondered how many souls had been added to it in the short time he had been away… Did Hades even still need him here? Perhaps Thanatos could just leave and get back to his work before it got too out of hand… mortals were always dying, no matter what was going on in the world. Dying, dying, dying, and leaving Thanatos with far too much to do…

Something small latched onto the bottom of Thanatos’ wing, drawing him out of his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Dianthe standing behind him, her hands buried in his feathers.

She looked up at him, her big blue eyes bright with curiosity. “Mine?”

“Uhh… no…” Thanatos answered slowly, and he shook his wing gently to try and get the little child to let go, but not strongly enough to knock her over. “That is… uhh, mine, thank you.”

Dianthe’s grip tightened painfully, and she tugged on his feathers as she angrily stomped her foot. “Mine!”

The sound of snickering reached Thanatos’ ears, and he saw that Hades had his mouth hidden behind his hand, an amused glint in his eyes. Althaea was watching too, though she didn’t look anywhere near as amused. Thanatos gave the other god an annoyed glare before directing his attention back to the little girl.

“Hey, that’s not nice,” Thanatos scolded quietly. “Don’t pull on my feathers, please.”

“Oh…” Dianthe let go of his wing, and her eyes turned shiny with tears as she frowned worriedly. “Hurt?”

“I mean… yes?” Thanatos answered uncertainly. Was Dianthe about to cry? Why?

Dianthe whimpered as she reached for his feathers again, but this time she gently—gently for a child, anyway—brushed them, as if she were petting a dog.

“Pretty bird…” Dianthe mumbled to herself, loud enough for the other occupants of the room to hear. “Pretty bird…”

Thanatos did not know how to respond to that. He wasn’t a bird. Didn’t this child know that? Thanatos also didn’t know how he felt about his wing being petted, but he did know that if he tried to pull his wing away, Dianthe would likely start crying again. For whatever strange reason.

“I’m not sure I want her to be so close to… him.” Althaea muttered to Hades, as if she thought that Thanatos couldn’t hear her.

Hades scoffed good-naturedly. “I am her father. I say it’s fine.”

Althaea scowled at the god. “And I’m her mother…”

Thanatos tuned out the rest of their argument just as Dianthe sneezed. She had been nuzzling her face into his feathers, so he guessed that one must have tickled her nose in the process.

Dianthe sniffled a bit, and then proceeded to wipe her nose on Thanatos’ wing.

“Dianthe!” Althaea gasped, horrified by her child’s actions. “I am so sorry, m-my lord! She’s not usually like this, I-I swear—”

Thanatos waved off her concern. “It is alright. I have been covered in far worse than mucus.” Which really, he had. As the god of death, and Ares’ good friend, blood and bits of viscera often found its way into Thanatos’ feathers.

Althaea paled at the implication of his words. “… ah.”

Dianthe giggled.

As morning became noon, it was eventually time for Hades and Thanatos to take their leave. Hades stood by the door, waiting for Thanatos, who was still being held somewhat captive by a three-year-old. Thanatos gingerly attempted to pull his wing away, but to his dismay, Dianthe’s eyes immediately filled with tears and she began to cry again.

Thanatos glanced at Hades, his eyes asking the other god, “what do I do?”

Hades looked just as unsure, and shrugged hopelessly in response—but Thanatos could tell that the other god was holding back a smirk.

“Come on, Dianthe,” Althaea chided, grabbing the little girl and pulling her away. “Leave him alone.”

Dianthe let out a tearful wail, but finally released Thanatos’ wing from her grubby hands. Thanatos shook out his wing, briefly noting that he would have to thoroughly clean his feathers later (were child hands always so sticky?), and tucked it behind his back before joining Hades by the door.

“Thank you for blessing us with your presence, Hades,” Althaea said with a polite bow. “I hope you will visit again soon.” She winked at Hades with a coy smile.

Hades smiled uncomfortably in response. “I am a very busy god. I doubt I'll be able to visit often.”

Althaea hummed as she turned her attention to her daughter. “Say goodbye, Dianthe.” She told the little girl, gesturing to Hades.

Instead, Dianthe looked at Thanatos and waved. “Bye bye, birdie!”

Thanatos looked at the little girl, who for whatever reason seemed to be enamored with him, and hesitantly gave her a little wave. He then watched in bewilderment as Dianthe’s eyes lit up, and she giggled as she hid behind her mother.

Without another word, Hades and Thanatos slipped out of the little home and returned to the path they had taken earlier that day, heading back to their home beneath the surface.

They traveled in peaceful silence for only a little while before Hades spoke.

“My daughter seems to like you more than me,” Hades muttered enviously, but there was a clear note of amusement in his voice.

Thanatos scoffed. “If you’re jealous, you can grow your own set of wings and let her pull your feathers out.”

Hades chuckled. “No, thanks. I’ll pass.”

The conversation between the two gods as they made their way back to their home was far more lighthearted than the one they’d had that morning. But as they reached the caves that led back to the Underworld, Hades stopped and grabbed Thanatos’ shoulder.

“Thanatos,” he said quietly. “Once we return to the Underworld, we cannot discuss what happened today. If Persephone were to find out…”

Thanatos nodded. He understood. Of course he did. If Persephone were to learn of Hades’ infidelity, or the offspring that it had resulted in…

All of them would face her wrath.

A year had passed, and Persephone had once again left and returned to the Underworld, before Hades suggested visiting his daughter again.

“May I join you?” Thanatos asked him. Why he asked, he wasn’t sure—the words had just slipped from his mouth before he even realized it.

“Yes, I… I would appreciate that,” Hades admitted sheepishly. “I’m still a bit nervous about this whole thing, you know.”

Thanatos did not know, but he nodded as if he did. He didn’t particularly understand Hades’ feelings, or care for the god’s love affair. However, he was… intrigued by the little girl that had come from it. It was strange, to not only be noticed by someone so small and fragile, but… to not be feared. Perhaps she didn’t know better; she couldn’t possibly understand death, or the sorrow and fear that it brought.

Maybe Thanatos shouldn’t come along on this trip. Perhaps it would simply be better to leave the little demigod well enough alone until the time came for her soul to be collected. He did not need to interfere in her life, or inadvertently cause any undue trouble for her by getting involved for no good reason. There was no point in asking to come along.

But… for some reason… Thanatos wanted to go. Thanatos didn’t think he had ever really wanted something before. His wants had never really mattered, so he had never paid attention to them. Death did not have needs, so therefore there was no point in tending to his wants.

But now… he wanted to see that little girl again. She hadn’t left his mind since the moment he met her. He wanted to see her little smile, and her little hands reaching for his feathers. He wanted to hear her little voice, saying…

“Pretty Bird!”

They had reached the little mortal home without any issues or delay. Hades had been eager to knock on the door, and when it had opened, the two gods had been surprised to see that none other than Dianthe had been the one to open it. She had grown taller since they last saw her.

Dianthe had blinked owlishly at the two visitors, before her face had split into a wide grin, and she’d said that silly little nickname that Thanatos had been sure she would’ve forgotten by now.

Hades made a noise of confusion at the fact that his daughter had completely ignored him, while Thanatos couldn’t help the small smile that came to his lips. It was strange. Had he ever smiled before now?

“Hello, Dianthe,” Thanatos greeted softly.

Dianthe jumped up and down excitedly as her mother came up behind her. She looked startled by the unexpected guests, but then she quickly bowed her head. “Lord Hades. A-and Lord Thanatos! It is a… an honor to see you both.”

Hades nodded. “Likewise.” And then he turned to Dianthe, his expression one of betrayal and hurt. “What?” He asked the little girl, affronted. “No greetings for your father?”

Dianthe’s cheerful demeanor fell away, and she suddenly became the meek child that Hades and Thanatos had met last year. Thanatos could practically feel Hades’ disappointment, but then Dianthe shyly tip-toed forward and hugged his leg.

“Hi, Papa,” she said shyly. She let go and looked up at the god hopefully as her little hands nervously fidgeted with the fabric of her chiton. “Do you wanna see the flowers I picked yesterday?”

Hades smiled endearingly at her, all sense of disappointment forgotten as he nodded at his darling mortal daughter. “I would love to.”

As time passed, Hades and Thanatos continued their secret visits. They could only visit once a year at most for fear of catching Persephone’s attention and drawing her wrath down on either of them, or even Dianthe and her mother. But under Hades’ orders, Thanatos did discreetly check in on Dianthe every now and then, when time allowed. Thanatos was in the mortal realm more often than the Underworld most days, so it was easy for him to sneak a passing glance here and there as he flitted about doing his work. Just to make sure the little girl was alright.

Dianthe grew by leaps and bounds in the few short years that Thanatos had known her. He never knew that mortal children grew up so fast. Granted, Thanatos knew godly children became full grown within a matter of days, if not in mere hours or in the blink of an eye. And he knew that mortals grew far more slowly than that. But for some reason, watching Dianthe grow was different. It was like every time he saw her, she’d grown a little taller. Her hair had grown longer. The shape of her face had become slimmer. It was like she was growing old right before his eyes, and… it made him feel odd.

It was… unpleasant. As an unchanging being, it was strange to see her change every time he looked back. It… hurt, to know that her life would be over before he knew it. But wasn’t that ridiculous? How could emotions hurt? Thanatos had felt true hurt before. He had been cut and bruised. He had fallen many a time. He had even broken his wing once. So why did this feeling ache so deeply within his chest? It carried no visible scars, but the feeling occupied his thoughts more often than not. It itched constantly in the back of his mind, bringing worries and fears that he had never experienced before.

How would Dianthe die? When would she die? And why did he care? Was it because she was his friend Hades’ daughter? Or perhaps… did he see Dianthe as a friend?

Now that was truly ridiculous. A god—Death, no less—being friends with a mortal? The notion was laughable, at best.

But… in all honesty…

… that didn’t sound like a bad idea to him.

As Dianthe grew, Thanatos almost expected her to lose interest in him. No mortal being had ever cared for his presence—in fact, most feared it. But Dianthe always greeted him with joy and delight, as if he were a beloved friend. “Papa! Pretty Bird!” She would always call whenever she saw the two chthonic beings coming up the path. And she would always run up to greet them, and tell them about everything that had happened since their last visit.

Thanatos found it sort of… endearing, if he was being honest. The way that she looked at him like he had hung the stars in the sky (though that had actually been his mother’s work), and how her face lit up with joy whenever she was so much as in his presence. Thanatos wasn’t used to others paying attention to him. He wasn’t used to having people—a mortal, of all beings—talk to him and ask about his day (not that he could tell her about his day; that was probably too morbid for most children to hear about). And when she would ask him to play… it was almost like he was a child again. The only other person he had played with when he was little had been his twin, Hypnos. Meeting Dianthe, and being around her… it made him feel seen. Acknowledged.

It made him feel real. Like he was a person with feelings, and more than just a being with a purpose to fulfill.

But because of that, being told that he was only to check on her from afar, and never interact… hurt. And Thanatos knew what his duty was. He knew that he was to obey his lord’s commands.

But… a little visit surely couldn’t hurt.

“Pretty Bird!”

Thanatos smiled at the little girl. He had found her in a field close to her home, where she was hard at work picking flowers. “Hello, Dianthe.”

Dianthe motioned for him to sit down beside her, and Thanatos obliged. He watched silently as she braided the flowers together by their stems, twisting them into a delicate cord.

Thanatos tilted his head to the side. “What are you doing?”

“I’m making flower crowns!” Dianthe chirped happily. “Do you want me to show you how?”

Thanatos didn’t particularly care about the art of making flower crowns, but he nodded anyway, just to see Dianthe’s smile grow wider. The little girl excitedly handed Thanatos a bunch of freshly picked flowers, and Thanatos thought to himself that this little visit wouldn’t hurt. Not at all.

Hades didn’t need to know.

Unfortunately, Hades did need to know, after all. Because Dianthe had made Thanatos promise her that he would give her father the flower crown she had made for him. She had made one for Thanatos, as well, once the both of them had realized that his flower-braiding skills were… inept, to say the least. And the silly little loop of blossoms that she had put together for him was now perched atop Thanatos’ head as he fluttered down into the Underworld, his stomach dropping as he mentally prepared himself to deal with Hades’ displeasure. Thanatos was known to be a stickler for rules, and to follow commands without question. So for him to go against Hades’ orders now? And for such a silly reason?

Hopefully, the frivolity of the situation would ease Hades’ anger.

As Thanatos neared the obsidian palace, he saw Hades on a balcony overlooking the garden. Thanatos glided down and perched on the railing next to him like a rather large bird.

Hades scowled at him. “I told you to stop doing that.”

Thanatos ignored his king’s remarks and proceeded to reach into his satchel. “I have a gift for you.”

“What?” Hades looked bewildered. Thanatos bringing him gifts wasn’t exactly a common occurrence (if it had ever even happened before this point).

“From your daughter.” Thanatos pulled out the flower crown that he had tucked carefully inside his bag and held it out to Hades, being careful to ignore the god’s perplexed gaze.

Hades took the circlet and looked at it closely, clearly confused. “But Melinoe wouldn’t have…” Hades’ eyes widened in realization, and Thanatos winced as the god looked at him in complete disbelief. “Dia—”

Thanatos gave a curt nod and looked over Hades’ shoulder pointedly, silently warning him not to say anything. And almost as if on cue, none other than Persephone rounded the corner. She smiled at Hades in greeting, but frowned when she saw the god perched beside him.

“Thanatos? Why are you on the railing?” Persephone asked. “You’re going to fall again.”

Thanatos rolled his eyes and finally hopped down from the railing, coming to stand beside Hades. Honestly, he was a little relieved. With Persephone here, Hades wouldn’t be able to scold him for disobeying his secret orders.

But Thanatos’ relief disappeared instantly when Persephone’s frown grew and she pointed right at him. “What is that on your head?”

The two gods immediately looked at each other, both of their faces going pale. Thanatos had forgotten about his own flower crown.

“Oh…” Thanatos said weakly, his voice catching in his throat as his gaze flitted about, landing everywhere except Persephone’s face. “I-I… I… made it.”

That was the first time Thanatos had ever lied. And he wasn’t sure if he had done a very good job of it.

Persephone looked surprised by his claim. “Really?” She then looked at the one in Hades’ sweaty hands. “And you made one for Hades, too?”

Thanatos nodded fervently. He could feel Hades’ eyes burning holes into the back of his head, the other god staring at him in complete and utter disbelief. Thanatos was making a lot of surprising choices today.

Persephone frowned again, but this time she looked hurt. “And you didn’t make one for me?”

Oh no. “I-I… I…”

“H-he didn’t think you would want one!” Hades added quickly, coming to Thanatos’ rescue. “Since this is… the first time he’s made one, and… y’know…” Hades lifted the crown he was holding and awkwardly placed it atop his own head. “He wanted to practice first. Right, Thanatos?”

Thanatos nodded again. He knew that if he tried to speak, all that would come out of his mouth would be a stuttering mess. He hadn’t stuttered in ages. Not since he was a child.

Persephone was quiet for a long, agonizing moment as she stared at the two deceitful gods standing in front of her, both with silly flower crowns on their heads. Thanatos’ feathers bristled as he clenched his jaw, his hand coming to rest on his satchel. He was sure that Persephone was going to see right through his foolish lies. And when she did, the truth would be unraveled, and then Dianthe…

Thanatos was a fool. He never should have visited Dianthe. Why in all the realms had he thought that was a good idea?

The winged god flinched when Persephone spoke, but to his complete disbelief it was not words of wrath.

“Well, you better make one for me next time. Alright?” Persephone leaned forward and tapped the crown on Hades’ head, her magic making it instantly bloom anew and sprout fresh blossoms. “I think they’re rather cute.”

Thanatos nodded weakly, feeling strangely lightheaded from the relief that immediately washed over him. And as Hades and Persephone wandered inside the palace, leaving Thanatos alone on the balcony, the god of death realized that he would actually have to learn to make flower crowns on his own to keep up his clever lie.

… perhaps Dianthe could teach him again the next time he visited.

It was another dull day of work, just like any other, when everything came crashing down.

Thanatos was leaving the archives when he saw none other than Hades marching quickly towards him. There was an urgency in the god’s steps that made Thanatos pause, a strange feeling of dread settling in his gut as Hades drew near.

“Thanatos.” Hades’ voice was taut with tension. “I must speak with you. Now.”

Without waiting for an answer, Hades grabbed Thanatos’ arm and pulled him into an alcove in the wall, away from any prying eyes or wandering spirits.

“Persephone knows.”

“… how?” Thanatos asked quietly, stunned as his heart began to beat erratically in his chest like a hummingbird’s wings. He knew all too well what Persephone could do in anger. If she had truly found out about Dianthe, then Thanatos dreaded what might happen to the poor child.

“One of Demeter’s nymphs saw me talking to Althaea and told Demeter,” Hades whispered quickly. “And you know how she gets whenever I’m involved.”

Thanatos nodded. Having been by Hades’ side since the god first stepped into the Underworld, Thanatos knew plenty about the contention between him and his mother-in-law.

“Demeter told Persephone what the nymph told her, and then Persephone confronted me.” Hades sighed heavily. “Nothing I said would ease her anger. Now she’s gone to… take care of the issue.”

A strange weight fell upon Thanatos’ heart, and it felt like it was crushing him from the inside. Thanatos knew what Persephone’s anger was like. And death would be a blessing for any of her victims. Thanatos could only hope that Persephone would have mercy on Dianthe, considering she was only a child…

Hades squeezed Thanatos’ arm, drawing him out of his spiraling thoughts. “But she doesn’t know about Dianthe.”

“… what?”

“She must have been out with you when I was seen,” Hades explained quickly. “Which means there is a chance that she may live.” Hades released Thanatos and pushed him away, then dug into the folds of his robe. “Go. Now. Take her before Persephone sees.” From the folds of his robes, Hades drew a parchment scroll, which carried the sooty scent of fresh ink. He placed it in Thanatos’ palm and wrapped the god’s fingers around it, squeezing his hand tightly. “I’ve written this for her mortal uncle in Argos. Take her there.”

Thanatos nodded in understanding and moved to leave, but Hades grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. A pained look was etched across the father’s face. “Do not visit her again, Thanatos. I—we cannot risk it. Once she is safe, leave. And do not go back. Promise me.”

It was a simple request. One that Thanatos should have had no problem agreeing to. But he found that his tongue was like stone behind his unmoving lips, and his head refused to bow in acknowledgement.

Hades’ grip on his shoulder tightened painfully, his eyes never leaving Thanatos’ own. He would not let Thanatos leave until he agreed.

Thanatos swallowed thickly. “… I promise.”

Thanatos found Dianthe in the fields on the other side of her little town, about as far from her home as she could be. Thanatos supposed he should thank the Fates for that, but his only focus at the moment was the little girl in front of him, who stood up when she saw the winged god descending from the sky.

“Pretty Bird!” Dianthe smiled as Thanatos landed right in front of her.

Thanatos immediately held out his hand to the little girl. “Come with me. Quickly.” He said.

Dianthe looked somewhat taken aback, and she frowned in question. But Thanatos did not have time to tell her what was going on. He grabbed her hand, knocking the freshly picked flowers from her grasp, and dragged her into the shadows.

They resurfaced a few kilometers from the village, and Thanatos immediately looked around, searching for any signs of magic—life magic, in particular, for that would signal to him that there were nymphs nearby.

But there was none. Not a hint of magic in the air, except his own. Thanatos could only assume that the local nature spirits were all a bit preoccupied at the moment, helping their mistress deliver swift retribution upon her husband’s mortal lover.

Which meant that Thanatos could escape. He could take Dianthe, and carry her far away from all of this. But only if he moved quickly, lest wrathful eyes looked his way.

Dianthe stumbled, looking all around her with an air of bewilderment. “What’s happening? Where are we?”

Thanatos didn’t answer, instead taking a few fleeting seconds to plan their getaway. It would be better if he could just shadow-travel with Dianthe all the way to Argos, but that wasn’t an option with her youth and lack of experience. He could already see how ill she looked from the short distance they had teleported. Which meant they would have to fly.

“Pretty Bird?” Dianthe looked at him, clearly worried. “What’s—”

“We must leave.” Thanatos cut her off, picking the little girl up and holding her tightly to his chest as he spread his midnight-toned wings. “Now.”

Dianthe shrieked in terror as they took flight, but her voice was lost almost instantly to the roar of the wind as Thanatos raced across the sky. He hoped that Persephone had not been listening—it was unlikely she had heard anything—yet he swore he could feel her eyes on his back, her burning gaze watching him betray her trust as he flew away carrying the product of her husband’s infidelity.

No words were spoken as they traveled across the skies, from Dianthe’s little town on the outskirts of Sparta to the city of Argos. Thanatos was too focused on completing his task. That, and he didn’t have anything to say. For some reason, his throat felt tight, and his thoughts were all flitting about his head, like flies around a corpse. He couldn’t form a sentence if he tried—he was sure it would all come out as a jumbled, wobbling mess.

But after a few kilometers had passed in silence, Dianthe spoke. “You’re sad today,” she remarked quietly, her cutting blue eyes seeming to see right into Thanatos’ very core. “Why?”

Sad?

Death didn’t feel sadness. Death didn’t feel anything.

“I am fine,” Thanatos replied, but the words felt odd on his tongue. Was that another lie, falling from his cursed lips? Wasn’t it lying that had gotten him into this mess in the first place? Lying to Persephone by omission, and then by word, and now…

Thanatos had never felt so wrong as he did right now.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Dianthe offered. “My mom says that talking about your sad feelings can make them go away.”

Thanatos did not answer, because there was nothing to talk about. He was not sad. He did not know how to feel sad.

But the awful ache in chest, that had been there ever since Hades gave him the devastating news, seemed to say otherwise.

After a long moment of silence, Dianthe spoke again. “Where are we going?”

Thanatos swallowed, hoping his voice would not fail him when he answered. “To your new home.”

“What?” Dianthe’s hands gripped the fabric of Thanatos’ chiton just a little tighter, and he could hear the distress in her tone. He did not dare look at her face. “Why? What about Mama?”

“… your mother cannot care for you anymore,” Thanatos informed her quietly, for he could sense now that her mother had passed on. Thanatos had managed to sweep Dianthe away just in the nick of time.

Perhaps it would be best to keep that information to himself, though.

“Why?” Dianthe questioned, her voice beginning to wobble. The weak sound was enough to make Thanatos’ heart feel like it was being crushed beneath a mountain of stone. “Why can’t she? Can I go home now? Please? I-I—”

From the corner of his eye, Thanatos spotted a little earth-colored home, at the far end of a modestly-sized field. They had finally reached their destination.

Dianthe yelped as Thanatos banked sharply, dipping down through the clouds and then spreading his wings to slow their descent. Dianthe clung to Thanatos as if she was terrified she might fall, but she didn’t need to fear; Thanatos would never let her fall. He held her tightly to his chest as the wind billowed past them, tearing at his hair and feathers, until finally he landed in the middle of the little field, stumbling just slightly as his feet struck the earth. He wasn’t used to flying with others in tow.

The little girl in his arms was still clinging to him, and Thanatos was still holding onto her just as tightly, even though they were no longer in flight, and there was no danger of her falling. Truth be told… a small part of him didn’t want to let go.

But let go he must, for that was his duty. To deliver her into the safety of her uncle’s care, and then to leave and never return, to ensure that Persephone never learned of her existence.

Thanatos was silent as he set Dianthe down on the ground. She stumbled, her legs shaking, but quickly regained her footing. When she looked up at Thanatos, he could see the tears shining brightly in her eyes. Thanatos looked away with a quiet sigh, and wondered once again why his chest was aching so terribly.

Dianthe looked around at the field, which was full of wheat, still green and not even a meter in length. From here, they could easily see the humble little farmhouse just past the field, on the other side of the fence. There was smoke rising from its chimney, indicating that someone was home.

“Where are we?” Dianthe asked quietly. Timidly.

“This… is the home of your uncle,” Thanatos revealed, watching the way that the little girl’s shoulders slumped at his words. “You will be living here from now on.”

He waited for her to ask him why, as she had several times already, but to his surprise she just nodded silently after a moment.

It was for the best that she didn’t ask, because Thanatos could not give her an answer. He couldn’t tell her that her mother had been killed by a vengeful goddess. He couldn’t tell her that this would be their last meeting until her death, for fear of catching Persephone’s wrathful eye. But he did have to tell her that this… this was…

“This… is farewell.”

Dianthe turned back to face him, surprise evident on her face. Thanatos knelt down and reached into his satchel, pulling out the letter Hades had written, and gave it to her. “This is for your uncle,” he instructed her dutifully. “Give it to him as soon as you can.”

Dianthe nodded again as she clutched the little scroll in her trembling hands. “Will you go with me?”

“I… I cannot.” Thanatos looked down at the ground as his voice cracked in his throat, and it felt like his ribcage was being split in two. “I must go now. There is much work to be done, and I have been away for too long.”

A few tears dripped down Dianthe’s cheeks as she set her mouth in a thin, wobbly line and nodded once more, but with less certainty this time. “I’ll see you later… right?”

Thanatos tried to shake his head, but it felt like he was made of stone. Stone that was cracking, crumbling, and ready to fall apart right then and there. He opened his mouth to tell her no—no, they would not see each other again. Not until her death, which hopefully would not come to pass for at least a few more decades. Even though he desperately did not want to tell her the truth, he felt that… maybe he should. It would be wrong to let her carry false hope in her chest for so long.

But when he opened his mouth to speak, the words caught in his throat. His eyes burned, and when he blinked, he was surprised to find his vision had gone blurry.

What was happening to him?

Dianthe’s eyebrows creased with worry as she reached up, her hand coming to rest on his left cheek. “You’re crying.”

Crying? Was that what he was doing? How… odd. He had never… cried before. He didn’t know that he could, as strange as that sounded.

“I… I’m sorry.” Thanatos muttered quietly, feeling rather foolish.

“Don’t worry,” Dianthe soothed him, and wasn’t that ridiculous? A child soothing a god? “This isn’t goodbye for forever. I’ll see you again soon.”

She said it with such surety that Thanatos couldn’t help but smile weakly, even though he knew it wasn’t true. He would only get to see her once more in her lifetime, and for her sake, he hoped that it was many, many years from now, after she had lived a long and happy life.

Dianthe smiled, and then she wrapped her arms around Thanatos’ neck, pulling him into a warm embrace. Surprised and caught off guard, Thanatos didn’t know how he was supposed to respond. He wasn’t exactly the kind of being to be on the receiving end of hugs. He wasn’t sure he ever had received a hug before now, except maybe from Hypnos back when they were children. Or Hades, when he was drunk. Was he supposed to give one in return?

But before Thanatos could do so, Dianthe pulled away. Her eyes were still watery, but there was a hopefulness in her smile that gave Thanatos his own hope that she would be alright. He hoped that she would settle in here at her uncle’s home. He hoped that she might find friends, and be happy. That one day, she might be able to forget about this sad day, and think of it as no more than a figment of her imagination. It would be for the best.

“Goodbye for now,” Dianthe said earnestly, with all the hopefulness of an innocent, naive child. Then she turned, and with a confidence that Thanatos could only wish to have in that moment, she walked away, towards the house at the end of the field.

“… bye.” Thanatos replied quietly, knowing that she would not hear him. Then he stood, and disappeared into the shadows, never to return.

~~~~~~~~

So… what do you guys think?

Yeah, the flower crown scene may not have fit the vibe of this chapter too much, but we had to leave it in. The original The First Apprentice is way longer and we had to cut out a bunch of fun scenes, but we’re keeping this one, gosh darn it! It’s too funny!

Maybe we’ll post the entirety of The First Apprentice as its own fic later on, would you guys be interested in that? We have way too much fun stuff in there to just leave it in a WIP folder.

Also, we won’t be updating this again for a little bit. We’ve got a lot of stuff going on IRL, and we’re also trying to get some cosplays done for a convention this fall, so we’re gonna be pretty busy. Thank you for reading! We hope to be back soon!

First: Prologue

Previous: Chapter 34

Next: Coming Soon!

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